by Joan Chittister

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review by Tammi Kreutz

IF, LIKE ME, you feel that the subject of the Ten Commandments has been exhausted—that there is no more knowledge you could possibly glean from studying it—you will be in for quite the surprise if you read Joan Chittister's recent book The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart. Although I grew up with Christian parents who had me memorize the commandments as a very young child, and although I have heard numerous sermons preached on the commandments throughout my life, Chittister offers such a fresh perspective that, while reading the book, I often felt I was learning the Ten Commandments for the first time. Chittister challenges the idea of Moses' Ten Commandments being merely a set of divine rules or guidelines. Rather, she shows them to be “laws of the heart, not laws of the commonwealth…intended to lead to the fullness of life” (p. 10). The Ten Commandments takes us beyond the simple knowledge of the laws of God in order to teach the historical implications of each commandment, as well as the ways in which each one can be put into practice today in our society and in our personal lives.

Chittister invites us to examine our lives to discover the ways we fall short in purity, justice, and righteousness. She believes, however, that we must look beyond the surface, beyond the “Christian” rules many of us have been taught to keep from the time we were children. “We must rethink what it means to be a moral agent in this society,” she states (p. 1). To aid us in a deeper understanding of the Ten Commandments she devotes a chapter to each commandment, presenting each one from three different perspectives: historical (taking into account cultural values of the time), situational (how the commandment might be applied in our modern society), and personal (what our lives would look like if we truly took the commandments to heart). She ends the book with two chapters discussing the commandments that Jesus said were the greatest of all: to love God and to love our neighbor. This brings the “Law of God” into perspective, reminding us that Christianity is not about rules but rather about love and how that love is manifested in our lives.

The textual organization of the book allows new understanding to be gained of seemingly straightforward laws. For example, the meaning of the third commandment (second in the book), “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (NIV), seems simple: As Christians, we must not use God's name as an expletive or a casual part of our vocabulary. Chittister, however, presents a different conclusion—one of much greater significance. She explains that during the time the early books of the Old Testament were written, names were of great importance. “To name something—someone—was to endow them with characteristics implied by that name,” she writes (p. 26). God's identification of Godself as “I am” is significant in that through this act God's very being of Supreme Creator and Giver of Life is named and established in the minds of God's people. Taking the name of this God “in vain” would be highly foolhardy and insulting (p. 27). As Chittister goes on to say, however, using God's name as a form of swearing is not nearly the most insulting way of taking the name of God “in vain.” Rather, she explains, to use God's name as a means of attempting to exploit our fellow human beings, exert power over them, or as a means of attaining selfish gain, are of far greater severity.

Chittister then discusses several areas in our day and age where God's name is misused in such a way. Self-righteous prayer for victory in war, misusing Scripture as a way of gaining power over others (such as women or those of another race), and using God as a threat (e.g., “God doesn't like people who do…”), are a few of the areas mentioned. Chittister argues that using God's name in these ways “violates its sacred character” (p. 33), causing God's name to represent unholiness, violence, pride. We must choose our language carefully, speaking of God in a way that shows our respect and love—placing God above ourselves, and refusing to allow our words to demonstrate a view of a puppet-God who can be used and manipulated for our own selfish gain.

Aside from a few (a very few) areas of poor sentence structure and seemingly overly idealistic opinion, The Ten Commandments proves to be a book of great value. It provides a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to follow and honor God: taking on the heart of God. Chittister shows that God's Law isn't intended to be taken as a burdensome set of rules, but rather as a view of God's heart. The Law of God communicates what God loves and hates, what grieves God and what gives God joy, and through knowing and understanding this Law, we are able to adopt care for that which God cares about. I found The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart to be very interesting, thought-provoking, and even convicting. I recommend it as an excellent choice for a devotional, small group, or Bible study book.

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