Power and Politics in the Book of Judges

Book excerpt: John C. Yoder examines political culture and behavior in the book of Judges. Although the Deuteronomistic editor portrayed the "judges" as moral champions, the men and women of valor were preoccupied with the problem of gaining and maintaining political power. They were ambitious, at times ruthless; they might be labeled chiefs, strongmen, or even warlords in today's world, using violence, patronage, and the control of the labor and reproductive capacity of subordinates, as well as other strategies that did not require the constant exercise of force.