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Synopsis: In this volume, Richard Hiers challenges the popular
assumption that the Bible has a low view of women and that biblical
law either ignores women or requires them to be subject and
subservient to men. He does so by identifying and carefully
examining hundreds of biblical texts and allowing them to speak for
themselves. Among the findings: --that biblical tradition generally
represents women positively, as strong and independent persons;
--that no text represents wives as subject to their husbands and
that no biblical law requires such subjection; --that biblical laws
provide many protections for women's rights and interests--in
several instances, rights equal to those enjoyed by men. The book
focuses particularly on the Old Testament and Old Testament law,
and argues that Old Testament laws and their underlying values
provide important resources for Christian ethics and social policy
today. Endorsements: "Richard Heirs has offered us a persuasive
account of the view of women in the Bible, with special attention
to the Old Testament. He focuses on the Old Testament because . . .
the Christian community . . . has addressed this issue almost
exclusively from a New Testament perspective. He argues that the
overarching perspective of the biblical law is that women should be
treated equally and fairly. His work is well researched, balanced,
and integrative. This volume is timely, given the current
discussion of women's rights." --Duncan Ferguson Retired Professor
of Religious Studies, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
author, Exploring the Spirituality of the World Religions(2010)
"Using a comprehensive catalogue of biblical evidence . . .,
Richard Hiers successfully demonstrates that women's role in Old
Testament times was more powerful, and their legal rights more
secure, than the common wisdom would suggest. Modern advocates for
women's rights worldwide should find this text helpful in setting
straight the historical record on legal protections for women."
--Marie Failinger Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Law and Religion
Professor of Law, Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul,
Minnesota "Once again, Richard Hiers . . . demonstrates the
persisting pertinence of biblical writings--specifically the Old
Testament--to our times. Drawing on specializations in both
biblical studies and American law, he focuses on the precise status
of women in these ancient texts. Granting exceptions, he finds the
vast preponderance of the evidence portrays women as equal to men
in cultural significance and legal standing. His sharp conclusion:
we have yet in the modern age to meet that high standard."
--Douglas Sturm Presidential Professor Emeritus of Religion and
Political Science, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Former President, Society of Christian Ethics Author Biography:
Richard Hiers is Professor of Religion, emeritus, and Affiliate
Professor of Law, emeritus, at the University of Florida. He is the
author of more than a dozen books including Justice and Compassion
in Biblical Law.
The theory and praxis of biblical law in the historical and
contemporary landscape of American law and culture is contentious
and controversial. Richard Hiers provides a new consideration of
the subject with an emphasis upon the underlying justice and
compassion implicit within. Special consideration is given to
matters of civil law, the death penalty, and due process. An
analysis of various biblical trial scenes are also included. The
book draws on, and in turn relates to three areas of scholarship
and concern: biblical studies, social ethics, and jurisprudence
(legal theory). Modern legal categories often illuminate the nature
of biblical law: for instance, by distinguishing between
inheritance and bequests or wills (a distinction not found in
traditional biblical commentaries), and by identifying the meaning
or function of biblical laws by using such categories as "contract"
and "tort" law, "due process," "equal protection," and "social
welfare legislation."Several discussions throughout the book
compare or contrast biblical laws with modern Anglo-American law or
social policies. Each chapter begins with two or three relevant
quotations: one or two from biblical texts, and sometimes from one
or two relevant latter-day sources, notably, Magna Carta, the
United States Constitution, and writings by Ayn Rand, and Robert
Bellah. Although modern law usually shows greater compassion,
biblical law often combines concern for both justice and compassion
in ways that sometime provide grounds for critiquing modern
counterparts.>
The theory and praxis of biblical law in the historical and
contemporary landscape of American law and culture is contentious
and controversial. Richard Hiers provides a new consideration of
the subject with an emphasis upon the underlying justice and
compassion implicit within. Special consideration is given to
matters of civil law, the death penalty, and due process. An
analysis of various biblical trial scenes are also included.
The book draws on, and in turn relates to three areas of
scholarship and concern: biblical studies, social ethics, and
jurisprudence (legal theory). Modern legal categories often
illuminate the nature of biblical law: for instance, by
distinguishing between inheritance and bequests or wills (a
distinction not found in traditional biblical commentaries), and by
identifying the meaning or function of biblical laws by using such
categories as "contract" and "tort" law, "due process," "equal
protection," and "social welfare legislation."
Several discussions throughout the book compare or contrast
biblical laws with modern Anglo-American law or social policies.
Each chapter begins with two or three relevant quotations: one or
two from biblical texts, and sometimes from one or two relevant
latter-day sources, notably, Magna Carta, the United States
Constitution, and writings by Ayn Rand, and Robert Bellah. Although
modern law usually shows greater compassion, biblical law often
combines concern for both justice and compassion in ways that
sometime provide grounds for critiquing modern counterparts.
Full of strange tales, obscure symbols, and archaic language, the
Bible can be difficult to understand and interpret without some
guidance. In The Trinity Guide to the Bible, Richard Hiers provides
readers with information on the historical contexts and literary
forms of the various books that will make the Bible more
accessible. For each book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation,
as well as the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, Hiers supplies
a summary of the book's basic features, highlights significant
passages, and provides information about each book's likely
historical settings. Rather than emphasizing a modern
interpretation f the texts, Hiers focuses primarily on the beliefs
and concerns inherent in each of the books of the Bible, allowing
readers to draw their own conclusions. Background essays, at the
end of the book, explore the major events and periods of biblical
history, the principal literary and editorial features of biblical
writing, and the central themes of biblical religion and faith.
This important reference book will be a useful tool for readers
encountering the Bible for the firs time, as well as for students
and study groups searching for a deeper background and detail about
the books of the Bible. Richard H. Hiers is Professor of Religion
at the University of Florida, and the author of many books in New
Testament studies and biblical scholarship.
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