| ISBN: | 9781839739347 |
|---|---|
| Imprint: | Langham Academic |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Dimensions (mm): | 229 x 152 x 15 |
| Publication Date: | 28/02/2025 |
| Pages: | 274 |
| Series: | Studies in New Testament |
| Language: | English |
The Earth is the Lord’s
Land Justice in Luke-Acts
£21.99
Land reformation is a relevant and important subject, especially in developing countries. With this significance in mind, what can we learn from the examples in Luke-Acts that speak to our current view of the redistribution of land ownership rights?
In this skilful and pioneering work, Dr. João Paulo Thomaz de Aquino explores the present-day implications for viewing land as an economic factor through examining the parallels found in Luke-Acts. This in-depth study reveals how land was viewed and used in a radically different fashion by Jesus and his followers when compared to Israel under the rule of the Roman Empire. Exploring how Luke draws upon the Old Testament ethics, specifically the jubilee legislation, Dr. Thomaz de Aquino proposes that Jesus presents God as the ultimate owner of the land, and in light of that, we are called to steward it responsibly. An excellent resource for scholars and all those interested in the social implications of the gospel.
Endorsements
Dr. Thomaz de Aquino has given us a fine study of the neglected theme of land justice in Luke-Acts, a theme with considerable modern relevance. He identifies numerous places where the Roman and Jewish social settings “color” the reading of key passages, and thus helps us read Luke-Acts in fresh ways. Warmly recommended!
Steve Walton, PhD
Senior Research Fellow in New Testament,
Trinity College, Bristol, UK
While many have explored Lukan wealth ethics, Thomaz de Aquino makes a powerful argument that the land is central to Jesus’s vision of discipleship. Readers of this work will not only find careful analysis of the Lukan writings but will also be able to situate Jesus’s teachings within the historical and social realities of the Roman Empire.
Joshua Jipp, PhD
Director of the Henry Center for Theological Understanding,
Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Illinois, USA
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- 1.1 God as the Ultimate Owner of Land
- 1.2 Literature Review: Chronicle of an Absence
- 1.3 Methodology
- Chapter 2 Land Injustice in the Roman Empire
- 2.1 Social Stratification in the Roman Empire
- 2.2 Land Conflicts from the Republic to the Rise of the Empire
- 2.3 The Agrarian Economy and Economic Exploitation in the Roman Empire
- 2.4 Final Remarks
- Chapter 3 Land Injustice in Israel
- 3.1 Land Exploitation from the Return from Exile to Hasmoneans Rule
- 3.2 Land Exploitation in Palestine during Roman Empire
- 3.3 Final Remarks
- Chapter 4 Land Justice and Injustice in the Hebrew Bible: Principles of a Jubilee Informed Ethics
- 4.1 From Creation to the Promised Land: The Centrality of Land
- 4.2 The Jubilee Laws
- 4.3 From the Promised Land to the Babylonian Exile: The Jubilee Ethics Despised and Its Consequences
- 4.4 Prophecy and Reality: Life After the Return from Babylon
- 4.5 Final Remarks
- Chapter 5 Land Justice in Luke-Acts
- 5.1 The Centrality of the Jubilee in Luke
- 5.2 God as the Ultimate Landowner in Luke
- 5.3 Blessings and Curses Related to Land Administration
- 5.4 Jesus Identifies with the Landless
- 5.5 Land Giving in Acts of the Apostles
- 5.6 The Expansion of the Holy Land
- 5.7 Final Remarks
- Chapter 6 Luke 12:13–21: The Parable of the Rich Fool
- Chapter 7 Luke 20:9–19: The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
- 7.1 History of the Interpretation: An Introduction
- 7.2 Interpretation of the Parable
- 7.3 Does this Parable Teach about Land?
- Chapter 8 Conclusion: Summary and Significance
- Bibliography
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