God Is a Man of War

The Problem of Violence in the Old Testament

By: Stephen De Young

Narrated by: Stephen De Young

Infanticide. Holy war. Divine wrath. Violence in the Old Testament has long been a stumbling block for Christians and skeptics alike. Yet, conventional efforts to understand this violence - whether by downplaying it as allegory or a relic of primitive cultures, or by dismissing the authority of Scripture altogether - tend to raise more questions than they answer.

God Is a Man of War offers a fresh interpretation of Old Testament accounts of violence, by exploring them through the twofold lens of Orthodox tradition and historical context. Father Stephen De Young examines what these difficult passages reveal about the nature of Christ and His creation, bearing witness to a world filled not only with pain and suffering - often of human making - but also with the love of God.

©2021 Stephen De Young (P)2021 Stephen De Young

The Insights, and history

I liked the footnotes, and the references to real historical events and culture. I think it could have been better if it was longer to go in more detail, but ft De Young went deep into all the “bad” verses.

great intellectual presentation

the topics presented in this book need to be discussed more frequently. I think some people struggle to think outside of particular western paradigms of scholarship and need this type of presentation to challenge their contemporary presumptions. I appreciate the reminders in the book that these were communities of people with similar social, political, and personal issues and ideas and language morphology must consider these things in context to these.

Solid answers and explanations

Delves into difficulties in our understanding of scripture and provides clear context for passages that confuse modern readers

Why does God seem to do bad Things?

If you’ve ever asked this question in relation to the Old Testament of the Christian or Jewish scriptures, Fr. Stephan has some answers. Well researched, footnoted and organized, you will hear the spiritual and historical background behind several of the Bible’s most difficult and violent episodes. Highly recommended.

Amazing book, a must read for Christians

This book answered so many confusing and seemingly controversial/contradictory passages in the old testament. it demonstrates that correct translation and correct interpretation are essential to know who God is and what He does.