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Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses Paperback – November 6, 2012

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Philip Jenkins (Author)
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3.5 out of 5 stars 19 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: HarperOne; Reprint edition (November 6, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061990728
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061990724
  • Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.7 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsHistorical context is necessary
By Amazon Customer on December 22, 2011
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This book is quite eloquently written. At first it may seem that Jenkins is attacking Christianity, but he is not. In fact, he stands up in defense of Christianity several times in the book, especially against Evangelical Atheists who desire to rid the world of religion because they mistakenly believe that religion, and not humans themselves, contain all the negative aspects of culture and society.

But it's Jenkins' thesis that Christians need to understand their religious text in a historical sense that really hits home with me. Research has proven that madrasas (Islamic schools) actually prevent Muslims from becoming terrorists, and I believe that's because of the emphasis of WHY violent verses were revealed. Without the context of what was going on in Mecca/Medina, one is left with a narrative that can be twisted in order to fuel any hate-filled agenda.

And, indeed, the same issues exist in both Christianity and Judaism because this historical context is lacking. Jenkins is not asking for anyone to abandon Christianity or Judaism, nor is he suggesting that either religion is backwards. He is merely stating a simple yet eloquent observation, that without studying and understanding the context behind these verses which seem so foreign to the modern world, regular Christians have no way of stopping extremist Christians. There's no way of explaining to the next McVeigh or Breivik that their understanding of Biblical texts is skewed when the texts are no longer studied.

This book is for anyone who wants to go beyond understanding what extremists believe and wants to stop the cycle before more innocent people (of any faith, race, ethnicity, or nationality) are killed again.
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5.0 out of 5 starsI prefer memory to amnesia
By L. E. Schwenk on January 9, 2012
Format: Hardcover
This is a brave and important book. I wish all my students (Education for Ministry classes) would read it and have recommended it to them. Dr. Jenkins is absolutely right that we must not ignore the violence in scripture and we must take responsibility for how we read them. I wish he had addressed a few more sections, like imprecatory Psalm 109. I expect to lead classes on this book in my church.
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5.0 out of 5 starsPlease review the actual book
By Amazon Customer on April 26, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Wow, a lot of ignorance in the reviews on this one. Jenkins writes solidly and well about the verses in the Bible where God orders murder and genocide. Those verses were used by Oliver Cromwell, Southern racists and the Pilgrims to justify their actions. Those verses are being quoted by Israeli politicians and right wing US preachers in 2012 to justify an attack on Iran. The past isn't dead, it isn't even past. The Phineas priesthood is not something from the ancient past, but something used today to justify murder as God's command. Go to any news index and you will find murders committed by those who think they are a modern day Phineas.

Nor can we hide in the "no true Christian" defense, when these verses surface again and again in history. I suppose you could make the case that several popes, Cromwell and the Puritans were not "real" Christians, but then who is.

Jenkins looks at the Koran and it's troubling texts and how they are used to attack Islam in general. Then he looks at the Bible's troubling texts and how they have been used over the centuries and are still being used to justify violence. He deals with the scandal they cause to believers and the ammunition they give those who oppose religion.

After facing the issues squarely, he then has several suggestions for how to deal with the matter. Ignoring it isn't one of them. Neither is denying it. Excellent book and one to be read slowly and carefully.
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5.0 out of 5 stars"The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged." - Matt 7:1-3
By Paul Froehlich on July 21, 2013
Format: Kindle Edition
"Show them no mercy...show them no pity." Is that edict found in the Qur'an (Koran) or the Bible? While showing others no mercy or pity obviously contradicts the Golden Rule and loving your neighbor as yourself, those words are from the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy 7:2 and 7:16).

Which holy book did this verse come from? "Happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us -- he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks." The answer is Psalm 137:8-9.

Try one more. Which text is genuine?
a. "Allah is a God of war: Allah is his name."
b. "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name."
The answer is b, which is found in Exodus 15:3.

Ever since 9/11, it has become an article of faith on the political right that Islam is a violent religion. Conservatives cite violent texts from the Qur'an as proof. Christian evangelist Franklin Graham claims that the Qur'an "preaches violence." Conservatives contend that "Islam is, quite simply, a religion of war". Violent texts from the Quir'an were spotlighted during the 2010 debate over building an Islamic Center near New York's Ground Zero.

Unfortunately, it's easy for Christians to spot the speck in someone else's eye while missing the board in our own. The fact is the Bible has its own bloody and violent passages. Professor Philip Jenkins compares the violent passages in the Old Testament to those in the Qur'an. He concludes that one book clearly has more divine approval of violence, including the most extreme violence of extermination, than the other.

Here are some highlights:

* Samson's death killed thousands of Philistines, in what could be considered a suicide attack.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 starsTwo Stars

I have read some of Jenkins other books and find this one less helpful.

Published 13 months ago by Donald E. Melchert
1.0 out of 5 starsdeceptive subtitle for non-Biblical polemic

This book does not exactly deal with the Bible as written. More precisely it is an interesting and useful examination of "dark passages"--especially as found in Deuteronomy and... Read more

Published 19 months ago by jfd
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

A nice book

Published on August 12, 2014 by Solar111
3.0 out of 5 starsAn interesting point, superficially made

As a Catholic, I have a basic disagreement with both Fundamentalists on the one hand and Mr. Jenkins on the other as the principles for understanding the Bible: I accept neither... Read more

Published on July 21, 2014 by GKC1951
5.0 out of 5 starsEspecially useful if one has not ever studied the Bible in ...

Arrived in time and was the topic of a class. Especially useful if one has not ever studied the Bible in an academic way.

Published on July 4, 2014 by DorothyR
5.0 out of 5 starsOne of Dr. Jenkins best books

In my opinion this is one of Dr. Jenkins best books. I've read a lot of his books; he is my favorite non-fiction writer. Dr. Read more

Published on March 23, 2014 by James Watrous
3.0 out of 5 starsFascinating but ultimately unconvincing apologetic

This book is fascinating. It exposes the dark underside of Judeo-Christian communities in terms of their readiness and even eagerness to invoke biblical passages of holy genocide... Read more

Published on November 7, 2013 by Mevashir
5.0 out of 5 starsMust Reaf

Very helpful without being overly academic. Might not want to purchase if you were hoping to prove Islam is more violent than Christianity. Read more

Published on October 3, 2013 by Ron Eberhardt
4.0 out of 5 starsWill read it again!

I was initially frustrated because I expected an immediate discussion about the Bible's violent verses, and instead the book seemed to digress a lot. Read more

Published on August 16, 2013 by Sandra L. Etemad
2.0 out of 5 starsMore sensationalism

Jenkins has an agenda, and it's not to expose the truth. It's to sell books. This is another sad example of an author more interested in selling his book than in presenting the... Read more

Published on April 23, 2012 by Thomas

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