Scripture and Social Justice: Catholic and Ecumenical Essays - Hardcover

Anathea E. Portier-Young is associate professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School and author of the acclaimed Apocalypse against Empire: Theologies of Resistance in Early Judaism.

Gregory E. Sterling is Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament at Yale Divinity School. He is the editor of the Philo of Alexandria Commentary Series and the Studia Philonica Annual.

[This] volume is powerful and appropriate for the scholar and layperson alike. Anyone interested in scripture, and its eye for justice, will enjoy and profit from the read. (Reading Religion)

The bringing together of these voices, the often creative synthesis, and the rendering of a number of interesting framings, some stimulated by the realities of Trump-era divisive politics in the United States, make [the book] a valuable reading for those contemplating the continuing relevance of the Bible as a basis for social justice praxis in the contemporary world. (The Catholic Biblical Quarterly)

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)