The Problem of War in the Old Testament [Paperback]

Mr. Peter C. Craigie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 1979

The predominance of war in the Old Testament troubles many Christians. However it is an issue that must be faced, says Peter C. Craigie, because it has serious ramifications for contemporary Christian attitudes about war. Craigie categorizes the problems into two kinds — personal and external. The personal problems arise from the Christian's attempt to grapple with the emphasis on war in a book fundamental to faith. Three areas are considered here: the representation of God as warrior; God's revelation of himself in a book which preserves an extensive amount of war literature; and the seemingly conflicting ethics taught in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The external problems are critiques against the Bible and the Christian faith, based on the war-like nature of the Old Testament and the close association between Christianity and war throughout history. Only by examining and understanding the problem of war in the Old Testament will Christians be able to respond intelligently to attacks on their faith, to educate their youth in the nature of war, and to influence modern attitudes toward war.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

(1938-1985) He was educated at the universities of Edinburgh, Durham, and Aberdeen and holds the Ph.D. from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He was academic vice president and professor of religious studies at the University of Calgary in Alberta.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 5, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802817424
• ISBN-13: 978-0802817426
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #399,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find a Copy!, April 18, 2002

By 

rodboomboom (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Problem of War in the Old Testament (Paperback)

This is a treasure. It helps one sort out one of the oft-quoted critiques of the OT: "It's violent, whereas the NT is love. There is all that war and God telling His people Israel to wage war and take actual, physical lives.

Craigie aptly and ably shows the theme throughout the Scriptures of Yahweh Sabaoth, the Ultimate Warrior, and the carryover to the new.

There are just outstanding conclusions here, e.g. "War is a large-scale manifestation of the nature of man." "God has participated in warfare towards the ends of both judgment and redemption."

Gems to be gleaned from this work, some of which may also be found in his commentary on Deuteronomy.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Broad Perspective on a Tough Issue, November 10, 2008

By 

Kyle Demming "skepticalchristian.com" (Freeland, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Problem of War in the Old Testament (Paperback)

Peter Craigie confronts the reality of God's involvement in warfare, particularly as revealed in the Old Testament, in this brief book. He does not attempt to soften the blow of some of the harsher passages found in Scripture, but rather attempts to develop a theology of warfare that helps us understand the record of the Old Testament.

Craigie identifies three problems created by the war material in the Old Testament, including;

1. The Problem of God: the theological problem of reconciling God as Warrior with a God of love.
2. The Problem of Revelation: understanding why all of this war material was recorded in Scripture.
3. The Problem of Ethics: reconciling the ethics of the Bible.

Craigie argues that the primary affirmation concerning God found in the Old Testament is that, despite His transcendence, the living experience of the immanent God is to be found within the fabric of human history. God works through history, and thus He works through sinful humans. This entails that God's activity in the world must be associated with sinfulness. As the ultimate sovereign of human history, God will necessarily have some kind of relationship to war.

The existence and survival of states in the ancient world, Craigie points out, depended upon military might. Even treaties for peace between nations required the presence of military might to reinforce the contract. Even if Israel chose to never engage in proactive war, the nation would inevitably face war initiated from neighboring states and enemies.

Craigie challenges the so-called "Just War Theory," which was advocated by the Church Fathers Ambrose and Augustine and which finds many contemporary proponents. According to this theory, war must be governed according to certain rules. Craigie contends that, to the contrary, real war is not a game played by rules. If war is to be waged at all, it must be done thoroughly. Rather than romanticize warfare or gloss over the horrors, the Old Testament realistically pictures warfare as it really is- brutal, inhumane, and tragic.

The Problem of God can start to be answered when we realize that God is a warrior because men wage wars. Since God works through men, He is intimately and inevitably involved in history. The Problem of Revelation can be addressed when we interpret the Old Testament as a whole- not just the conquest narratives, but also the defeat narratives. Craigie identifies two themes emerging from this broad material; 1.) man and the state are alike, and 2.) God's purpose for the redemption of all mankind was to be realized through the Kingdom. While the Old Kingdom of the OT was established by the use of violence, the New Kingdom ushered in by Jesus Christ is established by the receipt of violence, when God the Warrior became the Crucified God.

When dealing with the Problem of Ethics, Craigie advocates a `dual-citizenship model. Christians are citizens of the Kingdom of God, where there is no violence, but they are also citizens of the state, where violence is a necessity. Real problems arise when we mix or confuse the two citizenships.

Peter Craigie's attempt to address the warfare material of the Old Testament is bold and realistic. However, his analysis is rather brief and many of his points could benefit from more justification. Craigie also seems to overlook the fact that, regardless of the truth of Just War Theory, there are certain warfare behaviors that a loving and righteous God should never support or command. For example, it would presumably be wrong for God to advocate that enemies be killed in tortuous ways rather than quickly in order to inspire fear in enemies. Such brutality may be advantageous from a purely warfare perspective, but very troubling from an ethical standpoint.

Nevertheless, for those troubled by the problem of war in the Old Testament, Craigie's analysis should prove helpful. I think his point about the inevitability of warfare, especially in the ancient world, is particularly important. It may be rather naive to suppose that Israel could have survived as a nation without engaging in conquest warfare. Nevertheless, the Biblical testimony also reveals that these conquest wars were used as a form of judgment against the nations conquered. Even though he does not answer all of the tough questions about war in the Old Testament, Craigie's work serves as important foundational material that may help us develop a more credible perspective on this issue.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow and inconclusive - but still worth the read, September 24, 2006

By 

Darrell S. Swanigan "Scott" (Oswego, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Problem of War in the Old Testament (Paperback)

Craigie does well to articulate the various aspects of the problem of war. Unfortunately, he consumes too many pages doing so. Expect a drawn out and slow read throughout the first half of the book. Moreover, readers expecting to be handed an answer will be disappointed. In the end Craigie is inconclusive by his own admission.

Now the good news: There are genuine jewels of insight along the way. Scattered amidst the author's many reflections, these nuggets are more a primer to further thought than direct answers to the problem at hand. Regardless, Craigie is a good supplement for the careful thinker struggling with this issue.

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