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The Problem of War in the Old Testament
The predominance of war in the Old Testament troubles many Christians. However it is an issue that must be faced, says Peter C. Craigie, because it has serious ramifications for contemporary Christian attitudes about war. Craigie categorizes the problems into two kinds — personal and external. The personal problems arise from the Christian's attempt to grapple with the emphasis on war in a book fundamental to faith. Three areas are considered the representation of God as warrior; God's revelation of himself in a book which preserves an extensive amount of war literature; and the seemingly conflicting ethics taught in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The external problems are critiques against the Bible and the Christian faith, based on the war-like nature of the Old Testament and the close association between Christianity and war throughout history. Only by examining and understanding the problem of war in the Old Testament will Christians be able to respond intelligently to attacks on their faith, to educate their youth in the nature of war, and to influence modern attitudes toward war.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
128 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1978
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 30, 2011
If I were to give this book a rating from 1 to 10 I would put it somewhere around 5. I will further explain this rating, but I must first say that despite this fact I would still highly recommend the book to anyone. Peter does an excellent job of expressing the theological and practical problems of the prevalence of war in the Old Testament. Throughout the entire book he hints at resolutions to these problems, which causes one to be hopeful and continue reading, but then in the last chapters he concedes that he has no real answers. Instead he turns from the problems entirely and instead proposes a Christian perspective on war in light of the Old and New Testaments. This is why I would highly recommend this book to anyone, because his thoughts and perspective on this are well thought out and definitely worth considering, however the book itself wanders from topic to topic and doesn't really give any helpful solution to its main problem.
January 13, 2022
This is a quick and easy read, yet still very insightful. I found his writing on God's work through human activity to be the most intriguing (and given with more clarity or precision than what I've seen elsewhere).
August 20, 2012
This book marks a milestone in nearly 20 years of my theological education: it is the one and only scholarly work I've ever read ending with "I don't know."
To end it that way is not an intellectual cop-out: it where Craigie's thinking undeniably leads after taking all of Scripture into account. In that sense, "I don't know" is the acknowledgement of paradox and mystery that any respectable theologian likewise describes but still manages to produce his or her own argument about it. Craigie puts his thoughts out there in a tightly organized, easy-to-read manner. He has his angle and makes an effective argument, but must finally fall silent before the God who is both a lover and a fighter.
This is a great read for laypeople, as it is brief, direct, and quite readable. But that is not to suggest it requires no thought or personal engagement. I recommend it for laypeople who watch the news and ask themselves "Is violence ever justified? Does loving one's enemies come before protecting one's family and friends? How do I read the Bible for guidance?" These questions are engaged and, to some extent, answered but the dilemmas are not solved. This book serves as a guide to raising the dilemma of the warrior God of the Old Testament and the God of limitless love in the New, and helps the reader understand that Christians cannot choose one at the expense of the other. We have to inform our thinking and action by recognizing biblical teaching as a whole about the one and only God who is not "either/or" but "both/and."
To end it that way is not an intellectual cop-out: it where Craigie's thinking undeniably leads after taking all of Scripture into account. In that sense, "I don't know" is the acknowledgement of paradox and mystery that any respectable theologian likewise describes but still manages to produce his or her own argument about it. Craigie puts his thoughts out there in a tightly organized, easy-to-read manner. He has his angle and makes an effective argument, but must finally fall silent before the God who is both a lover and a fighter.
This is a great read for laypeople, as it is brief, direct, and quite readable. But that is not to suggest it requires no thought or personal engagement. I recommend it for laypeople who watch the news and ask themselves "Is violence ever justified? Does loving one's enemies come before protecting one's family and friends? How do I read the Bible for guidance?" These questions are engaged and, to some extent, answered but the dilemmas are not solved. This book serves as a guide to raising the dilemma of the warrior God of the Old Testament and the God of limitless love in the New, and helps the reader understand that Christians cannot choose one at the expense of the other. We have to inform our thinking and action by recognizing biblical teaching as a whole about the one and only God who is not "either/or" but "both/and."
February 25, 2024
I would actually rate the book 4.5, really well thought out, but not without a few flaws.
August 6, 2015
This helpful treatment of a profoundly difficult problem is short and to the point. Craigie examines the issues around the war passages of the Old Testament from a variety of angles, including the significant OT theme of God as Warrior, the prohibition of murder, and most provocatively, the theme of defeat in the Old Testament. In essence, Craigie argues that we must read the OT in light of its entire message--it does not simply and uncritically present the conquest and defeat of enemies. Rather, we see in the OT a kingdom established via violence, surviving via violence, and being exiled via violence. In other words, the OT presents the failure of the nation-state, in contrast to the form of the kingdom in the NT--a community of people who unite across the borders of natural and historic enemies, a community of people who follow not the violent Jesus, but the crucified Jesus. I appreciate the reflections that close the book on one's participation in war. While Craigie doesn't develop a rule, he states the tension quite clearly, and as such offers a way forward for the Christian--to avoid the uncritical justification of war or the blind adoption of pacifism.
Two things I would tweak: First, I thought he could have made clearer the connection between the NT notion of Law showing the people their transgression and the failure of conquest. Second, I though he could have further clarified the role of God in the conquest. While he spends a lot of time on this issue, there is still the niggling sense that God's actions in the conquest indict His character. Craigie simply declares that they don't--teasing that out a bit would have been helpful.
Two things I would tweak: First, I thought he could have made clearer the connection between the NT notion of Law showing the people their transgression and the failure of conquest. Second, I though he could have further clarified the role of God in the conquest. While he spends a lot of time on this issue, there is still the niggling sense that God's actions in the conquest indict His character. Craigie simply declares that they don't--teasing that out a bit would have been helpful.
December 19, 2009
I was very appreciative of Craigie's open and honest wrestling with the issues of (sanctioned) violence in the Old Testament. I gave this 4 stars because there were many worthy theological reflections and exegetical insights and because I've not read any other works that so starkly stare the issues in the face, but I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion: left me wanting more. Still well worth a read.
April 28, 2010
His effort to reframe the issue of God's relationship to our wars and violence is marvelous.
August 21, 2016
Helpful. I'd like to have a conversation with this author.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews