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Eric A. Seibert (PhD, Drew University) is Professor of Old Testament. He has training and experience in conflict mediation and enjoys speaking about how to read the Bible nonviolently, in ways that promote peace. His two most recent books are Disturbing Divine Behavior: Troubling Old Testament visa mer Images of God (2009) and The Violence of Scripture, Overcoming the Old Testament's Troubling Legacy (2012). Eric lives with his wife and three children in Grantham, PA. visa färre

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"Redeeming Violent Verses is grounded in excellent scholarship, but the author's practical good sense and deep pastoral commitment make the book eminently suited for use in real-world settings. In this lucidly written and well-thought-out study, Eric Seibert has done a notable service to churches. I hope it reaches the widest possible audience." (Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, and author of Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can’t Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses)

"I've read my fair share of books and articles addressing the violence of the Old Testament, and, as a pastor and educator, I have to say that I have never encountered anything nearly as practically helpful as Redeeming Violent Verses. I am confident that anyone who is disturbed by the violent texts of the Old Testament will benefit from this very readable work. But if you are a person whom God has called to use the Bible to influence others, in any capacity, whether adults or children, I implore you to deeply digest this bold and insightful work!" (Gregory A. Boyd, pastor and author of The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: Interpreting the Old Testament's Violent Portraits of God in Light of the Cross)

"Eric Siebert's Redeeming Violent Verses challenges the church to engage seriously and honestly with the problem of violence in the Bible, and he offers thoughtful, simple (though never simplistic), and, above all, practical guidance for this difficult work. Siebert's hospitable style and inimitable clarity model good practices of naming, questioning, and learning from violent texts. Pastors, Sunday school teachers, and Bible readers who struggle to understand and explain violence in the Bible will find this book a valuable resource." (Caryn A. Reeder, Professor of New Testament, Westmont College)

"Eric Seibert takes on one of the most challenging issues in Scripture—the violence attributed to God and to God's people. He offers eminently practical guidance on how to engage these texts with people of all ages in the church. Every pastor and those responsible for teaching children and youth in the church should read this book." (Adam Hamilton, pastor and author of Wrestling with Doubt, Finding Faith and Making Sense of the Bible)

"Denial and avoidance: that's how we usually deal with descriptions of human and divine violence in Scripture. Seibert not only allows church leaders to help their members take an honest look at biblical violence but also offers honest, healthy, and practical ways to interpret and use these texts in various tasks of ministry. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to take the whole Bible seriously in the life of the church." (O. Wesley Allen Jr., Lois Craddock Perkins Professor of Homiletics, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University)
… (mer)
 
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staylorlib | Mar 14, 2024 |
Summary: Seibert deals with the confusing, troubling, or uninteresting experience of many, suggesting the value of reading the Old Testament, and reading strategies for engagement with the text bring life and interest to the Old Testament scriptures.

Have you ever tried reading through the Old Testament and gotten lost in Leviticus or numbed by Numbers and given up the whole project? Sure, at times you read selected texts, maybe from Psalms and Proverbs, or some narratives like Ruth or Jonah (a kids favorite but with important relevance to the rest of us!). Mostly, you confine yourself to the New Testament, which you consider the most relevant portion of the Bible for Christians. But sadly, when we lose the Old Testament, we lose three-quarters of the Bible.

Until a course with an inspiring professor who helped him enjoy reading the Old Testament, Eric Seibert was in much the same place. And that is the object of this book, to pass along ways of reading the Old Testament that are enjoyable, as well as good for us. Most of what he proposes don’t involve more than a Bible, a comfortable chair, paper and pencil.

He begins by laying the groundwork for reading the Old Testament. He acknowledges that there are parts that are boring, or baffling, or even theologically troubling, and then, given that, why we should bother. He actually discounts the standard answer of needing to read the Old Testament to understand the New. He explores the relevance of the Old Testament on its own terms: fascinating stories, models of gutsy faith, resources for worship and prayer, a revelation of a God of lavish love, and God’s concern for justice. He deals with expectations, both unrealistic ones such as the Old Testament all being readily understandable and more realistic ones like a variety of genres, theological perspectives, a worldview different than our own, passages written for many reasons, and the presence of violence and other troubling texts. He invites us to adopt a mindset of carefully observing, of expectancy, of humility and respect, and honest engagement.

He then turns to our enjoyment of Old Testament texts. He starts by inviting us to read favorite stories all the way through, offering tips to understand their significance. He particularly calls attention to repetition, using the tabernacle instructions as an example. He invites us to be curious and ask lots of questions of the text. He sets aside a chapter to focus on reading the prophets, understanding their roles as God’s messengers, and their use of various persuasive techniques. He draws the distinction between judgement and salvation oracles.

He discusses approaches to the boring parts using Leviticus 1-7 as a case study. He encourages slowing down and looking at laws to see if there is a principle that may apply (e.g. the negligent owner of the ox known to gore). Then he returns to the matter of troubling texts, which he encourages us to be honest about and to hang in with them and bring them into conversation with other texts on the same topic that are not troublesome, observing that skeptics only focus on the former. Seibert also recognizes that one might need to take a break from troubling texts in difficult seasons of life.

The final section of the book focuses on a number of different activities that can help one read through books or even the whole Old Testament. He encourages drawing maps, creating simple charts that outline a book or portion, memorizing passages, listening audibly, or reading from a different perspective–for example as a Canaanite the passages about the Israelite invasion. He commends topical, artistic, and reflective approaches. He discusses surveying a book and breaking it into major thought blocks. As he concludes, he invites us to be balanced, use variety and flexibility, to preserve what we learn, and to join with others.

What is delightful about this book is that the author resists the temptation to write an Old Testament introduction but rather gives the reader tools to make his or her own discoveries. Without minimizing the challenges of the Old Testament, Seibert offers lots of hope that we can read through the Old Testament, read whole books of the Old Testament and find substantial enjoyment and spiritual benefit. On the troubling passages, he doesn’t offer easy answers or answers at all, but rather approaches that imply we may live with troubling passages in some cases but this does not need to distract us from other other more enjoyable texts. This is a great resource for an adult class in a church or a college class in a Christian college context.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
… (mer)
 
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BobonBooks | May 9, 2022 |
A dangerous book - but probably in the best possible way. I came away thinking, 'Oh wow, you mean I don't have to believe that God actually commanded the Israelites to commit genocide against the Caananites?' Of course, for some people, they may feel like this book is crumbling the foundations of their faith - if their faith is built on the Old Testament being completely true, ethically and historically. (Even the bits which don't agree with the other bits.)Seibert brings the conclusions of contemporary scholarship to the problem of the troubling divine images of God in the Old Testament historical narratives - images of God committing genocide (the flood) or demanding the Israelites commit genocide. He argues from historical, archaeological, theological and textual perspectives that divine behaviour which contradicts God revealed in Jesus Christ did not happen. A gap exists between the textual God and the actual God. There are a lot of questions I need to ask about this book, and I'm working on a lengthy review for my blog. He doesn't say anything particularly new, but he articulates in a systematic and readable way things not enough of us dare say about the troubling nature of the Old Testament and possible approaches to it. He comes from an evangelical Anabaptist background and deals sensitively with issues evangelicals will be wrestling with, but he certainly doesn't maintain a conventional evangelical understanding of the authority or nature of scripture.… (mer)
 
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nathanhobby | Oct 30, 2010 |

Statistik

Verk
7
Medlemmar
151
Popularitet
#137,935
Betyg
4.0
Recensioner
3
ISBN
12

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