The Ten Commandments represent an enormous breakthrough for human understanding of moral commitment and moral existence. But Christian misunderstanding of the relation between law and gospel has done much mischief in relating the Old Testament heritage to the New. Dealing simultaneously with both ancient and contemporary meanings. Walter Harrelson demonstrates the significance of each commandment for the entire life-in-community of any society that accepts the notion of unqualified obligation. In so doing. he touches on many timely topics, including abortion, euthanasia, and church-state matters.