Reading Scripture as a Political Act

Reading Scripture as a Political Act
Author: Matthew A. Tapie
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 341
Release: 2015-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 150640149X

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Although scholars increasingly understand Scripture to contain political dimensions and implications, the interpretation of Scripture is often marginalized in most scholarly discussions of political theology. Reading Scripture as a Political Act takes a step toward remedying this situation by exploring some of the ways the church has read Scripture politically. In particular, this volume examines the political character of premodern and modern theologians’ readings of Scripture with attention to how their readings relate to or address political challenges in their particular social and historical settings. The essays attempt to illuminate the ways that the theological interpretation of Scripture shaped the theopolitical imaginations of Augustine, Basil of Caesarea, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Bartolome de las Casas, John Wesley, Karl Barth, Henri de Lubac, and John Howard Yoder, among others. Several essays in the volume also take constructive steps and suggest how these models of reading Scripture can inform the contemporary task of reading Scripture in political contexts. The volume covers the earliest Christian centuries to the late modern era, and considers carefully the close coordination between Scripture, theology, and social and political concerns. As a whole, the collection provides a robust survey of Christian theopolitical interpretation of the Bible.

Politics in the Bible

Politics in the Bible
Author: Paul R. Abramson
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2011-12-31
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1412847966

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The Bible is fundamental to Western culture. Political philosophers from Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau to modern political theorists such as George H. Sabine, Leo Strauss, and Sheldon S. Wolin have drawn upon biblical examples. American political leaders, such as Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, and William Jennings Bryan all drew heavily upon the Bible. Today, most contemporary politicians display less familiarity with Scripture although many proudly proclaim themselves to be born-again Christians. Politics in the Bible has a simple goal: to help readers to think critically about how the Bible illuminates understanding of justice, leadership, and politics. For a political scientist, there are great advantages to studying the Bible. Students of the Bible have short texts to analyze, but they have a history of two thousand years of Jewish and Christian scholarly discussion. In that tradition, Paul R. Abramson analyzes stories drawn from eighteen of the thirty-nine books of the Hebrew Bible and fifteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. Abramson argues that the Bible is a book that should be read even by those who do not believe it has any transcendent significance. One can choose to read it as the revealed word of God, as a source of Western morality, as a compilation of interesting stories, poetry, and history, or as a work of great literature. Although this book discusses selected stories that have political implications, it also considers parts that have literary merit. This unusual volume may stimulate new thinking about the Bible as a source of insight into political ideas.

The Bible and the Ballot

The Bible and the Ballot
Author: Tremper Longman
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2020-01-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1467458589

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How to read the Bible on matters of public policy Christians affirm the Bible as our standard of faith and practice. We turn to it to hear God’s voice. But what relevance does the Bible have for the contentious public policy issues we face today? Although the Bible does not always speak explicitly to modern issues, it does give us guiding principles as we think about how we might vote or act as political figures ourselves. The Bible and the Ballot demonstrates the proper use of Scripture in contemporary political discussions. Christians regularly invoke the Bible to support their positions on many controversial political topics—gay marriage, poverty, war, religious liberty, immigration, the environment, taxes, etc.—and this book will help facilitate those conversations. Tremper Longman provides a hermeneutical approach to using the Bible in this manner, then proceeds topic by topic, citing important Scriptures to be taken into consideration in each case and offering an evangelical interpretation. Longman is careful to suggest levels of confidence in interpretation and acknowledges that often there are a range of possible applications. Each chapter includes questions to provoke further thought in individuals’ minds or for group discussion. The Bible and the Ballot is a ready guide to understanding the Bible on issues that American Christians face today as we live within a pluralistic society.

Politics - According to the Bible

Politics - According to the Bible
Author: Wayne A. Grudem
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 626
Release: 2010-09-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310413583

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Should Christians be involved in political issues? This comprehensive and readable book presents a political philosophy from the perspective that the Gospel pertains to all of life, including politics. Politics—According to the Bible is an in-depth analysis of conservative and liberal plans to do good for the nation, evaluated in light of the Bible and common sense. Evangelical Bible professor, and author of the bestselling book Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem unpacks and rejects five common views about Christian influence on politics: "compel religion," "exclude religion," "all government is demonic," "do evangelism, not politics," and "do politics, not evangelism." Instead, he defends a position of "significant Christian influence on government" and explains the Bible's teachings about the purpose of civil government and the characteristics of good or bad governments. Grudem provides a thoughtful analysis of over fifty specific and current political issues dealing with: The protection of life. Marriage, the family, and children. Economic issues and taxation. The environment. National defense Relationships to other nations. Freedom of speech and religion. Quotas. And special interests. Throughout this book, he makes frequent application to the current policies of the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, but the principles discussed here are relevant for any nation.

