Violence in Scripture

Interpretation: Resources for the Use of Scripture in the Church

Jerome F. D. Creach

• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN:
  9781611643268
  9780664231453
• eBook ISBN:
  9781611643268
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

The Bible frequently depicts God as angry and violent, and also sometimes depicts human violence as positive or even as commanded by God. This forms one of the most vexing problems in approaching Scripture and in interpreting the Bible for preaching and teaching today. In this volume, Creach first examines the theological problems of violence and categorizes the types of violence that appear in scripture. Then, he wrestles with the most important biblical texts on violence to work through specific interpretational issues. This new volume in the Interpretation: Resources for Use of Scripture in the Church series will help preachers and pastors interpret those difficult texts, encouraging them to face violence in the Bible with honesty.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Series Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Setting the Stage: Violence, Creation, and Calling
• Chapter 2: “The Lord is a Warrior”
• Chapter 3: Enemies of God and Israel: Sodom, Pharaoh, and Amalek
• Chapter 4: “You Shall Utterly Destroy Them”: The Ban and Conquest
• Chapter 5: Judges’ Use of Violence
• Chapter 6: Seeking Vengeance, Part I: Prophetic Speech and Action
• Chapter 7: Seeking Vengeance, Part II: Praying Against the Enemy
• Chapter 8: Jesus, Nonviolence, and the Old Testament
• Bibliography
• Scripture Index
• Subject Index