What light does Scripture shed on the task of government?

Not a small topic to start with (!) but an important one in order to understand later Christian tradition and to shape a contemporary response to political questions.

Biblical

Obviously, knowledge of the biblical text is central to this essay and you should draw on any study you have done for biblical papers. As you read secondary material, look up key texts and do your own exegesis, perhaps looking at a commentary or two on the most important texts (eg 1 Sam 8, Rom 13, Rev 13).

Among the key biblical texts to study (in context) are:

• Gen 1-3 & Gen 11
• Exodus narrative (e.g. Ex 1-15.21)
• Deut 17.14-20
• Jdg 9.7-15, 19-21
• 1 Sam 8-12
• 1 Kings 3; 9.1-9; 11.9-13
• 2 Kings 22-23.30
• Psalms 44, 72, 89, 101, 110
• Proverbs 16.10, 12-13; 20.8; 26; 29.4,14; 31.1-9
• Isaiah 9.1-7, 11.1-5
• Jer 21.11-23.8, 29
• Micah
• Mt 2.1-23; 4.8-11 (cf Lk 4.5-8); 10.18 (cf Mk 13.9; Lk 21.12); 11.7-10 (cf Lk 7.24-27); 17.24-27; 22.15ff
• Mk 10.35-45 (cf Mt 20.20-28; Lk 22.24-30); 12.13-17 (cf Mt 22.15-22; Lk 20.20-26)
• Lk 13.1, 31-35; 22.47-23.56
• Jn 18-19
• Acts 2.22-36; 5.29; 4.8-31; 10.42; 12.1, 21-23; 13.16ff; 17.1-9; 19
• Rom 13
• 1 Cor 2.6-8; 6.1-8; 15.24ff
• 2 Cor 11.32,33
• Phil 2.5-11
• 2 Thess 2.1-4
• 1 Tim 2.1-8
• 1 Pet 2.13-25
• Rev 12, 13, 18.

It may be worth beginning by working through these and taking notes on them before reading any secondary literature.

Secondary Literature

General

A key (but difficult text) for this paper and this essay is Oliver O'Donovan's Desire of the Nations. For this essay, chpts 1-5 (especially 2-4) are the main discussions of biblical texts. To get a sense of its argument see review by Meilaender.

Further discussions of the books are to be found in

Studies in Christian Ethics, Vol 11 No 2

Bartholomew, C. (ed), A Royal Priesthood?

Scottish Journal of Theology 54.1 (2001)

For this essay see also:

Richard Bauckham, The Bible in Politics

Allen Verhey, Remembering Jesus, chpts 16-19 [pp333-455]

At a popular but academically well-informed level there is J. Bartley, The Subversive Manifesto.

More specific studies you may wish to dip into include:

Old Testament

• C. Wright, Walking in the Ways of the Lord, Chpt 9, 'The People of God and the State',  pp213-43.
• G. Gutierez, A Theology of Liberation, Chpt 9, [esp pp156-60, 1^st edn], section on 'History is One' on Exodus.
• J.A. Kirk, Liberation Theology: An evangelical view from the Third World, Chpt 8 (esp pp95-104) and Chpt 13 (esp pp147-52) on the role of the Exodus narrative in liberation theology.
• A Fierro, The Militant Gospel: An Analysis of Contemporary Political Theologies, Chpt 4, pp140-51.
• I.J. Mosala, Biblical Hermeneutics and Black Theology in South Africa, Chpts 4-5 on Micah.
• Jacques Ellul, Politics of God and Politics of Man [meditations on 2 Kings]

New Testament

• W. Pilgrim, Uneasy Neighbours: Church and State in the NT
• John Howard Yoder, Politics of Jesus
• N.T. Wright, 'The State in the New Testament', Themelios 16.1 (Oct 1990), pp11-17.
• M. Hengel, 'Jesus of Nazareth and the Powers of His Time', Christ and Power, Chpt 4.
• R. Cassidy, Jesus, Politics and Society: A Study of Luke's Gospel, Chpts 4 & 5.
• D. Forrester, Theology and Politics, Chpt 1.
• O. Cullmann, The State in the New Testament
• O. O'Donovan, 'The Political Thought of the Book of Revelation', Tyndale Bulletin 37 (1986): 61-94. Revised and reprinted in O'Donovan & O'Donovan, Bonds of Imperfection, Chpt 1.
• R. Bauckham, The Bible in Politics, chpt 6 on Rev 18.

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