The Power of Scripture

The Power of Scripture
Author: Andreas Pečar
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2021-12-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 1800733216

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In England, from the Reformation era to the outbreak of the Civil War, religious authority contributed to popular political discourse in ways that significantly shaped the legitimacy of the monarchy as a form of rule as well as the monarch’s ability to act politically. The Power of Scripture casts aside parochial conceptualizations of that authority’s origins and explores the far-reaching consequences of political biblicism. It shows how arguments, narratives, and norms taken from Biblical scripture not only directly contributed to national religious politics but also left lasting effects on the socio-political development of Stuart England.

An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theolog

An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theolog
Author: William T. Cavanaugh
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Total Pages: 837
Release: 2011-11-18
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0802864406

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An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theology gathers some of the most significant and influential writings in political theology from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Given that the locus of Christianity is undeniably shifting to the global South, this volume uniquely integrates key voices from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with central texts from Europe and North America on such major subjects as church and state, gender and race, and Christendom and postcolonialism. Carefully selected, thematically arranged, and expertly introduced, these forty-nine essential readings constitute an ideal primary-source introduction to contemporary political theology a profoundly relevant resource for globally engaged citizens, students, and scholars. CONTRIBUTORS: Nicholas Adams Rafael Avila Karl Barth Richard Bauckham Dietrich Bonhoeffer Walter Brueggemann Ernesto Cardenal J. Kameron Carter James H. Cone Dorothy Day Musa W. Dube Jean Bethke Elshtain Eric Gregory Gustavo Gutirrez Stanley Hauerwas George Hunsinger Ada Mara Isasi-Diaz Emmanuel M. Katongole Rafiq Khoury Kosuke Koyama Brian McDonald Johann Baptist Metzv Virgil Michel Nstor O. Miguez John Milbank John Courtney Murray Ched Myers H. Richard Niebuhr Reinhold Niebuhr Arvind P. Nirmal Oliver O Donovan Catherine Pickstock Kwok Pui-lan A. Maria Arul Raja Walter Rauschenbusch Joerg Rieger Christopher Rowland Rosemary Radford Ruether Alexander Schmemann Carl Schmitt Peter Manley Scott Jon Sobrino Dorothee Solle R. S. Sugirtharajah Elsa Tamez Mark Lewis Taylor Emilie M. Townes Desmond Tutu Bernd Wannenwetsch Graham Ward George Weigel Delores S. Williams Rowan Williams Walter Wink John Howard Yoder Kim Yong-Bock

Acts for Everyone

Acts for Everyone
Author: Nicholas Thomas Wright
Publisher:
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2014-03-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9780281071845

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Biblical Literacy

Biblical Literacy
Author: Timothy Beal
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2010-10-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 006171867X

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Everything You Need to Know About the Bible’s Most Important Stories.

Awaiting the King (Cultural Liturgies Book #3)

Awaiting the King (Cultural Liturgies Book #3)
Author: James K. A. Smith
Publisher: Baker Academic
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2017-11-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1493406604

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In this culmination of his widely read and highly acclaimed Cultural Liturgies project, James K. A. Smith examines politics through the lens of liturgy. What if, he asks, citizens are not only thinkers or believers but also lovers? Smith explores how our analysis of political institutions would look different if we viewed them as incubators of love-shaping practices--not merely governing us but forming what we love. How would our political engagement change if we weren't simply looking for permission to express our "views" in the political sphere but actually hoped to shape the ethos of a nation, a state, or a municipality to foster a way of life that bends toward shalom? This book offers a well-rounded public theology as an alternative to contemporary debates about politics. Smith explores the religious nature of politics and the political nature of Christian worship, sketching how the worship of the church propels us to be invested in forging the common good. This book creatively merges theological and philosophical reflection with illustrations from film, novels, and music and includes helpful exposition and contemporary commentary on key figures in political theology.

Compassion (&) Conviction

Compassion (&) Conviction
Author: Justin Giboney
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 165
Release: 2020-07-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830848118

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Have you ever felt too progressive for conservatives, but too conservative for progressives? It's easy for faithful Christians to grow disillusioned with civic engagement or fall into tribal extremes. Representing the AND Campaign, the authors of this book lay out the biblical case for political engagement and help Christians navigate the complex world of politics with integrity.