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The controversial concept of 'idolatry' holds immense theological, historical and cultural importance. From the Second Commandment on, arguably one of the greatest contributions of the Judeo-Christian tradition to human flourishing has been the critique of idolatry and its moral corollary, greed. Significantly, in the modern period, this critique of false religion has led even to the critique of religion itself. It has therefore been a major force in the formation and shaping of intellectual and religious traditions worldwide, especially in the West. Idolatry is a collection of nineteen authoritative essays on major aspects of this fascinating subject, unduly neglected in recent years. The coverage is varied and comprehensive, ranging across theoretical perspectives, the Old Testament, Early Judaism, the New Testament, Church History, and Christian Theology to the present day.The contributors are all authorities in their respective fields of study. In biblical studies, there is John Barclay, Stephen C. Barton, Helen Bond, Mark Bonnington, Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Robert Hayward, David Horrell, Nathan MacDonald, Christopher Rowland, and Stuart Weeks. In Church History and Christian Theology , there is David Clough, Andrew Goddard, Carol Harrison, Trevor Hart, Timothy Jenkins, Gerard Loughlin, Paul Murray, Bernd Wannenwetsch, and Graham Ward.
