Deuteronomy opens with Moses retelling the history and law of the Israelites before they enter before the promised land. If you’ve been following along, most of this should sound familiar. Consequently, it’s actually quite easy to plow through Deuteronomy uncritically. … Continue reading
The famous attorney Clarence Darrow, during his defense of the wealthy “perfect crime” murderers Leopold and Loeb, argued a sort of moral determinism: “What has this boy to do with it?” Darrow asked. “He was not his own father; he … Continue reading
The noted essayist (and atheist) Christopher Hitchens, perhaps better remembered for his wit than his theological arguments, provided an interesting retort in his essay The New Commandments. Hitchens said that, when faced with a suggestion from someone urging that the … Continue reading
Admit it: even to the most seasoned pastors, Bible-readers and devout believers, the first few chapters of Deuteronomy are boring. Packed with references to various tribes, the book starts by telling how God’s chosen people wander in the desert with … Continue reading
Occasionally on Holey Books, I like to add a little context before we get too far into a particular book. (See earlier posts on Exodus and Numbers). It is often easy to start reading a book of the Old Testament … Continue reading
The Book of Deuteronomy begins innocently enough—we are treated to long summation of the Israelites’ wandering through the desert by Moses, the first of the three long sermons that make up the book. The Israelites are about to enter the … Continue reading
