The Lost World of Torah: Interview with Dr. John Walton

In this episode we continue our conversations with Dr. John
Walton on his book The Lost World of Torah.





Description:


Our handling of what we call biblical law veers between
controversy and neglect.


On the one hand, controversy arises when Old Testament laws seem
either odd beyond comprehension (not eating lobster) or
positively reprehensible (executing children). On the other,
neglect results when we consider the law obsolete, no longer
carrying any normative power (tassels on clothing, making
sacrifices). Even readers who do attempt to make use of the Old
Testament "law" often find it either irrelevant, hopelessly laden
with "thou shalt nots," or simply so confusing that they throw up
their hands in despair. Despite these extremes, people continue
to propose moral principles from these laws as "the biblical
view" and to garner proof texts to resolve issues that arise in
society. The result is that both Christians and skeptics
regularly abuse the Torah, and its true message often lies
unheard.


Walton and Walton offer in The Lost World of the
Torah a restorative vision of the ancient genre
of instruction for wisdomthat makes up a significant portion
of the Old Testament. In the ancient Near East, order was
achieved through the wisdom of those who governed society. The
objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about
the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God’s favor
and presence within the context of the covenant. Here readers
will find fresh insight on this fundamental genre of the Old
Testament canon.


The books in the Lost World Series follow the pattern set by
Bible scholar John H. Walton, bringing a fresh, close reading of
the Hebrew text and knowledge of ancient Near Eastern literature
to an accessible discussion of the biblical topic at hand using a
series of logic-based propositions.





Buy the book: https://a.co/d/dzWtMFN