Paul copan addresses moral objections to the old testament, including charges of genocide in relation to the canaanite conquest and what the bible has to say about slavery. The maneating predator in the jungles of history and the mind by david quammen 516pp, hutchinson. Understanding judaism and comparing it to other religions, philosophies, and disciplines by aaron minsky. When i attended the society of biblical literature annual meeting in atlanta nov 2010 i picked up a copy of paul copans is god a moral monster. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament. Is god a moral monster download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god ebook written by paul copan. But within faith in the risen lord jesus christ and him being the fulfillment of the law and the revelation of god s character in light of that law, it is a very powerful and. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. God condemns pride and praises humility, but the charge is that he himself seems to exhibit pride to an outrageous degree. Renowned new atheist richard dawkins claims, the god of the old testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction. Is god a moral monster, committing or condoning genocide as some have interpreted from this text. Copan takes the time to explain many of the old testaments seemingly inexplicable and tedious laws.
A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer. Making sense of the old testament god grand rapids. This is a necessary step, before we can begin to move forward constructively, as a people who hope in god. In this timely and readable book, apologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our. You mention the new atheists critique that god is a pathetic egomaniac who needs human beings to worship him. Notice how atheists who believe in real right and wrong make a massive intellectual leap of faith. The new atheists dawkins, dennett, harris, hitchens level arguments against old testament morality as primitive and barbaric, presumably undercutting belief in the biblical god yahweh. Buy is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god 1st edition by copan, paul isbn. Introduction one of the most strident charges of the new atheists is that the depiction of god in the old testament makes him out to be an immoral, bloodthirsty, horrible, petty and provincial deity. In this timely and readable book, apologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. The book is good enough that i am leaning toward including it in the future as one of the four textbooks in the seminary apologetics course i teach and that, dear reader, is high praise indeed. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly god is guilty of ethnic cleansing god oppresses women god endorses slavery christianity causes violence and more copan not only answers god s critics, he also shows how to read both the old and new testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving god in both.
Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god book book details. In fact, god himself destroyed the city of sodom and gomorrah and brought judgment through a flood. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god. Post jobs, find pros, and collaborate commissionfree in our professional marketplace. Making sense of the old testament god ebook written by paul copan. Moral standards require the existence of a good god when atheists attack the morality of the bible, it is important to ask where their standard for right and wrong comes from. God is arrogant and jealousgod punishes people too harshlygod is guilty of ethnic cleansinggod oppresses womengod endorses slaverychristianity causes violenceand morecopan not. In chapter 6, he argues that the old testament law doesnt represent god s ideal but is rather a step in the redemptive movement of scripture.
Paul copans is god a moral monster is a really great book for clearing up a lot of questions and misunderstandings that one can have when trying to dive head first into understanding god. Now, it is selfevident that if he knows all things beforehand, he either approves of them or does not approve of them. Paul copan would argue for the former, and does so compellingly in his latest book, is god a moral monster. Having fallen from a creational ideal, we cannot move quickly back, but instead are guided by god on a journey toward recovering that ideal. Is the god of the old testament nothing but a bully, a murderer, and an oppressor. What makes my jaw drop is that people today should base their lives on such an appalling role model as yahweh and even worse, that they should bossily try to force the same evil monster whether fact or fiction on the rest of us. In this timely and readable book, entitled is god a moral monsterapologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. Jesus himself, a moral example whom many regard as the paradigm of virtue, is in agreement with the judgment of god on sodom and gomorrah and warns chorazin. It will awaken your vision of god in wonderful ways. Jan 01, 2011 in this timely and readable book, apologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want.
Making sense of the old testament god 1st edition by copan, paul isbn. Download pdf is god a moral monster book pdf free online. This means that the bible, which is god s story, from the very beginning is moving from a perfect creation that, through sin and disobedience, fell and needed a redeemer. However, opans analysis and explanation of gods actions is stellar. Apologist paul copan takes up his pen to this challenge in his book is god a moral monster. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly god is guilty of ethnic cleansing.
Paul copan, is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god old testament ethics is one hot topic, and it creates all kinds of reactions from bewilderment and confusion to anger and outpourings of hostility. Paul copan takes on neoatheists claims of a petty, malicious old testament god. And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of god portrayed in the two. Copan wrote the book because he saw a vital need in the christian community, which is often perplexed and sometimes immobilized bydifficult old testament texts. But lets tackle some of the leading themes of your book. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god 9780801072758 by copan, paul and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. In the end, copans book only appeals to christians who are worried the about possibility that their god might be a moral monster. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. They believe that somehow moral facts were eternally part of the furniture of reality but that from impersonal and valueless slime, human persons possessing rights, dignity, worth, and duties were eventually produced.
