Holy War in the Bible: Book Review
by Seth Miller
A new Bible student will surely be alarmed when they discover Scripture in which God commands the Israelites to “devote” enemy nations to “complete destruction.” “You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them,” states Deut. 7:2. New Christians can have great difficulty reconciling such passages with the meek and mild Jesus Who stated “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7:12). In steps the New Atheists.
Like a shark drawn to blood, they hone in on the young student’s confusion and exasperate it by uncharitably introducing them to other similar passages. Their interpretation is often simplistic and misinformed, but the damage is nonetheless severe to the young student’s faith. I have personally observed several instances in which a young Christian gives up on their faith due to their inability to make sense of these difficult passages.
That is why I am extremely grateful for a book like IVP Academic’s Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem (“HWITB” hereafter) edited by Heath A. Thomas, Jeremy Evans, and Paul Copan. HWITB is a compilation of essays written by several scholars who discuss the problematic passages found throughout the Bible that seemingly portray God as a genocidal, egotistical, bloody-thirsty maniac Who exists for the sole purpose of spreading divine/holy war.
The so-called New Atheists have been adamant in their propagation of this rather dismal view of God. I believe they have been successful in taking a complicated issue and treating it simplistically, resulting in the confusion of immature Christians and the fueling the zeal of over enthusiastic Internet atheists. Admittedly, however, they have drawn attention to Scripture that Christians often overlook and rarely address in the pulpit. HWTIB, I believe, rises to the challenge posed by the New Atheists and equips students of the Bible with a better understanding of these difficult passages.
Summary
HWITB is a collection of essays that are categorized into six parts that reflect six concerns pertaining to “holy war”:
Part One: The Challenge of “Holy War” for Christian Morality
Part Two: Old Testament Perspectives
Part Three: New Testament Perspectives
Part Four: Biblical-Theological Perspectives
Part Five: Ethical and Philosophical Perspectives
Part Six: Theological Perspectives
The book ends with a brief afterword that brings the book to a succinct conclusion. For the remainder of this review, I will provide a brief summary of each essay contained, offer a suggestion to the authors, and voice my final sentiment on the book overall.
The first section consists of two essays. The first is entitled, “Orientation Amidst the Diversity: An Introduction to the Volume,” and is written by Geth Allison and Reid Powell. As the title implies, the two authors provide a helpful overview to the entire book and introduce us to each of the authors’ objectives. Douglas E. Earl authors the next essay in this section, “Joshua and the Crusades.” Earl challenges the widely accepted assumption that the book of Joshua was used to justify the bloody Christian Crusades.
The second section also contains two essays. Stephen B. Chapman writes the first essay, “Martial Memory, Peaceable Vision: Divine War in the Old Testament.” Since the phrase “holy war” is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible and is misleading, Chapman offers “Yahweh War” or “divine war” as a better alternative. He explains that the Bible does not portray Israel as fighting on God’s behalf; instead it portrays God fighting on Israel’s behalf. Thus it is His war. Furthermore, Chapman argues that God’s military endeavors will eventually be a thing of the past as He pushes the nations towards absolute peace. In the subsequent chapter, “A Neglected Witness to ‘Holy War’ in the Writings,” Heath Thomas guides readers to the Psalms and particularly Lamentations 2. The latter, Thomas argues, permits believers to question the actions of the divine warrior, so long as it is posed within the realm of faith.
Section three directs readers away from the Old Testament to now evaluate the New Testament. Timothy Gombis contributes the first essay in this section, “The Rhetoric of Divine Warfare in Ephesians,” examples including Jesus exercising dominion above all opposing principalities (Eph. 1:20-21), and Paul urging Christians to “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11). Many critics believe such rhetoric promotes a violent lifestyle that is at odds with Jesus’ original teachings. Gombis argues for the converse in that the warfare described is spiritual in nature and is performed by the divine warrior in defense of His church. His tactics appear to be backwards in that success is achieved through His apparent failure/death.
