"Biblical history, enriched by many religious and cultural traditions, flows into and is intertwined with our nation's epic, both for better and for worse. To ignore that history is to cut ourselves off from our roots and to deny the ancestral experiences that forged our individual and collective identity."
from the prologue

This substantial work explores the interplay of religion and politics throughout the history of the United States. Paul D. Hanson traces American history back to colonial times, paying close attention to the role that biblical tradition has played in shaping the national story of the United States. He then presents a detailed study of politics in the Bible that is framed by the challenges and crises in American history. Students will learn how deeply religion has influenced both domestic and international policy and contributed to the nation's sense of identity and purpose. After laying these biblical-historical foundations, Hanson considers a method of biblical interpretation that can speak to the diverse nation of today. He proposes an inclusive form of public moral discourse that invites full participation by members of all religious and philosophical groups.

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

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 STATES

Introduction

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 BIBLE

9 Defining a Suitable Interpretive Method

10 Charismatic Rule: Israel's First Polity

11 Monarchy: âEURoeLike the Other NationsâEUR

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 40âEUR"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 24âEUR"27, 56âEUR"66; Ezekiel 38âEUR"39; Zechariah 9âEUR"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