Scripture and Social Justice

This volume is a witness not only to Donahue’s enduring legacy to the field of biblical studies but also to the importance of scripture in the task of approaching social justice today. Each chapter serves to remind the reader of the fundamentally political nature of the Bible and the enormous potential that critical and thoughtful biblical study continues to offer to the immediacy and urgency of the most trenchant social issues of our day. From abortion, same-sex marriage, colonialism and empire to racism, slavery, and mass incarceration – these chapters demonstrate that rereading scripture from a new perspective or with a different lens can often serve to reframe how we think about a contemporary social problem in profound ways. -- Rebecca Todd Peters, Elon University
This volume on scripture and social justice is a tribute to the lifetime of work in this area by John R. Donahue, and a treasure trove of insightful essays for any interested in the relationship of the Bible to Christian moral life.  Led by Donahue's own remarkable article on the Bible and Catholic social teachings, a cast of many of the most distinguished scholars working in this area offers essays organized into selections from the Hebrew Scriptures and from Early Christianity.  The result is a volume that should be on the shelf of every scholar or church leader who believes that the biblical witness is more than ancient history but is a contemporary resource for the moral life of the modern church. -- Bruce Birch, Wesley Theological Seminary