A theological response to biblical violence

Abstract

The overwhelming number of violent texts within the Old Testament raises serious theological and ethical problems for those who read the Bible in search of spiritual devotion and ethical direction. This article aims to explore one of the most ethically challenging texts in this regard – the conquest narrative in Joshua 6-11. An interdisciplinary study is presented in which social identity theory, the concept of hybridity and the role of courage and fear within an ancient community are discussed. This response is largely based upon the work of Baumann (2006) who also urges contemporary scholars to not only engage with the violent images within the Old Testament but also to earnestly seek to understand the functioning thereof within its original Ancient Near Eastern context.