Story as Torah: Reading the Old Testament Ethically

Description

It can sometimes be difficult for the modern reader to know whether the author of an Old Testament book is commending or condemning certain acts. Professor Wenham turns to modern literary theory and ethical analysis to show how two quite different books of the Old Testament, Genesis and Judges, offer ethical models of behaviour. He focuses on the attitudes of the authors rather than the morals of the characters in the stories, and argues that these models are actually closer to New Testament ideals than has previously been recogised.

Gordon J. Wenham is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire and teaches Old Testament at Trinity College, Bristol.

"Wenham is to be applauded for widening the scope of Old Testament ethical study by considering two of the narratives." * Church Times * "Drawing on a wide range of methodologies now available in biblical studies, he gives us a tour through these narrative books, pausing to offer perceptive comments and insights on the ethical dimensions of these texts...Wenham is not only a thoughtful exegete but a well-versed reader of the literature of Christian ethics." * Interpretation *