Understanding Biblical Law - by Dru Johnson (Paperback)

About the Book

This book reorients our modern legal thinking to the world of biblical law. It teaches us how to avoid typical misunderstandings and how to develop our skills for understanding Israel's laws, rituals, and narratives.

Book Synopsis

Southwestern Journal of Theology 2025 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Biblical Reference / Biblical Backgrounds)

We tend to be perplexed by the psalmists who express delight in God's laws. We see biblical law as a long list of rules with harsh punishments, and the more we read the biblical law within modern legal frameworks, the stranger it appears. We are too estranged from its world, aims, and concerns to see its beauty and wisdom.

In Understanding Biblical Law, Dru Johnson
reorients the reader to see biblical law through ancient Israelite eyes. He deconstructs common myths regarding biblical law and shows how it often differs significantly from both modern law and ancient Near Eastern law. Johnson weaves in an ancient murder mystery between chapters to show how ancient Israelites could have reasoned with and through Torah to solve real-life problems. He then demonstrates how we can do the same by discerning biblical law's literary and historical contexts, appreciating its sophisticated wisdom, and distinguishing it from our modern legal notions.

This book is engaging and accessible for undergrads and laypeople but robust enough for seminarians. Johnson demonstrates a skill-based approach for interpreting Old Testament law and uses examples to encourage readers to practice these skills for themselves.

When we enter the biblical world, we see with the psalmists the beauty and sophistication of Israel's laws and discover a rich resource for thinking about the law's theological implications for Hellenistic Judaism, the New Testament, and readers today.

From the Back Cover

"A creative, timely, and entertaining remedy for widespread misguided readings of biblical law"

We tend to see biblical law as a long list of rules with harsh punishments. This book reorients our modern legal thinking to the world of biblical law. It teaches us how to avoid typical misunderstandings and how to develop our skills for understanding Israel's laws, rituals, and narratives.

"A creative, timely, and entertaining remedy for widespread misguided readings of biblical law. Johnson masterfully weaves a gripping fictional narrative into an informative and well-written guide to biblical law. A must-read for anyone interested in acquiring the necessary tools to interpret and apply the heart of biblical law in modern times."
--Dominick S. Hernández, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

"A wonderfully insightful and engaging, yet simultaneously remarkably lean, treatment of biblical law in its vast depth and breadth. This is the ideal textbook for classroom use."
--Brent A. Strawn, Duke University

"Offers a fresh and engaging way to approach the Torah's legal texts by combining ancient context, storytelling, and thoughtful reflection. Perfect for undergraduate students, seminarians, pastors, teachers, and interested lay readers, this book equips readers with practical tools to think deeply about Torah's guidance and its relevance for today's world."
--Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, Baylor University

"Johnson clears the modern fog surrounding ancient legislation, guiding readers to see Torah not as a harsh legal code but as a profound moral vision. By reentering the ancient Israelite world, he brings the law down from Sinai once more, making its thought world accessible and its insights illuminating for all."
--Joshua Berman, Bar-Ilan University

"Short and sweet but nuanced and insightful, this is the introductory textbook I've been seeking. Understanding Biblical Law immerses students in the world these laws actually served, training readers to think differently about an oft-misunderstood corpus."
--Michelle Knight, Wheaton College

About the Author

Dru Johnson (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is Templeton Senior Research Fellow and director of the Abrahamic Theistic Origins Project at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford. He is also a visiting professor at Hope College, director of the Center for Hebraic Thought, editor of the Routledge Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biblical Criticism series, and cohost of the OnScript podcast. His books include Biblical Philosophy and Human Rites The Power of Rituals, Habits, and Sacraments. Johnson splits his time between Holland, Michigan, and Oxford, England.