READING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ANEW
Towards a Land of Freedom

The Ten Commandments transport most of us back to the religion of our childhood, to catechism class or Sunday school. They easily evoke blind obedience, sin and guilt, a moralistic or legalistic mindset; their negative approach seems to be at the opposite extreme from the positive religion of love and responsibility which we identify with Jesus Christ. Unless, of course, we take the opposite tack, and welcome a return to “that old-time religion” as a bulwark against the tidal wave of relativism and cultural anarchy that seems about to engulf us. If we are guided by our spontaneous reactions, in short, we risk rejecting or accepting the Ten Commandments for reasons that have more to do with our own preconceptions that with its meaning in the context of the biblical message as a whole. This book, then, proposes to undertake a rereading of this well-known biblical text to show how the Ten Commandments represent simple boundaries that protect our freedom to act and grow as children of a loving God. They are road signs indicating the way to the One who is the Way to Life in all its fullness.

About the Author: A native of Philadelphia, Brother John joined the Community of Taizé, France in 1974 where he spends much of his time giving Bible introductions to the young adults who come there for week-long meetings. The present work is a text from one such course. In the 1980’s he was part of a small group of Taizé brothers living in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan. When not in Taizé he travels extensively giving lectures and retreats. Among his many books, we are proud to have published The Adventure of Holiness (Alba House, 1999) and At the Wellspring: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (Alba House, 2001).