Towards an Old Testament Ethic

An Exegetical and Intellectual Challenge

Abstract

The Bible, especially the OT, does not speak only one language but is a cultural phenomenon of many nuances. The Bible is not a one-dimensional compendium of texts (contrary to the Catechism of the Catholic Church) but forms an open space of varied cultures and ideas. Norms and rules are validated and rejected, concepts of God and man are sometimes discussed with many controversies. If this is so, then OT ethics cannot limit itself to justifying rules of behaviour with biblical quotations (dicta probantia). Rather, OT ethics has the task of presenting this discursive space and analyzing the different positions within it. The Bible is not a moral manual nor is it a storehouse of ethical principles. It is not a self-service store where customers can serve themselves right and according to your needs.