Synopses & Reviews
Commands to kill, to commit ethnic cleansing, to institutionalize segregation, to hate and fear other races and religions—all are in the Bible, and all occur with a far greater frequency than in the Quran. But fanaticism is no more hard-wired in Christianity than it is in Islam. In
Laying Down the Sword, “one of Americas best scholars of religion” (
The Economist) explores how religions grow past their bloody origins, and delivers a fearless examination of the most violent verses of the Bible and an urgent call to read them anew in pursuit of a richer, more genuine faith.
Christians cannot engage with neighbors and critics of other traditions—nor enjoy the deepest, most mature embodiment of their own faith—until they confront the texts of terror in their heritage. Philip Jenkins identifies the “holy amnesia” that, while allowing scriptural religions to grow and adapt, has demanded a nearly wholesale suppression of the Bibles most aggressive passages, leaving them dangerously dormant for extremists to revive in times of conflict. Jenkins lays bare the whole Bible, without compromise or apology, and equips us with tools for reading even the most unsettling texts, from the slaughter of the Canaanites to the alarming rhetoric of the book of Revelation.
Laying Down the Sword presents a vital framework for understanding both the Bible and the Quran, gives Westerners a credible basis for interaction and dialogue with Islam, and delivers a powerful model for how a faith can grow from terror to mercy.
Review
“A provocative and timely comparison of the legacies of violence in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. With verve and sweeping insight, Jenkins challenges all of our stereotypical assumptions about religion, bloodshed, and terror.” Thomas S. Kidd, author of God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American Revolution
Review
“This book is a wonderful example of the kind of rigorous work Christians must do if they are to retain intellectual credibility.” Patrick Allitt, The American Conservative
Review
“Jenkins has outdone himself. This is by far the best piece of work he has ever done, dealing with one of the most controversial issues Christians struggle with day-in and day-out.” Tony Campolo
Synopsis
Philip Jenkins delivers a fearless examination of the darkand violent verses of the Bible—and a call for us to read them anew in pursuitof a richer, more honest faith. From “one of Americas best scholars ofreligion” (The Economist), this daring exploration of the Scripturesmost difficult passages forces us to confront and accept the violence that wasas integral to the formulation of Christianitys message as it was for manyother of the worlds religions, and shows us how a full understanding of theScripture will allow us to finally move towards a more peaceful, spiritualworld. Readers of Bart Ehrmans Gods Problem,John Selby Spongs The Sins of Scripture, andJenkinss own The Jesus Wars, as well as every Christian eager to squarethe recurrent violence of the Scripture with Christianitys enduring message ofpeace, will find these difficult questions explored in full in Laying Downthe Sword.
About the Author
Philip Jenkins, the author of The Lost History of Christianity, Jesus Wars, and The Next Christendom, is the Distinguished Professor of History and a member of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. He has published articles and op-ed pieces in The Wall Street Journal, New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe and has been a guest on top national radio shows across the country. He divides his time between Pennsylvania and Texas.