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الإله الغامض: العنف والجنس في قصص العهد القديم
هل ترى إله العهد القديم إلها قبليا دمويا؟
هل تصدمك قصص العنف والإبادة الجماعية والذبائح البشرية في العهد القديم؟
هل تشعر بتناقض بين إله العهد القديم وتعاليم المسيح في العهد الجديد؟
نعم الأمر يحتاج لقراءة مختلفة والتعرف على نظريات تفسير النص بل ونقده لبحث هذه القضية من جوانب متعددة للوصول إلى رؤية شاملة.
ونحن إذ نضع بين يديك هذا الكتاب نصلي أن يجعله الله بداية لرحلة بحث وتعمق. هدفها الوصول لتفسيرات منطقية لا تتناقض مع العقل الذي وهبه الله لنا.
هل تصدمك قصص العنف والإبادة الجماعية والذبائح البشرية في العهد القديم؟
هل تشعر بتناقض بين إله العهد القديم وتعاليم المسيح في العهد الجديد؟
نعم الأمر يحتاج لقراءة مختلفة والتعرف على نظريات تفسير النص بل ونقده لبحث هذه القضية من جوانب متعددة للوصول إلى رؤية شاملة.
ونحن إذ نضع بين يديك هذا الكتاب نصلي أن يجعله الله بداية لرحلة بحث وتعمق. هدفها الوصول لتفسيرات منطقية لا تتناقض مع العقل الذي وهبه الله لنا.
144 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 1996
7 people are currently reading
208 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Römer
110 books14 followersThomas Römer is Professor of the Hebrew Bible at the Collège de France and Professor at the University of Lausanne.
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 21, 2016
كتاب سيئ، استفاض الكاتب في شرح المشكلة في عدة فصول، ولم يستطع أن يجيب علي المشكلة المطروحة، ولم يحاول حتى أن يوضح هذا الغموض. كما أن ما طرحه الكاتب من اعتراضات رغم الاستفاضة في شرحها ليس بجديد، بل هي نفس الاعتراضات المستهلكة، حيث لم يكلف نفسه عناء النظر لها من زوايا متعددة أو جديدة. ما يعيب الكتاب أيضاً تكرار الفكرة بشكل مبالغ فيه، مما يصيب القارئ بالملل الشديد. ويعيبه أيضاً اعتماده علي محطوطات قمران كوثائق تاريخية يمكن الاستدلال بها تاريخيا. أماعلي المستوي التنسيقي، فقد جانب الكاتب الصواب، فنراه يتطرق لمواضيع جانبية يستفيض فيها لا تمت لموضوع الكتاب بصلة، مثل حديثة عن مُسَمّي "يهوه"! و المساحة المهولة التي خصصها لمعضلة تذكير وتأنيث الاله! وعن علاقة يهوه بالسارية (الهة)! وغيرها من المواضيع الجانبية التي خصص لها فصولاً كاملة دون اي فائدة للفكرة المطروحة أو ربط بموضوع الكتاب ! مما يدل ان الكتاب "حشوي" لا "بحثي" ... لا ينصح بقراءته.
September 7, 2023
(First, I am aware that this is a long review. But there are very few reviews that were any help at all when I was trying to make my choice to purchase this book. Perhaps I can be of help to someone else years from now with my non-scholarly review, or your thoughts may be reflected here.)
Dark God: Cruelty, Sex, and Violence in the Old Testament is a short (146 pgs.) paperback book that packs a wallop in trying to help people understand the themes of violence and revenge as well as patriarchy that is found in so many places in the Old Testament. This is my 2nd book by biblical scholar Thomas Römer. I have been spending the last several months educating myself by reading books on the scholarly history of the Old Testament and the ancient world that surrounded the area with various names such as the Levant, Palestine, or Canaan. I am not interested in hearing history from the devout (up until the 1970s whatever archeological finds arose were forced to fit the narrative of the believers)- not to mention that I have my own interpretations and beliefs that are still in the minority. I wanted to learn about what was going on in the ancient Fertile Crescent that allowed and brought forth this particular monotheism which took over most of the world.
Römer's other book that I read, The Invention of God, was published in 2015, and Dark God was published in 2009, with the English translation out in 2013. For me, I felt as though I were reading the works of two different authors. In TIOG, Römer maintains an image of the intellectual, the professor, the historical scholar that he is - and I have great respect for what I read of him on his Wikipedia page. He has a love of the Old Testament that shines through his work and he knows Biblical Hebrew as well as Ugaritic text which brings a depth to his work. I felt in reading The Invention of God that I was listening to a neutral voice. But Dark God sounds more like a true believer, the Christian Minister that he early on was going to become. Although the note I wrote in the book margins, before learning he was to be a minister I wrote, "he sounds like a Rabbi" because of his obvious love for the Old Testament and the approach of trying to see the words in a new and acceptable light.
