Key Approaches to Biblical Ethics

Volker Rabens, Ph.D. (2008), is Professor of Biblical Theology at the YMCA University of Applied Sciences, Kassel (Germany), and Research Fellow at North-West University, Potchefstroom (South Africa). His publications include The Holy Spirit and Ethics in Paul: Transformation and Empowering for Religious-Ethical Life (Mohr Siebeck, 2013, 2nd ed.; Fortress, 2014).Jacqueline N. Grey, Ph.D. (2006), is Dean of Theology and Professor of Biblical Studies at Alphacrucis College, Sydney (Australia), and Research Fellow at UNISA, Pretoria (South Africa). Her publications include Three’s A Crowd: Pentecostalism, Hermeneutics and the Old Testament (Pickwick, 2011).Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn, Ph.D. (2010), is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Regent College, Vancouver (Canada). She is co-author of the James Zondervan Exegetical Commentary (Zondervan, 2008), and has published a large number of journal articles and book essays.

• PrefaceList of IllustrationsList of ContributorsBiblical Ethics: Foundational and Introductory MattersJacqueline N. Grey, Mariam Kamell Kovalishyn and Volker Rabenspart 1: How to Approach Ethics in the Bible: A Dialogue on the Fundamental Methodological Questions of Biblical Ethics1 How to Read Biblical Texts Ethically: The New Method of “Implicit Ethics” for Analyzing Biblical EthicsRuben Zimmermann2 Reading Biblical Texts Ethically: A Discussion of Ruben Zimmermann’s Method of “Implicit Ethics” from an Old Testament PerspectiveMarkus Zehnder3 Reading Biblical Texts Ethically: A Discussion of Ruben Zimmermann’s Method of “Implicit Ethics” from a New Testament PerspectiveCharles H. Cosgrove4 Inspiring Ethics: A Hermeneutical Model for the Dialogue between Biblical Texts and Contemporary EthicsVolker Rabenspart 2: Old Testament Approaches to Biblical Ethics5 More than Worthwhile to Consider? Old Testament Ethics between Description and PrescriptionChristian Frevel6 The Moral Vision of the Hebrew Bible: An Examination of Some Methodological IssuesEryl W. Davies7 The Two Testaments as an Ethical ResourceJohn Goldingay8 Virtue and Torah: The Character of the Instructed ReaderRichard S. Briggs9 Key Approaches to Old Testament Ethics: A Response from a New Testament Scholar’s PerspectiveMariam Kamell Kovalishynpart 3: New Testament Approaches to Biblical Ethics10 Is “Biblical Ethics” a “Genre Mistake”? Methodological Reflections on New Testament Ethics in Debate with Gustafson and HaysRichard A. Burridge11 The Moral Vision of the Bible: A New Testament ApproachDavid G. Horrell12 Reading the New Testament from an Ethical Perspective: A Comprehensive ApproachJan van der Watt13 A New Testament Approach to (Biblical) Ethics from the Perspective of Language: Moods of Ethical Speech in NT Texts and Their Hermeneutical RelevanceOda Wischmeyer14 Key Approaches to New Testament Ethics: A Response from an Old Testament Scholar’s PerspectiveJacqueline N. Greypart 4: Biblical Ethics beyond Biblical Studies15 Biblical Ethics beyond Biblical Studies: Scripture as Medicine in Early Christian Social EthicsBrian J. Matz16 The Limits of Biblical Ethics for Christian Ethics TodayDavid P. GusheeIndex

"Both established and new approaches to biblical ethics are presented and discussed. The scholarly interaction provides key insights into issues of biblical ethics that play a significant role both for biblical interpretation as well as for methodological questions in Jewish and Christian ethics today." – in: Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology Volume 75(4) (2021)"Throughout the volume, various contemporary issues are considered in the light of the method proposed by the writer, with sexuality, money, violence and the environment recurring with unsurprising frequency. Overall, this is an inspiring volume to read through, for both its comprehensiveness, and its originality. Most of the essays conclude with a call for more thought, more work, more development, and readers cannot fail to see the potential and relevance of the biblical text for contemporary communities of faith." – Isabelle Hamley, King’s College London, UK, in: Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Volume 46, Issue 5, June 2022"This work will undoubtedly attract all who are interested in the area of biblical ethics […] This volume does provide a valuable marriage between these disciplines [biblical studies and biblical ethics] and a complex answer to what is involved in developing right skills to approach and practice biblical ethics responsibly." – Svetlana Khobnya, Nazarene Theological College, in: Journal for the Study of the New Testament Booklist 2022 44.5, August 2022