Does the Bible Justify Violence?Renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins asks tough questions about the relationship between the portrayals of violence in the Bible and how they have been used throughout history. The Crusaders, Puritans, and abolitionists all used the Bible to justify their use of violence - and this process continues. In light of today's religious and political rhetoric, how shall we interpret these ancient documents? How can we understand the biblical stories, prophecies, and songs in their historical contexts and avoid making self-serving and even violent use of them? |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
The Ban | 4 |
History and Ideology | 14 |
Story and Example | 17 |
Eschatological Vengeance | 21 |
Violence and Hermeneutics | 28 |
Abbreviations | 35 |
Notes | 37 |
| 53 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Alten Ancient Israel Ancient Near East Apocalypse and Violence apocalyptic literature Apocalypticism Bainton Bible in Modern Biblical Faith Biblical Herem book of Revelation BZAW Canaanites Collins conquest cultic D. P. Wright Deuteronomy divine early Israelite Eastern Ritual Eerdmans Engaged Critique eschatological Eschatological Vengeance Ethics of Violence Exodus and Revolution Faith and Natural fice Fortress Press George Ernest Wright Gerhard von Rad Golden Bells Grand Rapids Hebrew Bible Holy Honor of Jacob human sacri Israelites Jacob Milgrom James Barr Jewish Joshua JSJSup JSOTSup kill Krieg land lence Levenson lical Literature in Honor Lord Louisville Maccabees Maryknoll ment Moabite Modern Israel monotheism Moses Moshe Greenberg Natural Theol Old Testament Oxford Univ Phinehas Pomegranates and Golden Qur'an raelites Religion Religious sacred sacrifice scholars Scriptures slaughter slaves and aliens Studies Susan Niditch texts Theology tion trans Violence and Hermeneutics warrior Westminster John Knox Whitelam William Foxwell Albright Winona Lake worship YHWH Zealots Zionism