The Problem of War in the Old Testament
Overview
The predominance of war in the Old Testament troubles many Christians. However, it is an issue that must be faced, says Peter Craigie, because it has serious ramifications for contemporary Christian attitudes about war.
Craigie categorizes the problems into two kinds—personal and external. The personal problems arise from the Christian’s attempt to grapple with the emphasis on war in a book fundamental to the faith. Three areas are considered here: the representation of God as a Warrior; God’s revelation of himself in a book that preserves an extensive amount of war literature; and the seemingly conflicting ethics taught in the Old and New Testament.
The external problems are critiques against the Bible and the Christian faith, based on the war-like nature of the Old Testament and the close association between Christianity and war throughout history. Only by examining and understanding the problems of war in the Old Testament will Christians be able to respond intelligently to attacks on their faith, to educate their youth about the nature of war, and to influence modern attitudes toward war.
- Addresses the theological and practical dilemmas of war and violence in the Old Testament
- Explores the “spiritualization” of Old Testament texts
- Surveys practices of war and religion in the Ancient Near East
- The Contemporary Problem
- The Old Testament’s Legacy of War
- God the Warrior
- The Problem of “Holy” War
- The Prohibition of Murder
- War and the State
- The Meaning of Defeat in War
- Peace in the Old Testament
- Some Conclusions
Top Highlights
“According to his conclusions, the more orthodox a Christian group or individual may be, the more likely it is that his attitudes will be militaristic.” (Page 14)
“If the Old Testament was Scripture for Jesus and the first Christians, let us not lay it aside too lightly, however proper our appreciation of the New Testament may be.” (Page 12)
“War is a human activity; furthermore, it is a sinful human activity, revealing man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. To describe God as a warrior is thus to say that God participates in human history, through sinful human beings, and through what have become the ‘normal’ forms of human activity. Insofar as God is active in the world through human lives, he is employing for his purpose sinful persons. To state it another way, God employs, for his purpose of bringing salvation to the world, the very human beings who need salvation.” (Page 41)
“Are ethical teachings in Christianity to be based on the New Testament alone? Or may they be developed on the basis of the whole Bible? If all the Bible has relevance for ethics (the Ten Commandments, after all, are contained in the Old Testament), does it follow that war may be pursued legitimately? But if war may be pursued legitimately, would this position not appear to be somewhat in conflict with the New Testament?” (Pages 11–12)
“The nascent state of Israel was thus, in a sense, a vassal state to a suzerain God” (Pages 69–70)
Dr. Craigie is acutely aware of the ethical problems posed by his subject, and his study should be helpful to others who are equally aware of these problems. I am glad to commend this book.
—F. F. Bruce, University of Manchester
Professor Craigie approaches a difficult subject in an irenic, open manner, conveying both his grasp of the subject matter and his deep concern as a theologian and churchman for helping lay people think about a troubling problem in a fresh way. . . . Any person or group seeking to wrestle with the problem of war in the Old Testament will find Craigie’s thoughtful study one of the most helpful resources available.
—Patrick D. Miller Jr., Princeton Theological Seminary
- Title: The Problem of War in the Old Testament
- Author: Peter C. Craigie
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 1979
- Pages: 128
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Old Testament
