The Kings and Their Gods: The Pathology of Power
Overview
The scenario that confronts us in the biblical text of 1 and 2 Kings is a turbulent one. Daniel Berrigan minces no words in his assessment of that biblical era. Prophets, kings, and the gods they worship—all are found wanting.
Berrigan examines the complex terrain of these two biblical books, opening our eyes to the deep flaws of their oft-praised characters. He shows that this dark time in biblical history is in many ways repeating itself today. The wars of these kings, Berrigan says, are our wars now, and we are fashioning our own gods to approve our misdeeds. These two books of Scripture come to vivid—and sometimes terrifying—life when we recognize these undeniable similarities.
The Kings and Their Gods reveals Berrigan in stunning form. Here this modern-day prophet distills the wisdom gained from his long learning and his remarkable life experiences. The book is both a masterful biblical commentary and a clarion call to action. It balances polemics and poetry, despair and joy. It’s truly a midrash for our troubled times—both an indictment of the horror that is and an invitation to the great goodness that may be.
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- Examines the complex terrain of 1 and 2 Kings
- Balances polemics and poetry, despair and joy
- Who Shall Inherit the Grand Years of David? (Chs. 1–4)
- Stone upon Stone, the King Constructs Immortality (Chs. 5–9)
- From Solomon to Jeroboam: Kings Run Amok (Chs. 10–13)
- Of Kings and Their Gods: A Tale of Woe (Chs. 14–22)
- Of Kings and Prophets: Light and Darkness Contending (1:1–6:23)
- Famine and Fury: War and Its Shadows (6:24–17:41)
- Dawn at Last: Isaiah and the Last Days of Empire (Chs. 18–25)
Part biblical commentary, part poetry, and part prophecy—this is Berrigan at his best.
—Jim Wallis, editor, Sojourners
Stunning. Irreverent. Incisive. This bold Berrigan midrash on the books of Kings brings the American way into prophetic biblical focus. Won’t we ever learn? But with Dan Berrigan among us, we are not without a witness.
—Eugene H. Peterson, emeritus professor of spiritual theology, Regent College
My advice is to read this book with the scripture in one hand and the newspaper in the other. But whatever you do, read it. Once you do, you’ll never think of the books of Kings as useless history again. On the contrary, you may think of them all the time.
—Joan Chittister, executive director, Benetvision
- Title: The Kings and Their Gods: The Pathology of Power
- Author: Daniel Berrigan
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Print Publication Date: 2008
- Logos Release Date: 2014
- Pages: 212
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Bible. O.T. Kings › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9780802860439, 0802860435
- Resource ID: LLS:KINGSTHEIRGODS
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:10:09Z