Constituting the Community: Studies on the Polity of Ancient Israel in Honor of S. Dean McBride, Jr. - Hardcover

"...Constituting the Community contains some gems for everyone, whether scholars of Torah, Nebi'im, or Ketubim. The effort of this book to trace the theme of a theology of democratization throughout the three major divisions of the Bible is one that warrants attention and further consideration. In this respect, Constituting the Community makes a fitting tribute to the contributions of Dean McBride."--Ralph K. Hawkins, Bethel College, Indiana in Review of Biblical Literature, May 2006 "This collection of essays, in general, is a significant contribution to the study of polities in ancient Israel. The inclusion of the essays by McBride, Cross, and Mays provides the reader with a context within which to read the rest of the essays. The individual essays that follow in parts 2, 3, and 4 vary in the extent to which they describe a polity in ancient Israel. However, as a collection the volume would be a useful resource for a course dealing with the nature and structures of community in ancient Israel... "This collection of essays provides a series of stimulating reflections upon some of the polities of ancient Israel that can be uncovered in the Hebrew Bible. It is an appropriate tribute to the contribution made by S. Dean McBride and his work on the polity of ancient Israel."--Donald E. Burke, William and Catherine Booth College in Review of Biblical Literature May 2006

This fresh collection of essays honors the life and work of Professor Dean McBride. Revolving around the theme of polity in ancient Israel, this festschrift addresses many aspects of ancient Israelite society, organization, and political affairs. The 15 contributors discuss themes such as "justice," "self-definition," "ethnicity," "constitutionalism," "reform," and "community," as understood over the course of time in the books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings.