Political History of the Bible in America

Paul D. Hanson is Florence Corliss Lamont Research Professor of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he has taught since 1971.

"One of America's pre-eminent biblical theologians provides a powerful and compelling picture of American history through the lens of the Bible and theology. But Hanson does not stop with his rich depiction of American religious history. Drawing on years of study, he delves even more deeply into the Bible to lay out what it has to say about politics in the human community. Those who care about American history will want to read this book. So will all those who believe our political life can--and should--be informed by the stories and teaching of the Bible. For learning how we think and how we should think about these matters, the prologue and epilogue alone are worth the price of the book." --Patrick D. Miller, Charles T. Haley Professor of Old Testament Theology Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary "Paul Hanson is a world class biblical scholar who is fully aware of both the use and the misuse of the Bible that have continued for many years. Here he takes a steady and clear look at Scripture itself and at its applications and delivers a wise and balanced assessment in an engaging readable style. I plan to assign this book in my classes and recommend it to specialists and non-specialists alike." --Harvey Cox, Hollis Research Professor of Divinity, Harvard University

• Preface Prologue: Story, Identity, and Making Sense of the Bible PART 1: A HISTORICAL RETROSPECTIVE ON THE RELATION BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATESIntroduction 1 The Theocratic Model of the Puritans 2 The Challenge of the Prophetic-Dialectical Model 3 The Revolutionary Period and the Lure of the Apocalyptic Model 4 Church and State in the Founding Documents 5 The Church-State Partnership of the Antebellum Years 6 The Gilded Age: The Gospel of Wealth and the Social Gospel 7 Twentieth-Century Challenges 8 The Twenty-First Century's Perilous Debut PART 2: POLITICS IN THE BIBLE9 Defining a Suitable Interpretive Method 10 Charismatic Rule: Israel's First Polity 11 Monarchy: “Like the Other Nationsâ€� 12 Prophetic Politics 13 The Politics of Amos: Idolatrous Nationalism and the Collapse of Moral Leadership 14 The Politics of Hosea: Moral Bankruptcy and Civil Chaos 15 Isaiah: The Majesty of the Holy One as the Nation's Sole Foundation 16 Jeremiah: The Suffering Prophet 17 Ezekiel: Calamity, Ritual Cleansing, and Restoration 18 Isaiah 40â€"55: Exile and the Renewal of Hope 19 Haggai and Zechariah: A Temple-Centered Vision of Restoration 20 The Jewish Commonwealth and a Politics of Accommodation 21 Isaiah 24â€"27, 56â€"66; Ezekiel 38â€"39; Zechariah 9â€"14; Malachi: Dissent and the Dawning of Apocalyptic Politics 22 Sapiential Politics in Proverbs, Sirach, Job, and Ecclesiastes 23 The Apocalyptic Politics of the Book of Daniel and the Dead Sea Scrolls 24 Roman Occupation and Jewish Political Responses 25 The Politics of the New Testament 26 The Politics of Jesus 27 The Politics of the Apostle Paul 28 The Church Accommodates Itself to a World Not About to End 29 The Book of Revelation: A Persecuted Community Seeks Shelter in an Apocalyptic Vision 30 The Politics of the Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles Epilogue: What Is the Bible's Message for Today? Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Sources Index of Subjects