Römer writes in the Preface that this is not the work of an apologist, yet throughout this short book that is exactly how I interpreted his comments. But this opinion of mine comes in a two part critique. First any reader will understand why he took the subject matter, with chapters such as Is God Male? Is God Cruel, Is God a Warlike Despot?, Is God Violent and Vengeful? etc. on as his topic. Here are his words: "At a time when fundamentalist religious ideas, whether they rely on the Bible or the Koran, are becoming more alarmingly widespread, it is impossible to ignore texts that present God as violating human rights or perpetrating ethnic cleansing. I have tried to show that.......it is theologically inadmissible to use these texts indiscriminately, whatever the reason." Römer, I do believe, is also very concerned over the growing anti-semitism, as though the Ancient Judeans and Israelites were not responding to the cultural, societal and violence that arose out of constant kingdom/empire building throughout the Fertile Crescent during the Bronze Age and especially the Iron Ages although for the Jews the diaspora continued through to the Roman Era and beyond.
But although I thought he made some excellent arguments and rebuttals to the incredibly mean, violent, retributive words, actions and deeds reported in the O.T. from both god and man, along with the misogyny deeply embedded in the patriarchal world (then as now), Römer consistently talked to his audience as though each of us is a believer in this god of both the Old and New Testaments. (Römer didn't spend a lot of time on the New Testament but he did address a few of its faults in the way of its own violent rhetoric.). Römer's voice was like any of the Ministers and Rabbis of liberal theological colleges who can tell you directly that humans wrote the Bible, edited and changed the Bible, writing in some cases centuries after the fact. But then he would speak of this developed-god-over-time as though of course "he" is real and of course we should believe in this god despite the evidence to the contrary.
Römer brushed aside feminist arguments towards the Bible, as though because biblical authors used terms like womb, or breast and spoke of God in these maternal tones that this is somehow proof that this God has a feminine side. In "A History of the Breast" by Marilyn Yalom, I am in agreement as she addresses just this type of misogyny in our culture that started in the times of early Christian development, as the female body was a threat to spiritual development. But it isn't just the New Testament it's also found in the denigration of Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament. This story too was taken out of context in order to place blame on a female for bringing a false god into the land of Israel.
Another point is that Römer made a comment about "non-believers" in the context of calling out Gods name as in "why did this (bad thing) happen to me?" when for all of us it is virtually impossible to escape the language of the monotheistic religions. Atheist or agnostic this world is inescapable.
I really did add to my knowledge of history by reading this book and Römer's attempts to overcome the fanaticism and evangelicalism of our present era is necessary and personally appreciated. I think that my final summation is that if you are practicing and believing in the god of the Old Testament then you will feel like Römer is talking directly and with respect to you. All readers will be given food for thought. For me, I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a Sunday School Bible Study. His work here is a reminder that when modern people try to read ancient history and judge by the ancient's behaviors that we must always first remember the historical background. For me it reiterates the incredible danger when politics goes to bed with religion. I definitely and highly recommend this book to all seekers everywhere, regardless of what it is you seek.
Dark God: Cruelty, Sex, and Violence in the Old Testament is a short (146 pgs.) paperback book that packs a wallop in trying to help people understand the themes of violence and revenge as well as patriarchy that is found in so many places in the Old Testament. This is my 2nd book by biblical scholar Thomas Römer. I have been spending the last several months educating myself by reading books on the scholarly history of the Old Testament and the ancient world that surrounded the area with various names such as the Levant, Palestine, or Canaan. I am not interested in hearing history from the devout (up until the 1970s whatever archeological finds arose were forced to fit the narrative of the believers)- not to mention that I have my own interpretations and beliefs that are still in the minority. I wanted to learn about what was going on in the ancient Fertile Crescent that allowed and brought forth this particular monotheism which took over most of the world.
Römer's other book that I read, The Invention of God, was published in 2015, and Dark God was published in 2009, with the English translation out in 2013. For me, I felt as though I were reading the works of two different authors. In TIOG, Römer maintains an image of the intellectual, the professor, the historical scholar that he is - and I have great respect for what I read of him on his Wikipedia page. He has a love of the Old Testament that shines through his work and he knows Biblical Hebrew as well as Ugaritic text which brings a depth to his work. I felt in reading The Invention of God that I was listening to a neutral voice. But Dark God sounds more like a true believer, the Christian Minister that he early on was going to become. Although the note I wrote in the book margins, before learning he was to be a minister I wrote, "he sounds like a Rabbi" because of his obvious love for the Old Testament and the approach of trying to see the words in a new and acceptable light.
