Understanding Biblical Law

Skills for Thinking With and Through Torah

Dru Johnson

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English

Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group
25 November 2025

History of religion; Old Testaments

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.

By: Dru Johnson
Imprint: Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 249g
ISBN: 9781540967091
ISBN 10: 1540967093
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 25 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.