The Immoral Bible - by Eryl W Davies (Hardcover)

About the Book

Discussesthe ethically problematic passages of the Hebrew Bible andthe way scholars have addressed aspects of the biblegenerally regarded as offensive and unacceptable. >

Book Synopsis

Eryl W. Davies discusses the ethically problematic passages of the Hebrew Bible and the way scholars have addressed aspects of the bible generally regarded as offensive and unacceptable.

Review Quotes

Dr Davies sets out clear and well argued chapters looking at the main reasons proposed which can explain why the Christian Church has retained the Old Testament (and difficult parts of the New) in its Bible, both for private and public reading. The freshness and special value of Dr Davies's contribution lies in considering these approaches overall and subjecting each of them to criticism and appraisal. Here the inquiring reader has a first-rate guidebook to the explanations which have been, and are being, explored to account for this situation. This is a book to read and think about and it shows clearly that, like all great world literature, the Bible should be read with intelligence and care. I rate this to be a 'must read' book for the serious student, not least for those who believe they have found a sufficient explanation for evident difficulties. It deals with ways or reading ancient texts and provides the inquirer with serious and accessible guidelines to a situation that matters greatly for the upholding of spiritual and moral values in our contemporary world.
goodbookstall.org.uk

Eryl Davies not only confronts one of the major moral problems presented by the Hebrew Bible but also offers a lucid analysis of the ways in which scholars have tried to deal with it. Clear-headed and refreshing, this book will be an ideal text-book for courses on biblical ethics.
The Catholic Herald

It is no secret that the Old Testament contains passages and sentiments that are morally problematic, and attention has been drawn to this fact by the recent activity of militant atheists. In this timely book Eryl Davies takes as a reference point the account of the slaughter of the Canaanites by Joshua, and shows how approaches such as cultural relativism and methods such as canonical criticism and reader-response criticism have treated the passage. The result is both an informative introduction to the use of the Bible as well as to the methods that determine its modern study.
Church Times

About the Author

Dr Eryl W Davies is a Reader in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at Bangor University. His previous publications include Prophecy and Ethics: Isaiah and the Ethical Traditions of Israel (1981); a commentary on Numbers in the New Century Bible Commentary Series, and The Dissenting Reader: Feminist Approaches to the Hebrew Bible (2003)