Most studies on violence in the Hebrew Bible focus on the question of how modern readers should approach the problem. But they fail to ask how the Hebrew Bible thinks about that problem in the first place. In this work, Matthew J. Lynch examines four key ways that writers of the Hebrew Bible conceptualize and critique acts of violence: violence as an ecological problem; violence as a moral problem; violence as a judicial problem; violence as a purity problem. These four 'grammars of violence' help us interpret crucial biblical texts where violence plays a lead role, like Genesis 4-9. Lynch's volume also offers readers ways to examine cultural continuity and the distinctiveness of biblical conceptions of violence.
‘Lynch’s work allows readers to think deeply about the implications of violence and its effects in biblical times. Thus, I am pleased to recommend Lynch’s book to those interested in the topic.’
Luis A. Quinones-Roman Source: Journal of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity
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