Sabbath in the New Testament

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them” (Matthew 5:17). He then goes on to explain how laws about murder should be extended to anger and verbal abuse (the attitudes and behaviours that lead to murder in the most extreme cases) and how laws about adultery also extend to lustful thoughts. His point seems to be that it’s the spirit of the law not the letter of the law that really matters – and, if anything, the former sets the higher standards.

So what does this mean with respect to the Sabbath?

Sabbath in the Law of Moses

My blogging thus far has, by and large, followed the chronology of the Bible from creation to the exodus from Egypt, picking out stories which, in my view, have something to say about economics. I have now reached the point where God gives the law to Moses at the summit of Mount Sinai. The books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are chiefly concerned with setting out these laws. I will now turn my attention to the analysis of the law of Moses, as it pertains to the economic life of the people of Israel. I will take a thematic approach, assessing various elements of the law within the context in which they were given and attempting to draw out relevant applications for us today

My first theme is that of Sabbath rest. This theme centres around the fourth of the Ten Commandments:

Planning for the 'Just City'

Since as members of St. Toms (and Christians) we are committed to calling our city back to God, I thought the following lecture looks very appropriate. It also resonates with what Metanoia is about. I'll be going along and would love others to join me. If you're interested, let me know:

Planning for the 'Just City'

You are warmly invited to the First Civic University Lecture

By

Professor Susan Fainstein of Harvard University

On

Friday, 21 October 2011 at 5.30pm
In Firth Hall, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN

In the first Civic University Lecture, Susan Fainstein will reflect on the intellectual and policy implications of her significant new book, The Just City. The concept of the "just city" is designed to encourage policy-makers to embrace a different approach to urban development and to challenge the academic community to move beyond critical analysis. The argument applies theoretical concepts about justice developed by contemporary philosophers to the concrete problems faced by urban planners and policymakers and argues that, despite structural obstacles, meaningful reform can be achieved at the local level.

Susan Fainstein is Professor of Urban Planning in the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. A leading authority on comparative urban public policy, urban redevelopment and planning theory, her books include: The Just City, The City Builders, Restructuring the City, and Urban Political Movements.

Professor Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor, University of Sheffield, states: "The Civic University initiative is central to our mission. The aim is to foster mutually beneficial interactions between civic and intellectual concerns, with an underlying aspiration to make a difference. This, the first Civic University Lecture, is part of this initiative."

Entry is free of charge but by ticket only. Book online at www.shef.ac.uk/whatson/justcity

This lecture is supported by the Public Services Academy and the Department of Town and Regional Planning.

For booking enquiries please contact Gail Street in the Events Team, University of Sheffield,
Email: g.street@sheffield.ac.uk, Tel: 0114 222 8893.

For all other enquiries please contact: Jess McEwen, Business Development Manager, Public Services Academy, University of Sheffield , Tel: 0114 2228389, Email: J.McEwen@sheffield.ac.uk

Information related to this message is available at http://www.shef.ac.uk/whatson/justcity.