The political interpretation of the Bible has many pitfalls for the unwary. It is all too easy to read our own prejudices into the text, and much harder to move intelligently, without anachronism, between the political societies of biblical times and the very different societies of today.

This is why Richard Bauckham’s The Bible in Politics has been so enduring… it teaches the reader how to read the Bible politically, helping to relate biblical teaching to current issues. This more nuanced reading of the Bible leads to an understanding of the social relevance of the Bible that is more disciplined, more informed, more imaginative and more politically fruitful.

The new edition of this important book contains a substantial new introduction, dealing with pressing contemporary concerns such as globalization and climate change, and making this book essential reading for a new generation of Christians who want to be effective instruments of God’s will, both locally and globally, today.