Römer writes in the Preface that this is not the work of an apologist, yet throughout this short book that is exactly how I interpreted his comments. But this opinion of mine comes in a two part critique. First any reader will understand why he took the subject matter, with chapters such as Is God Male? Is God Cruel, Is God a Warlike Despot?, Is God Violent and Vengeful? etc. on as his topic. Here are his words: "At a time when fundamentalist religious ideas, whether they rely on the Bible or the Koran, are becoming more alarmingly widespread, it is impossible to ignore texts that present God as violating human rights or perpetrating ethnic cleansing. I have tried to show that.......it is theologically inadmissible to use these texts indiscriminately, whatever the reason." Römer, I do believe, is also very concerned over the growing anti-semitism, as though the Ancient Judeans and Israelites were not responding to the cultural, societal and violence that arose out of constant kingdom/empire building throughout the Fertile Crescent during the Bronze Age and especially the Iron Ages although for the Jews the diaspora continued through to the Roman Era and beyond.
But although I thought he made some excellent arguments and rebuttals to the incredibly mean, violent, retributive words, actions and deeds reported in the O.T. from both god and man, along with the misogyny deeply embedded in the patriarchal world (then as now), Römer consistently talked to his audience as though each of us is a believer in this god of both the Old and New Testaments. (Römer didn't spend a lot of time on the New Testament but he did address a few of its faults in the way of its own violent rhetoric.). Römer's voice was like any of the Ministers and Rabbis of liberal theological colleges who can tell you directly that humans wrote the Bible, edited and changed the Bible, writing in some cases centuries after the fact. But then he would speak of this developed-god-over-time as though of course "he" is real and of course we should believe in this god despite the evidence to the contrary.
Römer brushed aside feminist arguments towards the Bible, as though because biblical authors used terms like womb, or breast and spoke of God in these maternal tones that this is somehow proof that this God has a feminine side. In "A History of the Breast" by Marilyn Yalom, I am in agreement as she addresses just this type of misogyny in our culture that started in the times of early Christian development, as the female body was a threat to spiritual development. But it isn't just the New Testament it's also found in the denigration of Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament. This story too was taken out of context in order to place blame on a female for bringing a false god into the land of Israel.
Another point is that Römer made a comment about "non-believers" in the context of calling out Gods name as in "why did this (bad thing) happen to me?" when for all of us it is virtually impossible to escape the language of the monotheistic religions. Atheist or agnostic this world is inescapable.
I really did add to my knowledge of history by reading this book and Römer's attempts to overcome the fanaticism and evangelicalism of our present era is necessary and personally appreciated. I think that my final summation is that if you are practicing and believing in the god of the Old Testament then you will feel like Römer is talking directly and with respect to you. All readers will be given food for thought. For me, I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a Sunday School Bible Study. His work here is a reminder that when modern people try to read ancient history and judge by the ancient's behaviors that we must always first remember the historical background. For me it reiterates the incredible danger when politics goes to bed with religion. I definitely and highly recommend this book to all seekers everywhere, regardless of what it is you seek.
February 17, 2025
This read really surprised me. In the end I think it deserved five stars because of Römer’s ability to introduce historical critical explanations of violent texts in a way that is encouraging rather than discouraging.
This book doesn’t deal with all issues that the Hebrew Bible raises for readers, but it is a helpful and concise entry point.
This book doesn’t deal with all issues that the Hebrew Bible raises for readers, but it is a helpful and concise entry point.
July 25, 2023
A different way to explore the Hebraic Bible or OT as Christianity know it. The God of the OT and NT is the same but The written on the Bible turned it into A totally different because of theirs owns interest.
November 1, 2017
Great overview of the God of the Old Testament.
February 6, 2019
شيء محزن ..
حجم المأساة والخرافات واللامعقولية التي يعيش فيها الكثير من البشر .
حجم المأساة والخرافات واللامعقولية التي يعيش فيها الكثير من البشر .
January 14, 2023
لا افهم مدى الفائدة من كتاب يطرح الاسئلة بدون اجابات؟! يوجد ما هو افضل للرد على هذه التساؤلات ولكن هذا الكتاب ليس واحدا منهم
December 22, 2022
A brief yet well-balanced study of apparent contradictions between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New. Romer shows how the cultural setting of Judaism during the six centuries of the Hebrew Bible's writing accounts for many of its puzzling accounts of how God dealt with humanity. However, he avoids implying that Scripture is simply a record of humanity's evolving understanding of God. Romer continually reminds us that God "has not finished questioning us, astonishing us, and calling into question our too-well-established theological ideas" (146).
October 16, 2014
Jednoducho výborná :)
February 28, 2016
استفاض الكاتب في شرح مشاكل العهد القديم ويهوه دون الاستفاضه في شرح التفسير والشرح المناسب لمن هو اله العهد القديم
March 3, 2020
Un très, très bon livre de sciences bibliques, et un essai porté de main de maître par le génial Thomas Römer, professeur au Collège de France ! Un incontournable pour tous les croyants !0
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews