Difficult texts

Grappling with violence in scripture

Authors

  • Sheila Klassen-Wiebe Canadian Mennonite University
  • Sunder John Boopalan Canadian Mennonite University
  • Derek Suderman Conrad Grebel University College
  • Mary H. Schertz Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary
  • Alicia J. Batten Conrad Grebel University College

Keywords:

Psalm 109, imprecation, imprecatory Psalms, Psalm 137, Nahum, Luke 22, Acts 5, violence

Abstract

Christians who take seriously the words of Jesus about loving enemies (Matt. 5:43–48; Luke 6:27–36) and Paul’s exhortation to live peaceably with all (Rom. 12:14–21) will struggle with passages in the Bible that appear to justify violence. What do we do with difficult scripture passages? We asked biblical scholars to tell us how they come to terms with troublesome texts.

Author Biographies

Sheila Klassen-Wiebe, Canadian Mennonite University

Sheila Klassen-Wiebe is associate professor of New Testament at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Sunder John Boopalan, Canadian Mennonite University

Sunder John Boopalan is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Derek Suderman, Conrad Grebel University College

Derek Suderman is associate professor of religious studies and theological studies at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario.

Mary H. Schertz, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

Mary H. Schertz is professor emerita of New Testament at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana.

Alicia J. Batten, Conrad Grebel University College

Alicia J. Batten is professor of religious studies and theological studies at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario.

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Published

2025-01-17

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 1 (2025): War and peace

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Vision: A Journal for Church and Theology

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright by Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Canadian Mennonite University.