Restoring the Right Relationship: The Bible on Divine Righteousness

A leading biblical scholar, Hans Heinrich Schmid, believes that righteousness, or the right order of the world, is ‘the fundamental problem of our human existence’. It is a key theme in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament’s theology of creation and salvation, along with associated themes such as justice, steadfast love/loyalty, truth/ fidelity, compassion/mercy, sin and disorder/chaos. A number of studies of righteousness have been undertaken but most have tended to focus on Israel’s call to be righteous, as voiced in particular in the Prophetic Books and the Psalter. In contrast, this book focuses on divine righteousness as the basis for all other notions of righteousness, as this is outlined in the foundational teaching or revelation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament- namely, the Torah or Pentateuch. It then undertakes a study of how righteousness in the Prophetic Books, the Psalter and the Book of Job relates to this foundational teaching.