Robert Harms

Power and Politics in the Book of Judges

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“A unique and insightful blending of biblical exegesis and social science. Yoder uses a rich understanding of patron-client relationships gained from years of research and study of sub-Saharan Africa to illuminate the actions of biblical figures who are themselves enmeshed in traditional relationships of loyalty, honor, deference, and reward. The reader will come away with new understandings of authority and agency in the well-known stories of Judges.” —Sandra F. Joireman University of Richmond “Power and Politics in the Book of Judges represents an incisive exegetical breakthrough from a cross-disciplinary perspective. Deconstructing an over-reading of the Judges texts as theologized heroic legend, Yoder provides a keen social-political analysis of text that unearths the complex power dynamics in play among various judges and within the struggle between the adherents of Yahweh and Baal. It is a timely contribution to the study of the book of Judges and Israel’s premonarchic bardic tales.” —Scott Starbuck Gonzaga University “John Yoder draws upon insights from his previous research on politics in preindustrial African societies to provide a fresh reading of the Hebrew Bible book of Judges. Focusing on the men and women of valor who competed for power in premonarchic Israel, he provides new perspectives on the functioning of patron-client politics in ancient patrimonial systems. He argues that wealth and military prowess alone were not sufficient to consolidate and maintain power, and so the early champions dispensed knowledge, trustworthiness, honor, and connections to the divine as political resources. This book will be of interest to biblical scholars and social scientists for the originality of its interpretations, and also to people of faith for the unblinking honesty of its exposition.”