The Hebrew wordhesedis often translated as love, faithfulness, loyalty, or steadfastness of God, but it means so much more. Couldhesedbe the seed from which the diverse biblical story grows and expands?

Traditionally, Old Testament theology has focused on key themes or a "center" around which to organize the Old Testament. These approaches may help unify the Old Testament, but they also ignore important material and simplify the Old Testament's complexity and diversity. As an alternative to a gravitational center that reduces, JenniferM. Matheny's argument emphasizes possibilities as she posits thathesedis the relational seed from which the complex and diverse biblical story grows.

In her accessibly written analysis, Matheny engages theologically with the Torah, Prophets, and Writings to tracehesed's relational impact through the Old Testament. Through stories, poems, and songs of broken covenants, war, and exile, Matheny also shows how violence and injustice reign when humanity fails to be keepers and doers of Yhwh'shesed,while justice and hope prevail when humanity chooses courageous acts ofhesed.

This fresh, introductory-level approach emphasizes the importance of story, complexity, and diversity--and how we dohesedto others and back to Yhwh.