The Bible contains a variety of passages that defend the poor and champion the cause of the oppressed, but are these ancient texts able to find a voice in confronting injustice in the modern world? This selection of papers, compiled from the proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Bible and Justice at the University of Sheffield, address this question. Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges explores the various ways in which the Bible might effectively confront an array of human rights, poverty and environmental concerns, while considering the difficulties that arise when ancient concepts of justice are applied to modern socio-political ideals. Written to be accessible to those outside the field of biblical studies, this volume will be a valuable resource for both academics and non-academics alike.

The Bible contains a variety of passages that defend the poor and champion the cause of the oppressed, but are these ancient texts able to find a voice in confronting injustice in the modern world? This selection of papers, compiled from the proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Bible and Justice at the University of Sheffield, address this question. Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges explores the various ways in which the Bible might effectively confront an array of human rights, poverty and environmental concerns, while considering the difficulties that arise when ancient concepts of justice are applied to modern socio-political ideals. Written to be accessible to those outside the field of biblical studies, this volume will be a valuable resource for both academics and non-academics alike.

This concise commentary, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issues. introductory articles describe the challenges of reading the Old Testament in ancient and contemporary contexts, relating the biblical theme of the people of God" to our complex, multicultural world, and reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, followed by a survey of "Introduction to Wisdom and Worship: Themes and Perspectives in the Poetic Writings." Each chapter (Job through Song of Songs) includes an introduction and commentary on the text through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context; The Text in the Interpretive Tradition; The Text in Contemporary Discussion. Wisdom, Worship, and Poetry introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, as well as preachers and interested readers, into the challenging work of interpretation.

This concise commentary on the Pentateuch, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors from a rich diversity of perspectives connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issues. introductory articles describe the challenges of reading the Old Testament in ancient and contemporary contexts, relating the biblical theme of "the people of God" to our complex, multicultural world, and reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, followed by a survey of "Themes and Perspectives in the Torah: Creation, Kinship, and Covenant." Each chapter (Genesis through Deuteronomy) includes an introduction and commentary on the text through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context; The Text in the Interpretive Tradition; The Text in Contemporary Discussion. The Pentateuch introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, as well as preachers and interested readers, into the challenging work of interpretation.

The Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha presents a balanced synthesis of current scholarship, enabling readers to interpret Scripture for a complex and pluralistic world. The contributors bring a rich diversity perspectives to the task of connecting solid historical critical analysis of the Scripture with sensitivity to theological, cultural, and interpretive issues arising in our encounter with the text. The contributors represent a broad array of theological commitment - Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and others. The introductory articles and section introductions in the volume discuss the dramatic challenges that have shaped contemporary interpretation of the Old Testament and Apocrypha. Individual book articles provide an introduction and commentary on key sense units that are explored through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context. What did the text probably mean in its original historical and cultural context? The Text in the Interpretive Tradition. How have centuries of reading and interpreting shaped our understanding of the text? The Text in Contemporary Discussion. What are the unique challenges and interpretive questions the text addresses for readers and hearers today?

This concise commentary on the Apocrypha, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors from a rich diversity of perspectives connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issues. Each chapter (Tobit through 4 Maccabees) includes an introduction and commentary based on three lenses: ancient context, the interpretative tradition, and contemporary questions and challenges. The Apocrypha introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, preachers, and interested readers into the challenging work of interpretation.

This concise commentary on the Historical Writings, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors from a rich diversity of perspectives connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issue introductory articles describe the challenges of reading the Old Testament in ancient and contemporary contexts, relating the biblical theme of "the people of God" to our complex, multicultural world, and reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, followed by a survey of "Themes and Perspectives in the Historical Writings." Each chapter (Joshua through Esther) includes an introduction and commentary on the text through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context; The Text in the Interpretive Tradition; The Text in Contemporary Discussion. The Historical Writings introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, as well as preachers and interested readers, into the challenging work of interpretation.

This concise commentary on the Prophets, excerpted from the Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha, engages readers in the work of biblical interpretation. Contributors from a rich diversity of perspectives connect historical-critical analysis with sensitivity to current theological, cultural, and interpretive issues. Introductory articles describe the challenges of reading the Old Testament in ancient and contemporary contexts, relating the biblical theme of "the people of God" to our complex, multicultural world, and reading the Old Testament as Christian Scripture, followed by a survey of "Themes and Perspectives in the Prophets: Truth, Tragedy, Trauma." Each chapter (Isaiah through Malachi) includes an introduction and commentary on the text through the lenses of three critical questions: The Text in Its Ancient Context; The Text in the Interpretive Tradition; The Text in Contemporary Discussion. The Prophets introduces fresh perspectives and draws students, as well as preachers and interested readers, into the challenging work of interpretation.