Q. On pp. 151-52 surprisingly you use Jesus’ action in the temple to suggest that Jesus was not opposed to violence. The problem with that example is that it does not involve violence against human beings nor does it appear any animals were harmed in the process either! Indeed, some were liberated. There is a difference between using force to some end, and doing violence against other human beings, something Jesus does prohibit his disciples from doing. [BTW, Heiser has... Read more
Q. On pp. 150-51 you make the surprising comment that you don’t think that polygamy, at least in OT times was immoral, and you go further to suggest that if a polygamous person today becomes a Christian they should not divorce one of their spouses. This is said at the same time you say that monogamy is the standard held up by Genesis and the NT. I must say I find this surprising, to say the least. Polygamy, like patriarchy... Read more
Q. Let’s look at this issue from a little different perspective. Just as the Bible talks about God and his justice and judgment plenty in both the OT and the NT, it also says things like God is light and in him is no darkness at all. God is good, and not evil in any sense of the word, nor does he perpetrate evil. For example, it’s wrong to say ‘God gave me this cancer….’ No, cancer, like all disease,... Read more
Q. Let us suppose for a moment that there is a moral structure to the universe God has created, and even perhaps that ‘the arc of history tends towards justice’, though I am less sure of that last idea than the first one. Paul says ‘whatsoever you sow that you shall also reap’. Now what this seems to suggest, as a book like Proverbs intimates is that a lot of this language about divine violence, should actually be seen as... Read more
For those who have not been following the discussions and decisions of the United Methodist Church and think things are still afloat, the outcome of the recent Judicial Council decision should leave little doubt. The Traditional Plan as passed at the special General Conference meeting in February has now been declared constitutional, despite the expectation of many that thought at least some important parts of it would be declared unconstitutional. That did not happen. What that means is that the... Read more
Q. In one part of the divine violence chapter you talk about the Psalms. I like what Luther says— the Psalms speak for us, they truly and accurately reveal what is on the human heart, not necessarily what is on the heart or in the nature of God. So, while we have all these Psalms where the Psalmist in essence prays for vengeance, and even smashed Edomite baby heads, this does not necessarily reflect either the character or will of... Read more
Q. Most readers of the Bible do not seem to have an issue with God being a God of righteousness and justice, but when that involves punishment, even physical punishment in various cases, or even hell then issues tend to be raised about ‘a God of violence’ and how he could also be a God of love. What seems to me to be the case, [since the theme of justice and judgment is all over the NT as well as... Read more
Q. To the various Christians, even some Evangelicals, that want to argue that while there was no historical Fall or Exodus, or conquest, but that the stories still have theological value, I regularly reply ‘Ours is an historical grounded and founded religion, and nothing can be theologically true that is historical false, if the theological claims depend on the historical grounding. Would you agree? A. I totally agree and I do think all those things (and everything in the redemptive... Read more
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