He suggests that the book is to educate nonbelievers and believers alike, to teach them things that they have not bothered to learn. Introduction the god of the bible is a good god who demonstrates his love for people by giving his son for the salvation of those who believe john 3. These laws constitute the middle of the story and are not the ideal but were necessary to move god s people toward their savior. However, opans analysis and explanation of god s actions is stellar. God as creator and author of life have every authority to do on his way.
Women have borne the brunt of patriarchal religions evils walker even argues cogently for religion as the root of. Because of israels embeddedness in the ancient near easts harsh, morallyproblematic social milieu, old testament legislation is in. In the eyes of some, it presents god as fearinspiring, violent and vengeful a sharp contrast to the love and. God is arrogant and jealous god punishes people too harshly god is guilty of ethnic cleansing god oppresses women god endorses slavery christianity causes violence copan not only answers the critics, he also shows how to.
However, we must remember that god sees things from an eternal perspective, and his ways are not our ways isaiah 55. These two chapters are a brief survey of the comments by the new atheists, about the old testament god. Is god a moral monster making sense of the old testament god audible audio edition. The last 2 chapters really deserve to be books in themselves, but of course one has to understand that the book itself was designed to focus on old testament ethics and god, rather than moral philosophy and modern political history. Is god a moral monster a profound discourse on theologically challenging issues in scripture in particular the old testament language and culture that provided clarity with respect to the issues of fallacy of presentism, the paradigm net that blindfolds the modern day atheists or skeptics who challenge the apparent and perceived contradictions. And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of god portrayed in the two testaments. The god of the bible is a good god who demonstrates his love for people by giving his son for the salvation of those who believe john 3. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read is god a moral monster. Were posting the full interview, which was featured in lees investigating faith email newsletter here at bible gateway, below. Download is god a moral monster book pdf ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub. He is the author or editor of many books on apologetics and philosophy. Yet the old testament presents creational moral ideals in genesis 12.
If there is a robust sense in which the cosmos belongs to god, then god s moral standing from the outset is. Whether you are currently wrestling with these questions, know people who are, or just want to be prepared for when they come up, dr. Oct 04, 2011 these are some of the issues raised by lee strobel in a recent interview with paul copan about copans recent book is god a moral monster. Nonbelievers have been known to accuse god of being hypocritical, selfish, arrogant, judgmental, hateful, and even homicidala moral monster. Walker responds with an emphatic no, citing extensive evidence of bible morality to produce todays christian god the monster. Christians believe that god himself is the standard. May 08, 20 the longest part of the book is part 3, and it is here chapter 6 where copan begins employing a moral trajectory hermeneutic. When a person rejects the god of the bible, he often chooses to label him as immoral. For people who see themselves as having a superior intellect and moral foundation to which god must answer, some of dr. In other words, any old testament evidence of this gods moral culpability must be explained away in light of the more loving and inclusive new testament passages.
Is god a moral monster by paul copan free audiobook. Jan 02, 2020 the first problem with any moral monster accusation against god is that it requires a standard of morality separate from god. Sometimes the real monster lies not so much in criticisms from without as in our own holding to. The subject of david quammens monster of god is the nowendangered status of the maneating, socalled alpha predators who, for centuries, threatened the status of humanity on the food chain. Jul 25, 2011 when my book proposal for god behaving badly went to publishers sept 2009 word came back that baker already had a book on a similar topic coming out which got my attention. The presentation of the book was nice with a decent sized front. Tv executives in the us are fond of saying that there are only three.
Monster of god by david quammen books the guardian. He opens his book with an introduction to the new atheists and then uses many of their charges aimed at god and the old testament as a rough outline for the remainder of the book. In this timely and readable book, entitled is god a moral monster apologist paul copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including. All that own the being of a god, own that he knows all things beforehand. Among the challenges facing the church today is the attack on the christian faith posed by. Making sense of the old testament god, is the best apologia i have read for the disturbing actions and characteristics of the god of the bible. Ive sensed the need for an accessible, lesslengthy book on this topic. Especially when trying to understanding old testament law. The conquest of canaan is arguably the most intractable ethical problem in the bible, and to date no solution has garnered a consensus, says john w.
Copan suggests that his book is a response to these comments. In other words, in order to say, god is morally wrong, one has to define morality in a way that justifies that claim. The idea is that we see incremental steps towards a moral ideal. Jan 16, 2015 the issue of commanding israelites to kill is difficult accept but not believe. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old. It brings together important material that is otherwise scattered and demonstrates how this material responds to a line of moral criticism that has, by and large, been neglected by christian philosophers until now. Click download or read online button to get is god a moral monster book now. Hilber, professor of old testament at grand rapids theological seminary. A recent string of popularlevel books written by the new atheists have leveled the accusation that the god of the old testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser.