Did God Really Command Genocide?: Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
Overview
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.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
For more works by Paul Copan, check out the Paul Copan Apologetics Collection (6 vols.).
- Summarizes and answers the arguments against Old Testament portrayal of God
- Defends the morality of God in the Old Testament
- Provides ways to understand the role of religion and violence today
Top Highlights
“Craig’s approach nicely illustrates how God’s being the author of the Bible does not mean he endorses everything that the human author expresses.” (Page 22)
“This position appears to be much like William Lane Craig’s view on Psalm 137, an imprecatory psalm: the original human author was using the psalm to express rage and hatred, but this was incorporated into a larger collection of psalms that served as a prayer book for God’s people—even though God does not endorse everything expressed therein. That is, God is not always affirming what the human author affirms.” (Page 28)
“To get a contradiction, we have to add a further premise: God’s role as primary author entails that whatever the secondary human author of the Bible affirms or commands, God likewise affirms or commands.” (Page 20)
“‘inspiration is a property of the written text, not the mode of its production.’” (Page 23)
“He also rejects the dictation theory of biblical inspiration” (Page 21)
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
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.
—William Lane Craig, research professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology
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 Seminar
- Title: Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
- Authors: Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan
- Publisher: Baker
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Pages: 352
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Ethnicity in the Bible; Genocide › Biblical teaching; Genocide › Religious aspects--Christianity; Violence in the Bible; Theodicy; God (Christianity) › Righteousness--Biblical teaching; God (Christianity) › Love--Biblical teaching
- ISBNs: 9781441227461, 9780801016226, 1441227466, 0801016223
- Resource ID: LLS:DDGDRLCMMNDGNCD
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:14:55Z
Paul Copan is the Pledger Family chair of philosophy and ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. He is the author of several popular apologetics books, including Is God a Moral Monster?, That’s Just Your Interpretation: Responding to Skeptics Who Challenge Your Faith and When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics.
Matt Flannagan is a researcher and a teaching pastor at Takanini Community Church in Auckland, New Zealand.
Reviews
1 rating
Jack Caviness
4/15/2022
Chapter 7 reflects an extremely low view of inspiration. Suitable reading for those wo reject any concept of inerrancy. He quotes Kenneth Kitchen who gives an explanation of apparent contradictions, but then turns to a view that totally rejects the historical accuracy of Joshua.
