Reading the Ten Commandments Anew: Towards a Land of Freedom

The Ten Commandments transport most of us back to the religion of our childhood, to catechism class or Sunday school. They easily evoke blind obedience, sin and guilt, a moralistic or legalistic mindset; their negative approach seems to be at the opposite extreme from the positive religion of love and responsibility which we identify with Jesus Christ. Unless, of course, we take the opposite tack, and welcome a return to “that old-time religion” as a bulwark against the tidal wave of relativism and cultural anarchy that seems about to engulf us. If we are guided by our spontaneous reactions, in short, we risk rejecting or accepting the Ten Commandments for reasons that have more to do with our own preconceptions that with its meaning in the context of the biblical message as a whole. This book, then, proposes to undertake a rereading of this well-known biblical text to show how the Ten Commandments represent simple boundaries that protect our freedom to act and grow as children of a loving God. They are road signs indicating the way to the One who is the Way to Life in all its fullness.

Brother John joined the Taize Community in 1974. he spends much of his time in Taize, France giving Bible introductions to the young adults.