Original Research

The role of the Old Testament in a violent world

Esias E. Meyer
Verbum et Ecclesia | Vol 32, No 2 | a502 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v32i2.502 | © 2011 Esias E. Meyer | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 04 February 2011 | Published: 11 November 2011

About the author(s)

Esias E. Meyer, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This article explores the responsibility of Bible critics with regard to the role that the Bible should play in our violent society. The crucial question that needs to be addressed is whether the Bible, and especially the Old Testament, is part of the problem or part of the solution. The Old Testament is clearly a violent book. How do we deal with this? Does the Old Testament really have a positive contribution to make in a society riddled with violence? Some Bible critics tend to shy away from these questions, but there are exceptions. For some, violence is so endemic to the Bible that there is little to save. For others, the Bible has a very constructive role to play in a society plagued by violence.

Keywords

Violence in the Old Testament; Conquest narrative;

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Crossref Citations

1. Humans created God in their image? An anthropomorphic projectionism in the Old Testament
Ndikho Mtshiselwa, Lerato Mokoena
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies  vol: 74  issue: 1  year: 2018  
doi: 10.4102/hts.v74i1.5017