The Joshua Delusion?: Rethinking Genocide in the Bible - Hardcover

Earl, Douglas S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1498213170 ISBN 13: 9781498213172

Publisher: Cascade Books, 2011

Synopsis

Description: Many Christians wrestle with biblical passages in which God commands the slaughter of the Canaanites-men, women, and children. The issue of the morality of the biblical God is one of the major challenges for faith today. How can such texts be Holy Scripture? In this bold and innovative book Douglas Earl grasps the bull by the horns and guides readers to new and unexpected ways of looking at the book of Joshua. Drawing on insights from the early church and from modern scholarship, Earl argues that we have mistakenly read Joshua as a straightforward historical account and have ended up with a genocidal God. In contrast, Earl offers a theological interpretation in which the mass killing of Canaanites is a deliberate use of myth to make important theological points that are still valid today. Christopher J. H. Wright then offers a thoughtful response to Earl's provocative views. The book closes with Earl's reply to Wright and readers are encouraged to continue the debate. Endorsements: "There is no doubt that the Bible-and the God of the Bible-are saturated with reams of violence . . . and nowhere more frontally than in the book of Joshua. Douglas Earl wades boldly into the problem of reading Joshua theologically. He brings to the task the rich resources of the Christian tradition and the best of current hermeneutical possibilities. The outcome is a rich, suggestive approach that invites deep rethinking of how we read such texts responsibly. His book is a welcome voice in an important, vexed, unfinished conversation." --Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary, USA "This sophisticated but plainly written study is eye-opening even for highly practiced readers and teachers of Scripture. Taking on one of the most difficult cases in the Bible, Earl offers guidance for discovering the truth of Scripture without sacrificing critical acumen on historical and ethical matters." --Ellen Davis, Duke Divinity School, USA "Douglas Earl aims to revive 'spiritual

About this title

Review:

' The fruits of Earl's approach are not dissimilar to the result of reading the book of Joshua as 'story'. His originality lies in the way he conscripts Turner and Kunin to bolster his case for reading it as myth. Readers who are prepared to follow him on the journey will find this a challenging and stimulating book, even if they disagree with him. ' --John J. Bimson in The Expository Times, Vol. 124 (1), October 2012

'These books ['The Joshua Delusion?' along with 'Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture', by the same author] are definitely worth reading. Earl's treatment of myth is useful, and his discussion of the narrative of Joshua is also quite helpful. [...] Also to be commended is his willingness, particularly in JD, to address issues which can be somewhat sensitive within his own Evangelical Christian community.' --Anthony Milner in Gregorianum, Vol. 93 (2012)

About the Author:

Douglas Earl did his PhD on the book of Joshua at the University of Durham. He is author of Reading Joshua as Christian Scripture.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1498213170
• ISBN 13: 9781498213172
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192