The Differences Between Biblical Law and American Law w/ Dru Johnson

About this episode

Dr. Dru Johnson discusses the differences between biblical law and American law, emphasizing the role of biblical law as a guide for moral and social imagination rather than a rigid code for governance.

In this episode of the Disarming Leviathan podcast, biblical scholar Dr. Dru Johnson pushes back against the misuse of Old Testament law by culture warriors and partisan tribalists who treat the Torah as a ready-made tool for coercive governance. Instead, he presents biblical law as a formational guide—not a rigid codebook—for shaping the moral and social imagination of God’s people. Johnson explains how casuistic law in the Bible functions through patterns and wisdom rather than universal enforcement. He contrasts this with modern Western legal assumptions shaped by Enlightenment thought, which often distort how Christians read and apply Scripture in public life. This conversation invites listeners to approach biblical law as a source of discernment, not domination. About Dru Dr. Dru Johnson is a biblical scholar and philosopher specializing in Old Testament law, ritual, and theological epistemology. He serves as Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Hope College and is the author of numerous books, including Human Rites , Biblical Philosophy , and Understanding Biblical Law (Zondervan Academic, 2024). Johnson is also a Senior Fellow at The King’s College and director…

People in this episode

Host: Caleb E. Campbell

Guest: Dr. Dru Johnson

Topics covered

• biblical law
• American law
• moral imagination
• coercive governance
• Enlightenment thought
• public theology

Keywords

• Old Testament law
• casuistic law
• cultural awareness
• theological epistemology
• Christian engagement
• moral discernment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hope College, The King’s College

Books & works: Human Rites, Biblical Philosophy, Understanding Biblical Law

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