Is God a Vindictive Bully? , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Paul Copan

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288 pages

English

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Critics outside the church often accuse the Old Testament God of genocide, racism, ethnic cleansing, and violence. But a rising tide of critics within the church claim that Moses and other "primitive," violence-prone prophets were mistaken about God's commands and character. Both sets of critics dismiss this allegedly harsh, flawed, "textual" Old Testament God in favor of the kind, compassionate, "actual" God revealed by Jesus. Are they right to do so?Following his popular book Is God a Moral Monster?, noted apologist Paul Copan confronts false, imbalanced teaching that is confusing and misleading many Christians. Copan takes on some of the most difficult Old Testament challenges and places them in their larger historical and theological contexts. He explores the kindness, patience, and compassion of God in the Old Testament and shows how Jesus in the New Testament reveals not only divine kindness but also divine severity. The book includes a detailed Scripture index of difficult and controversial passages and is helpful for anyone interested in understanding the flaws in these emerging claims that are creating a destructive gap between the Testaments.

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Philosophie et théologie

Christian theology

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	18 octobre 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493437993
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0672€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Endorsements
“Old Testament violence continues to be a thorny, painful, and faith-damaging issue for many Christians today. Among the voices attempting to address the questions, one of the most prominent is that of Paul Copan. We can expect anything that comes from his desk to be serious, rigorous, and honest. Is God a Vindictive Bully? is no exception. It will be helpful—even redemptive—for many who wrestle with these questions. And while not all will wholly agree with him, it will be one of the go-to books on the subject for years to come.”
— Helen Paynter , Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence, Bristol Baptist College
“Serious criticisms are often made of the Old Testament in general and of its portrayal of God in particular. These criticisms come both from within the church and from without. Copan here subjects these criticisms to careful scrutiny, testing them against the claims of the Old Testament. He finds that when we read the Old Testament with attention to its time and context, these criticisms are misplaced. Rather, the Old Testament is consistent with the New in revealing a God who is prepared to get involved with the mess of life and bring redemption. A careful and reflective work, this is important reading for thinking Christians who want to understand why the Old Testament matters for their faith.”
— David G. Firth , Trinity College, Bristol
“In this very important and much-needed volume, Copan does a marvelous job of dealing with arguments that would introduce a separation between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. With erudition he skillfully answers ‘critics from without’ and, unfortunately, ‘critics from within’ who advocate for this harmful dichotomy. I am extremely grateful for this faithful defense of the repeated affirmation in the New Testament that the God portrayed in the Old Testament is, indeed, ‘the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.’”
— Jerry E. Shepherd , Taylor Seminary, Edmonton, Alberta (emeritus)
“Can a God of love command an adulterer’s execution? Copan explores this and many other objections to biblical texts. By careful reading he shows how biblical writings consistently present a single God, gracious and just. Questions and doubts current today are often superficial and unbalanced. Here are clear, well-founded answers for Christian believers.”
— Alan Millard , University of Liverpool (emeritus)
“Many recent studies on the Bible’s portrayal of divine violence attempt to resolve the canon’s dissonances with categorical templates or through hermeneutical sleight of hand. Copan, however, refuses the path of least interpretive resistance and opts instead to take the tensive thickness of the Bible’s testimony head on. Informed by careful reading and with due attention to contexts and nuances, he offers a study on the topic that is both encyclopedic in scope and thorough in its treatment of particularly problematic texts. Readers will find much to ponder in this important contribution to an urgent conversation.”
— L. Daniel Hawk , Ashland Theological Seminary
“At a time when the credibility of the Bible and the character of God are being questioned by critics outside of the Christian community and by some within it, this book offers thoughtful, biblically credible, and theologically convincing answers. Furthermore, Copan exposes the fallacies of the Bible’s detractors, as well as the flaws of their readings of the Bible and the ignorance of their conclusions.”
