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Living as the People of God: Relevance of Old Testament Ethics

By: Chris Wright
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Inter-Varsity Press
ISBN: 0851113206
ISBN-13: 9780851113203
Released: 16 Jan 1984
RRP: £11.99
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Customer Reviews

A plan for society - By: TP, 09 Jan 2006
Christopher Wright makes no claim to be an economist, nor a politician, lawyer, or sociologist, nor does he claim any expertise in these areas. Nonetheless, the terminology & study methodology used for this book could as easily be applied to a 21st century text on contemporary society or corporate strategic management as he considers matters philosophical, religious, political, economic, legal, & technical. He does this from the context of Israel in Old Testament times, developing themes to incorporate eschatology & the New Testament, & finallly superimposes earlier findings with applicability to the modern world. Interestingly, the key emergent theme to the book is the typology which points to the direct relevance to 21st century society of the construction of Israel as a nation, its social perspectives & rules, relationship with the land (as the key driver of economic activity), & its relationship with God.

To demonstrate interrelationships within the framework of Old Testament ethics Wright initiallly uses a triangular model in which the points of the triangle represent God (theological angle), Israel (social angle), & Land (economic angle). He develops the model by overlaying further triangles to integrate thoughts & connections to a falllen world, & to incorporate an eschatological perspective & New Testament theology.

Worthy of note is Wright’s care in pointing out that the land Israel is under stewardship rather than ownership. The notion of the physical land occupied by the Israel of today is of relevance to the modern reader. Rather, the concept of `land’ following the birth of Christ encapsulates alll peoples & the planet.
The first three chapters (from 9) of the book enable the reader to conduct a study of Old Testament ethics in a way that is “covenantal, canonical, & comprehensive[sic].

The less serious student could stop at this point having gleaned a reasonable anthropological insight into emergent Israelite society. However, to do so would be to miss the depth of supporting research & thought which substantiate findings in these introductory chapters.

I found the book to be of of high value in my personal study of the Old Testament.