Ep 263: The Torah, the Old Testament, and Christian Politics with Dru Johnson

In this episode I talk once again with Old Testament scholar Dru Johnson, who recently hosted a conference about Christianity and politics entitled “Bible First”. I ask him a wide range of questions about the political themes and consequences of the Torah and Old Testament. We explore the relationship between creation and human agency in Genesis 1-11, the patriarchal narratives and their role as shepherds of Israel, the Law as God’s covenantal contract with Israel, how Deuteronomy defines the unique role of Israel’s king, the failure of Israel and their king to keep covenant, particularly with Israel’s desire to have a king like the nations around them in 1 Samuel 8, God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7 that one of his descendants will establish an eternal kingdom, how the prophets deal with Israel’s failures and future hope, and how this relates to the kingship of Jesus in the New Testament. This is a wide-ranging and engaging conversation which reframes our perspective on the Old Testament and its impact on Christian political theology.

Additional Resources

Dru’s Website: https://drujohnson.com/

X: @Dru_Johnson

Biblical Law Episode: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-239-understanding-biblical-law-with-dru-johnson/

Genesis 3 Episode: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/ep-232-genesis-35-and-the-problem-of-power/

1 Samuel 8 Episode: https://libertarianchristians.com/episode/1-samuel-8-biblical-critique-of-monarchy/