The Bible in Politics: How to Read the Bible Politically, 2nd ed.
The political interpretation of the Bible presents many pitfalls for the unwary. It is all too easy to read our own prejudices into the text—and much harder to move intelligently, without anachronism, between the political societies of biblical times and the very different societies of today. Within this process, there is a danger of manipulating the text to support our preconceived attitudes and projects.
The Importance of Bauckham’s Nuanced Reading
This is why Richard Bauckham’s The Bible in Politics has been so enduring. It teaches the reader how to read the Bible politically, helping to relate biblical teaching to current issues. This more nuanced reading leads to a disciplined, informed, imaginative, and politically fruitful understanding of the Bible’s social relevance. Regarding the methodology, the author suggests that the “Bible is God’s message in, to and through very particular historical situations.”
Bauckham further explains that its universality must be found in and through its particularity, not by peeling its particularity away until only a hard core of universality remains. So the appropriate method seems to be that of appreciating the biblical material first of all in its own culturally specific uniqueness, and then seeing it as a ‘paradigm’ (as Chris Wright suggests 2) or an ‘analogy’ (as André Dumas suggests 3) for our own time.
Key Theological Themes and Social Life
The book explores deep questions, such as: “Is it not possible that with our arbitrary nationalism we have affronted God and practised idolatry?” It also looks at how the New Testament addresses freedom:
- Second, the implications of freedom in Christ certainly affected the social life of the Church, the new people of God liberated by the new Exodus.
- Third, the New Testament gives a quite new emphasis to freedom as voluntary service.
The new edition of this book contains a substantial new introduction dealing with such pressing contemporary concerns as globalization and climate change, making this book essential reading for a new generation of Christians who want to be effective instruments of God’s will today—both locally and globally.
Logos Digital Edition Features
In the Logos edition of The Bible in Politics, you get easy access to Scripture texts and to a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Hovering over Scripture references links you instantly to the verse you’re looking for, and with passage guides, word studies, and a wealth of other tools from Logos, you can delve into God’s Word like never before! Key features include introductions to the first and second editions, a general index, and an index of biblical references.
About Richard Bauckham
Richard Bauckham (1946– ) was professor of New Testament studies at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews. He retired in 2007 from this position in order to concentrate on research and writing. He currently is the senior scholar at Ridley Hall in Cambridge and visiting professor at St. Mellitus College. Bauckham earned a PhD at the University of Cambridge and was a fellow of St John's College. He is a fellow of the British Academy and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Bauckham has published widely in theology and biblical studies and is known for his commentary on Jude and 2 Peter.
Product Details
| Title | The Bible in Politics: How to Read the Bible Politically |
| Author | Richard Bauckham |
| Edition | 2nd (Revised 2011) |
| Publisher | SPCK / Westminster John Knox |
| Pages | 192 |
| ISBNs | 9780664237080, 0664237088 |