Bible and Justice: Ancient Texts, Modern Challenges

The Bible contains a variety of passages that defend the poor and champion the cause of the oppressed, but are these ancient texts able to find a voice in confronting injustice in the modern world? Bible and Justice, a selection of papers compiled from the proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Bible and Justice at the University of Sheffield, addresses this question. The authors gathered within this volume explore the various ways in which the Bible might effectively confront an array of human rights, poverty and environmental concerns, while considering the difficulties that arise when ancient concepts of justice are applied to modern socio-political ideals. Written to be accessible to those outside the field of biblical studies, Bible and Justice will be a valuable resource for both academics and non-academics alike.

Matthew J.M. Coomber received his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from the University of Sheffield in 2010 and is currently a visiting scholar at Concordia College-Moorhead. He is the author of Re-Reading the Prophets Through Corporate Globalization: A Cultural-Evolutionary Approach to Economic Injustice in the Hebrew Bible (2010) and has guest-edited a special edition of Political Theology (volume 11, number 3, 2010) that focuses on the 2008 Conference on Bible and Justice. In addition to this work on ancient-Near Eastern economics and the use and influence of the Bible in culture and society, Coomber serves as a priest in the Episcopal Church.