Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour

What is ethics?

Ethics is not merely about tricky situations or hot topics. Instead, ethics asks questions about what sort of people we are, how we think, what sort of things we do and don't do, and how we ought to live our everyday lives.

How might we learn ethics from the Old Testament? Instead of searching for support for our positions or pointing out problems with certain passages, trusted guide John Goldingay urges us to let the Old Testament itself set the agenda. In this volume, readers will encounter what the Old Testament teaches about relationships, work, Sabbath, character, and more.

Featuring Goldingay's own translation and discussion questions for group use, Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour is a resource for ethics like no other. Topically organized with short, stand-alone chapters, this book is one to keep close at hand.

"Textually comprehensive, wonderfully conversational, immensely practical, and sensibly direct-all the qualities we expect from Goldingay are on display in Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour. The Old Testament matters for life, and Goldingay engages the breadth of that canonical resource to encourage readers to embody God's will today. Each chapter ends with questions for continued reflection and conversation. An immensely helpful guide in a time when many disparage the ethical value of the Old Testament."

M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas), Blanchard Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College
"There are many books on Old Testament ethics that are thoughtful and reflective. This book is such, but it is also very practical and one that recognizes the complexities of daily life, relationships, and challenges in our less-than-ideal world. Goldingay's disarming style and unconventional categories help to juggle the mind into fresh insights and perspectives. This book does not just talk about ethics in the Old Testament, but it actually helps readers discover what the Old Testament says through an encounter with the biblical text."

Athena E. Gorospe, biblical studies faculty, Asian Theological Seminary, Manila, Philippines
"Like a great tour guide, Goldingay skillfully leads his readers through the ethically problematic pages of the Old Testament, covering the usual topics (compassion, justice, nations) as well as the less typical yet perhaps more timely topics (contentment, animals, migrants). This book is infused not only with massive quantities of Goldingay's fresh translation of Scripture but also with his brilliant (and sometimes quirky) textual and theological insights. Readers are sure to find the book illuminating, challenging, and inspiring." David T. Lamb, Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament at Missio Seminary, author of God Behaving Badly

-Publisher.

Publisher Description

:What is ethics? Ethics is not merely about tricky situations or hot topics. Instead, ethics asks questions about what sort of people we are, how we think, what sort of things we do and don't do, and how we ought to live our everyday lives. How might we learn ethics from the Old Testament? Instead of searching for support for our positions or pointing out problems with certain passages, trusted guide John Goldingay urges us to let the Old Testament itself set the agenda. In this volume, readers will encounter what the Old Testament teaches about relationships, work, Sabbath, character, and more. Featuring Goldingay's own translation and discussion questions for group use, Old Testament Ethics: A Guided Tour is a resource for ethics like no other. Topically organized with short, stand-alone chapters, this book is one to keep close at hand.