Tight Fists or Open Hands?: Wealth and Poverty in Old Testament Law - Softcover

Baker, David L.

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9780802862839: Tight Fists or Open Hands?: Wealth and Poverty in Old Testament Law
Softcover
ISBN 10: 0802862837 ISBN 13: 9780802862839
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009

Synopsis

Any Christian response to today's ever-growing problem of poverty around the globe must be firmly rooted in biblical teaching. While books on various aspects of wealth and poverty in the Old and New Testaments have been published, so far there has been no thorough study of Old Testament law on the topic. David Baker argues here that an understanding of that law is not only fundamental for interpreting the entire Old Testament, but it is also assumed by the writers of the New Testament. Tight Fists or Open Hands? fills this gap in Old Testament scholarship and lays a foundation for considering the relevance of these laws to everyday life in the twenty-first century. 

The heart of this book is a study of all the biblical laws concerned with wealth and poverty. Baker groups these laws together by topic, considering the similarities and differences between the Decalogue, Book of the Covenant, Holiness Code, and Deuteronomic laws. He then places these in the context of ancient Near Eastern law in order to make clear which attitudes are distinctly biblical and which are held in common with other civilized peoples. 

Each section of Tight Fists or Open Hands? includes an extended conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, considers relationships with other biblical texts, and points to the significance of the laws for today's world. Such thorough exegesis and modern application make this book relevant to pastors, scholars, and students in a variety of courses.

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About the Author

David L. Baker is senior lecturer in Old Testament at Trinity Theological College, Perth, Western Australia. His other books include Two Testaments, One Bible and several works in Indonesian.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Publication date
2009
Language
English
ISBN 10 
0802862837
ISBN 13 
9780802862839
Binding
Paperback
Number of pages
435
Rating
  • 3.91 out of 5 stars
    11 ratings by Goodreads