Did God Really Command Genocide?

Coming to Terms with the Justice of God

by: Paul Copan, Matt Flannagan

• Format

  Paperback

  ISBN

  9780801016226

  Dimensions

  6 x 9

  Pub. Date

  Nov 2014

  SRP

  $17.00

  Carton Quantity

  36

  Number of pages

  352

  Buy

• Format

  E-Book

  ISBN

  9781441221094

  Pub. Date

  Nov 2014

  SRP

  $17.00

  Buy

About

Reconciling a violent Old Testament God with a loving Jesus

Would a good, kind, and loving deity ever command the wholesale slaughter of nations? We often avoid reading difficult Old Testament passages that make us squeamish and quickly jump to the enemy-loving, forgiving Jesus of the New Testament. And yet, the question remains.

In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

"Copan and Flannagan address the arguments of the atheists who use divine violence in the Bible to undermine belief and confidence in God. Not only are they adept at biblical interpretation and philosophy as they effectively counter this challenge, but they also write in a deeply compelling way."--Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

"Copan and Flannagan go beyond standard treatments of Old Testament warfare; they incorporate biblical, theological, philosophical, ethical, legal, and historical perspectives on a much-debated but often misunderstood topic."--William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology

"This is a very lucid and helpful discussion of this troubling topic."--Gordon Wenham, professor of Old Testament, Trinity College, Bristol

"This brave, hard-nosed, and wide-ranging study constitutes a serious attempt at facing all the varied aspects of a question that troubles so many people. Well done!"--John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

"The most thorough and comprehensive treatment of the problem of violence in the Old Testament that I have encountered."--Christopher J. H. Wright, international ministries director, Langham Partnership; author, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God and The God I Don't Understand

Paul Copan (PhD, Marquette University) is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He has authored and edited thirty scholarly and popular books, including Is God a Moral Monster?

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Endorsements

"The Old Testament describes God as a warrior who directs his people to fight the Canaanites. Divine violence in the Bible is a theme that has aroused the ire of atheists and the discomfort and confusion of many Christians. Copan and Flannagan address the arguments of the atheists who use these texts to undermine belief and confidence in God. Not only are they adept at biblical interpretation and philosophy as they effectively counter this challenge, but they also write in a deeply compelling way that will appeal to both students and laypeople."

Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California

"In their wide-ranging book, Copan and Flannagan go beyond standard treatments of Old Testament warfare; they incorporate biblical, theological, philosophical, ethical, legal, and historical perspectives on a much-debated but often misunderstood topic. This volume makes important strides forward in laying out a case for the coherence of divine command theory in connection with these Yahweh-war texts."

William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, La Mirada, California

"This is a very lucid and helpful discussion of this troubling topic."

Gordon Wenham, professor of Old Testament, Trinity College, Bristol, England

"This brave, hard-nosed, and wide-ranging study constitutes a serious attempt at facing all the varied aspects of a question that troubles so many people. Well done!"

John Goldingay, David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary

"As a full-scale follow-up to the excellent popular treatment of the topic in Is God a Moral Monster?, this book provides the most thorough and comprehensive treatment of the problem of violence in the Old Testament that I have encountered. The authors tackle the aggressive charges of the new atheists, as well as other equally sceptical but less strident critics of 'the God of the Old Testament.' And they do so with a blend of careful biblical exegesis and incisive moral argumentation. The book reaches deep, but remains readable, and the summaries at the end of every chapter are a great help in following the case as it is steadily built up. All of us who, in teaching or preaching the Old Testament, are constantly bombarded with 'But what about the Canaanites?' will be very grateful for these rich resources for a well-informed, gracious, and biblically faithful reply."

Christopher J. H. Wright, International Ministries Director, Langham Partnership, author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God and  The God I Don't Understand

"Does your god order you to slaughter your enemies? Did God's command to the Israelites to kill the Canaanites set a pattern for human behaviour? Do Joshua's wars justify the Crusades? Does the Bible promote violence against dissenters and opponents, as the Qur'an does? Reading the Bible as a modern book leads to false conclusions, the authors show clearly. Comparing writings from Assyria, Babylonia, Egypt, and the Hittites with biblical texts, they demonstrate the common use of exaggerated language--so that 'all' may not mean 'every single person,' for example--bringing clearer understanding of God's apparently genocidal commands about the Canaanites. Carefully argued, with clear examples and helpful summaries, these chapters give Christians sound bases for defending and sharing their faith in the God of love, justice, and forgiveness. This is an instructive and very welcome antidote to much current thought."

Alan Millard, Emeritus Rankin Professor of Hebrew & Ancient Semitic Languages, The University of Liverpool

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