The next essay is “Vengeance, Wrath and Warfare as Images of Divine Justice in John’s Apocalypse,” written by Alan Brandy. Without question, the book of Revelation is the most violent book in the New Testament. But does it give the church license to engage in “holy war”? The question should be answered in the negative. This book, understood in its original context, tells of God acting as a divine warrior waging war against the oppressive Roman Empire. This war is a matter of justice and reminds readers that God will always fight on behalf of His people and be ultimately victorious.
Section four shifts gears by asking readers to consider the issue through a theological lens. “Compassion and Wrath as Motivations for Divine Warfare” by David Lamb attempts to prove a pattern that God displays in the book of Exodus. God’s wrath is not arbitrary but is an act of compassion for those who suffer gross injustice. Douglas S. Earl contributes another essay called “Holy War and חרם: A Biblical Theology of חרם.” Here he argues that the war tradition known as “the ban” (herem) should be interpreted symbolically rather than literally in the tradition shaped by Origen.
Section five is the largest section in the volume. It begins with Daniel Heimbach’s essay, “Crusade in the Old Testament and Today,” and tackles whether the church is at liberty to engage in “holy war” today. Paul Copan and Matthew Flannagan team up to write “The Ethics of ‘Holy War’ for Christian Morality and Theology.” Here they address the argument posed by atheist thinker, Raymond Bradley, who contends that Principle P1 (“It is morally wrong to deliberately and mercilessly slaughter men, women, and children who are innocent of any serious wrongdoing”) is contradictory to other truths to which Christian theists are committed.
“The Prophets’ Call for Peacemaking Practices” is Glen Harold Stassen’s attempt to challenge Christian’s idolatrous commitment to military and embrace peacemaking practices as found in the Prophetic writings. In “‘Holy War,’ Divine Action and the New Atheism,” Robert Stewart dismisses the objections posed by the New Atheists because they are simplistic and ill-developed. He does, however, acknowledge that problematic Old Testament passages are a challenge that needs to be addressed. Stewart then describes four different positions amongst theists (“broad” theism, classical theism, non-inerrantist Christian, and inerrantist Christian), and explains how each one would respond to the challenge.
Murray Rae begins the final section with his essay “The Unholy Notion of ‘Holy War’: A Christian Critique” in which he wages war, so to speak, against the just-war theory and hopes that readers would rather accept Christian pacifism. In the final essay, “‘Holy War’ and the New Atheism: A Theological Response,” Stephen Williams suggests that the New Atheists grossly misunderstand Christianity due to their fixation on “holy war” rather than on the God behind them. In the book’s afterword, “Old Testament “Holy War” and Christianity Morality: Where Do We Go From Here?” Jeremy Evans and Heath Thomas conclude with a gentle reminder to Christians about the importance of proper biblical hermeneutics when developing our own moral framework.
Critique & Recommendation
My sole grievance against HWITB is minor, but I would recommend that the editors provide instructions on how the volume should be read. I fear that many readers will be tempted to study these essays out of order. In my experience collaborated essays are somewhat independent from each other. While they may be writing within the same theme, they often do not give evidence that their particular essay is dependent on another essay. That is not the case with this book. A singular argument is being fleshed-out, and each author appears to be following on the heels of the preceding author. It would be, therefore, unwise to read them out of order for doing so would result in confusion.
Other than that slight grievance, I wholeheartedly endorse the book and recommend it to be read by pastors, seminarians, and lay leaders alike. This is an issue that should not be ignored. My highest praise for book is that it places the ball in the New Atheists’ court. They cannot press their argument anymore without first addressing HWITB. My hope is that they will read its contents with an open mind and avoid simplifying such a complex subject.
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About the Author: Seth Miller is the pastor of Sulphur Springs Baptist Church in Warrenton, NC and has served the church since 2006. He has a degree in Pastoral Ministry (B.A.) from Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, KY and a graduate degree in Christian Studies (M.A.) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. His theological interests include Classical Arminianism and Postmillennialism. When he isn’t working, he spoils himself spending time in the arms of his beautiful wife, engaging in imaginative play with his three children, and immersing himself in the latest Star Wars novel.
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