Bible Caught in Violence (European Studies in Theology, Philosophy and History of Religions)

Cover
Copyright information
Contents
List of contributors
Introduction
Part I
	Numbers 25: violence in the Yahvistic faith
		A different monotheism
		Violence against the Midianites
		The disregard of the covenant and the superiority of the Aaronic priesthood
		YHWH is the God of Midianites: the Kenite hypothesis
		The Kenites and their zeal
		The league between Kenites and Judaites
		The jealousy of YHWH
		Conclusion: the beginning and the end of the generation of Moses
		Bibliography
	Ḥērem – the Curse of God. Specific use of the idea of ḥērem in Deu 7:1–6 and 20:15–18
		Introduction
		Ḥērem – its etymology and meaning
		Range of ḥērem in the biblical texts
		Ḥērem in Deuteronomy
		The meaning of the Deuteronomic ḥērem
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
	Contradiction between the laws “Thou shalt not avenge” and “An eye for an eye”
		Introduction
		Revenge forbidden by Torah
		Is ‘an eye for an eye’ a revenge law?
		Is ‘an avenger of blood’ taking vengeance?
		Conclusions
		Bibliography
	God of Israel and child sacrifice. From Jephthah to Abraham (Jdg 11:29–40; Gen 22:1–19)
		Introduction
		Several important findings
			The context of the Jephthah story
			The results of the critical-literary analysis Jdg 11:29–40
			The pericope’s structure Jdg 11:29–40
		The exegetical-theological analysis
			The spirit of Yhwh
			The vow of Jephthah
			Child sacrifices
			God’s attitude to Jephthah’s vow
		The canonical perspective in the interpretation of Jdg 11:29–40
		The summation
		Bibliography
	I-the strong man in the face of His wrath (cf. Lam 3:1). A man in face of divine violence
		Introduction
		I-the strong man: a mocking identification
		God-warrior: a figure in action
		I-the strong man: faith as a possible answer
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
	Wis 11:15–12:27: the action of God between violence and mercy
		The Book of Wisdom and the problem of the face of God
		Your strength is the foundation of justice (Wis 12:15)
		A God between violence and mercy (Wis 12:22–27)
		A message for our time
		Bibliography
	Jesus and the law of talion (retaliation). A socio-rhetorical analysis of Matthew 5:38–42
		Introduction
		The source text
		Inner texture – repetitive-progressive texture
		Inner texture – beginning-middle-closing texture
		Inner texture – argumentative texture4
		Inner texture – sensory-aesthetic texture
		Intertexture – oral-scribal intertexture
		Intertexture – cultural intertexture
		Intertexture – social intertexture
		Social and cultural texture
		Summary
		Bibliography:
	“Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” – Does God use violence? An exegetical-theological analysis of Luk 13:1–9
		Introduction
		Literary genre
		Literary structure
		Exegesis of the chosen terminology
		The meaning of the barren fig tree parable60
		Theological conclusion
		Bibliography
Part II
	Biblical symbols of violence in ancient and medieval Christian interpretation
		Preamble
		Passion and death of Christ
		Eternal struggle of good against evil in the history of mankind
		Martyrdom and spiritual struggle of the Church and individual Christians
		The final judgment and eschatological torment
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
	Jihād and crusades: blessed violence in the Divine Comedy
		Introduction
		Violent humanity in hell, in purgatory and in paradise
		Dante’s vision of Islamic Heresy
		Muhammad in hell
		Theological reasons of Jihād against Christian Trinitarian blasphemy
		Heavenly glorification of the Crusade and the influence of San Bernardo’s ‘malicidium’
		Dante’s ecumenism and the heavenly salvation of the Muslims
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
	The theme of God’s violence in the Bible in the light of the approach through belles-lettres. An example from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s literary anthropology
		Preamble
		The basic anthropological ideas of Dostoyevsky
		The violence of God in the light of Dostoyevsky anthropology
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
	Gen 34 in the light of modern international legislation on resolving conflicts between nations
		The concept of violence
		Violence in Gen 34
		Wars and ethnic conflicts
		International legislation as promoting peaceful solutions
		Conclusion
		Bibliography
Biographical notes