Divine Presence amid Violence: Contextualizing the Book of Joshua

by Walter Brueggemann

"To pursue the matter of "revelation in context," I will address an exceedingly difficult text in the Old Testament, Joshua 11. The reason for taking up this text is to deal with the often asked and troublesome What shall we do with all the violence and bloody war that is done in the Old Testament in the name of Yahweh? The question reflects a sense that these texts of violence are at least an embarrassment, are morally repulsive, and are theologically problematic in the Bible, not because they are violent, but because this is violence either in the name of or at the hand of Yahweh." -from chapter 2

Genres: Old Testament, Theology, Biblical Studies, Faith

94 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Walter Brueggemann was an American Christian scholar and theologian who is widely considered an influential Old Testament scholar. His work often focused on the Hebrew prophetic tradition and the sociopolitical imagination of the Church. He argued that the Church must provide a counter-narrative to the dominant forces of consumerism, militarism, and nationalism.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet. A little repetitive, but an interesting argument about reconciling modern Christian ideas of non-violence with Old Testament depictions of God-sanctioned violence.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick little bit that gives insight into the violence that so often disturbs me in the Old Testament, especially when “demanded” by God. The biggest takeaway for me out of this book is that Yahwe is a true Exodus God. He wants to liberate the poor and less powerful from the empires of the all-powerful. If I understand Brueggemann correctly, he contends that sometimes violence is called for in order to follow through on God’s calling of liberation. An interesting insight that I need to move through my pacifist heart.

[Tim Cruickshank · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and interesting approach to violence in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly Joshua 11. I didn't find Brueggemann's conclusion wholly satisfying, as he seems to have been a bit elusive with facing the fullness of violence in the OT. It seems a bit simplistic to argue that all of the God-permitted violence carried out by Israel fits into a oppressed rising up against the oppressor paradigm.

[Will Lawrence · Rating 1 out of 5]

Truly one of the worst books I’ve read, so much waffling and taking forever to say a claim, that isn’t lent from the drawn out formulation of the claim. It feels like if Jordan Peterson was a book. I don’t even know how much I disagree with the claim, because it so was so hard to find the claim. I don’t think I’ve ever read such a pointless book

[DAVID C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brueggeman

Context, context, context. This short book will turn your understanding of OT violence upside down. Modern Evangelicalism needs to hear this a repent of its support of empire.

[Nick Bersin · Rating 4 out of 5]

helpful reading, needs more giants

[cindy]

Read chapters 2-5 for Joshua and Genocide.

[Drick · Rating 2 out of 5]

march 2011

Walter Brueggemann, an eminent Old Testament scholar, takes on the difficult challenge of addressing the violence in the OT that seems to come from a mandate from God. Specifically, Brueggemann addresses Joshua 11 in this little book, a chapter where Israel completely slaughters its enemy. Brueggemann tries to construe this as a reaction of an oppressed people (Israel) against an oppressor (the Canaanite tribes). Its a stretch, and is not convincing. I expected better.

September 2012

Having re-read this book in a slower, more meditative way, I appreciate the fact that Brueggemann seeks to show that even in the use of violence, God chooses the unique route of enabling weakness to triumph over strength. However, the major frustration I have is that he does not address the ways in which the violence of God appears throughout the historical books of the OT and how the theme of divine violence has been exploited in ways that Brueggemann believes were never intended

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

By concentrating on a materialist reading of Joshua, Brueggemann consistently ignores the literary instances of divine intervention on the field of battle, something which conflicts with his thesis of a 'Divine Permit' for violence. He often makes statements that are not readily proved, and handwaves them by saying "upon a close reading of the text..." Post-modernist and edgy, but not necessarily believable.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utilizing both a materialist and literary reading of the the text, Brueggemann explores one of the bloodiest chapters of the bible, Joshua 11. Some of the questions he considers: How are these texts of violence to be understood as revelation? What is it that is disclosed? How shall this disclosure be received as serious, authoritative, and binding as the only rule for life and faith?

[Charlotte Gunther · Rating 3 out of 5]

A scholar using the scholar's language, written for scholars. And yet in the end the author draws a clear picture of what the Bible means by horses and chariots and how Y-H-V-H has had and will have unspecified, yet undeniable superiority over them.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best treatment I've come across of troublesome texts that seem to depict (or do depict) violence done with the authorization of God.

[Brad Epp · Rating 3 out of 5]

“There are no innocent interpretations of Scripture.”
Brueggemann explains how violence and revelation might coexist