Thoughts on the Use the (Hebrew) Bible in the Assessment of Current Ethical Issues – Part II: The Question of the "How?"

In this study, the author looks at how biblical texts in general and Old Testament texts in particular can be used to address current ethical issues. The main focus is on the identification of the four main steps in the transfer from biblical text to current ethical issues: exegetical analysis of the biblical text – synthetical view of the biblical material – hermeneutical transfer – pragmatic application. In addition, some of the salient topics related to the ethical use of the (Hebrew) Bible are investigated: the traditional threefold division of the law, the special role of the Decalogue, the importance of creational order, the weight of exodus and Sinaitic covenant, the discussion about the unique position of love, and the lenses provided by the New Testament. Towards the end, guidelines for the assessment of the relative weight of rules and principles are presented.