15. Deconstructing Genocide in the Old Testament

Deconstructing the Myth

Some would consider accounts of genocide in the Old Testament to be the greatest hurdle to the Bible’s (and Christianity’s) validity. It raises big theological questions about Biblical inerrancy, the character of God, and the morality of mass killings. But has the key to correctly interpreting these passages been lost due to our misunderstanding of ancient literary and journalistic conventions? Or do these violent passages truly reveal a vindictive, blood thirsty god no different than the “gods” of Israel’s surrounding ancient civilizations? Join us, Liz Mall (Biola M.A. in Christian Apologetics) and historian Jenny White (Harvard M.A. in Museum Studies) as we begin to deconstruct Deuteronomy 7:1-6 together by asking the tough questions and providing resources to get you started on your own journey of digging below the surface of the Bible’s toughest passages. For today’s paper reference and access our sources, check out: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EOwc6PQ4-PRCinjY1Gs9HP2w4qQwIsYuDeDnRMXxy_s/edit?usp=sharing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EOwc6PQ4-PRCinjY1Gs9HP2w4qQwIsYuDeDnRMXxy_s/edit?usp=sharing