Glimpses of a Strange Land: Studies in Old Testament Ethics

(Hardback)

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In this challenging book Cyril Rodd questions many of the assumptions that lie behind recent studies of Old Testament ethics. He views the 'strangeness' of the biblical world and wonders whether there is an Old Testament ethics in the modern sense of the word - finding rather that the Old Testament writers did not regard many of today's ethical dilemmas as problems at all.Dr Rodd examines all the Old Testament writings on five ethical issues: the poor, war, treatment of animals, ecology and the position of women. He considers their validity and relevance for today and discusses the extent to which they can be referred to for authority - or for inspiration and guidance..

Reviews

"Cyril Rodd's book is a perceptive and honest reflection by a scholar who has wrestled long and hard with the anomalies, contradictions, and often innovative moral insights of this wide-ranging body of literature. The result is a book that is timely and thought-provoking and which does not shy away from asking awkward questions . . . Dr Rodd's book is a rich resource, filled with information about what scholars have come to perceive as the complex, and often bizarre, world reflected in the biblical narratives and laws . . . I very much hope [...] that, by offering us glimpses of a strange world, Cyril Rodd's book will raise important fresh questions concerning Christian attitudes to several of the most pressing ethical issues of the modern world." --Theology, May / June 2002
"A book that is timely and thought-provoking and which does not shy away form asking awkward questions . . . Dr Rodd's book is a rich resource, filled with information . . . It is also a valuable discussion document . . .This book is recommended to those committed to serious study of the Bible, world church history, and contemporary social and cultural theology. It will also intrigue the general reader with the worlds it opens up." --Theology, May/June 2002
"The book is a welcome addition to the OTS series. Its clarity of style renders it useful for all undergraduate students, and its subject matter is likely to attract biblical scholars and Christian ethicists alike." --Theological Book Review Feed the Minds
"Rodd is a careful and observant reader of Old Testament texts. His point, well taken, is that actions are often taken to avoid impurity or shame and not simply our of rational understandings of morality." --Bruce C. Birch, Interpretation, April 2003

Author Bio

Dr Cyril Rodd is formerEditor of The Expository Times