— James K. Hoffmeier , Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (emeritus)
“Do you have a problem with something, or a lot of things, in the Old Testament? Copan has provided a virtual encyclopedia of helpful answers to frequently asked questions that trouble many readers. He tackles a whole range of objections that arise both from those who claim broad Christian allegiance to the Bible as a whole and from those who make no such claim whatsoever and use the Old Testament as a major reason for their hostility. This is a thoroughly detailed reference work that those of us who teach or preach the Old Testament will turn to frequently, or point others to, when such questions are aired. An excellent resource indeed!”
— Christopher J. H. Wright , Langham Partnership; author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God
“Copan’s work speaks to current voices that assert the Old Testament’s depiction of God is highly problematic or at odds with the New Testament. He engages critics from outside the faith who with vindictive glee mischaracterize the Old Testament’s presentation of God. He addresses critics from within who jettison the hard parts of the Old Testament or assert its depiction of God is in error. God’s people are often confused by and suspicious of the Old Testament, wondering how it aligns with Jesus; these conversations are pressing for my seminary students and for local pastors and congregations. Copan provides a valuable resource in accessible language that speaks with informed conviction and with grace. In a time when the Old Testament’s necessary role in Christian faith is attacked and undermined, Copan’s work serves the good of the church. I highly recommend it for all whose faith seeks understanding.”
— Lissa M. Wray Beal , Providence Theological Seminary, Otterburne, Manitoba
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2022 by Paul Copan
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakeracademic.com
Ebook edition created 2022
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-3799-3
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
Dedication
To William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland, whose friendship, scholarship, dedication, and collaboration have inspired, encouraged, and strengthened me over the years.
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
—Hebrews 13:7
Contents
Cover
Endorsements i
Half Title Page iii
Title Page v
Copyright Page vi
Dedication vii
Preface xiii
Part 1 | The Great Divorce 1
How Wide the Divide between the Old and New Testaments?
1. The Old Testament God: Critics from Without and from Within 3
2. Is the God of the Old Testament the Same as the God of the New? (1): Marcion versus Moses 10
3. Is the God of the Old Testament the Same as the God of the New? (2): Moses versus Jesus? 19
4. Is the God of the Old Testament the Same as the God of the New? (3): Moses versus Jesus? ( Continued) 25
Part 2 | Lex Rex (the Law, the King) 33
What Makes the Law of Moses So Special?
5. “From Heaven or from Human Origin?” Is the Mosaic Law Just Another Ancient Law Code? 35
6. Multiple Sources and Late Dates? Does the Mosaic Law Have Multiple Authors? Was Fighting the Canaanites a Fiction from the Sixth Century BC? 40
7. Differences between the Law of Moses and Ancient Near Eastern Laws (1): The Biblical Vision and Worldview 50
8. Differences between the Law of Moses and Ancient Near Eastern Laws (2): Human Dignity, Relationship, and Equality 56
9. Differences between the Law of Moses and Ancient Near Eastern Laws (3): Poverty and Wealth 64
Part 3 | Crime and Punishment 69
Violations and Penalties in Old Testament Law
10. A Bit of Ancient Near Eastern Context 71
11. Israel’s Punishments as Nonliteral in the Pentateuch 74
12. Israel’s Punishments as Nonliteral in Old Testament History 82
Part 4 | For Whom the Bell Tolls 87
Harsh Texts and Difficult Old Testament Questions
13. How Was David “a Man after God’s Own Heart”? 89
14. Why Does God Harden People’s Hearts? 96
15. Divine Smitings (1): Noah’s Flood, Egypt’s Firstborn, Uzzah’s Death 104
16. Divine Smitings (2): Elisha and the Bears, and Punishing Children to the Third and Fourth Generations 113
17. “Bashing Babies against the Rock”? Imprecatory Psalms in the Old Testament 122
18. “Let His Homestead Be Made Desolate”: Imprecatory Psalms in the New Testament 131
19. Loving Jacob, Hating Esau? Putting Divine and Human Hatred in Perspective 140
Part 5 | Of Human Bondage 147
Women and Servants in Israelite Society
20. Is the Old Testament Really Misogynistic and Patriarchal? 149
21. Espousing Multiple Wives? Revisiting the Matter of Polygamy 155
22. Other Troubling Texts about Women: The Nameless Concubine, the Question of War Rape 161
23. “Servants” in Israel: Persons or Property? 166
24. The “Acquisition” of “Foreign Slaves” (1): A Deeper Dive into Leviticus 25 173
25. The “Acquisition” of “Foreign Slaves” (2): Two Objections and the Runaway Option 181
Part 6 | War and Peace 187
Warfare and Violence in the Old Testament (and the New)
26. Jesus Loves Canaanites—and Israelites Too: “Jesus 101” and the Old Testament’s “Dark Texts ” 189
27. “We Left No Survivors”: Exaggeration Rhetoric in Israel’s War Texts 200