Criminals of the Bible: Twenty-Five Case Studies of Biblical Crimes and Outlaws
Mark Jones'Criminals of the Bibleis especially timely. In 25 brief but engaging chapterrs, Jones, a criminal justice professor, examines bibical heroes and villains from the standpoint of current laws. Joseph's brothers, while probably not breaking any laws in their own age when they sold Joseph tpo passing Midianites, would be guilty of human trafficking today. Citing UN and U.S. State Department documents, Jones gives an overview of modern-day slavery and case studies of three victims. Each chapter ends with a "Lesson for Today" that includes the author's reflections on divine justice.While Jones certainly covers traditional crimes like murder and prostitution, he also devotes considerable space to the kinds of offenses that have dominated the headlines since September 11, 2001: terrorism, genocide, treason and sedition.Joes does not make the mistake of railing against the evils of empire or explicitly denouncing capital publishment. Instead, he uses the trained educator's approach of asking probing questions, inviting us to examine our own views, and taking a fresh look at the Bible. --Prism magazine, July/August 2007, review written by Jens Soering