Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

A Theological Account of Nat TurnerProphetic Violence and the Old Testament

A Theological Account of Nat Turner: Prophetic Violence and the Old Testament [In the Old Testament, violence is often depicted as the expressed will of God. God’s violence is repeatedly and unmistakably associated with God’s salvation and deliverance. In the first creation account, the Spirit of God battles and subdues the chaotic darkness, formlessness, and void of the earth (Gen 1:2). Within the birthing of the universe, chaos is violently ordered and liberated by God. At significant times in the Old Testament, God is also revealed as a warring and jealous God. God’s violence destroys the earth and almost all of humanity with a great flood (Gen 7). God delivers the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt through a series of violent plagues, including the death of the firstborn sons of Egypt (Exodus). God violently conquers the Promised Land for the Israelites through all-consuming holy war (Joshua). God establishes the Kingdom of Israel through war and conquest (1 Samuel). God utilizes the violence of the Assyrians and Babylonians to cripple and embarrass Israel, forcing her into exile. With these violent acts, the Old Testament reveals that God’s violence is necessary, legitimate, and justified in the salvation history of Israel. Violence saves the people from slavery, idolatry, and unrighteousness while also inviting repentance and faith. Salvation becomes bound up with violence toward the enemies of God and repentance in response to the threat of violence from God. In certain circumstances, God elicits the violence or violent threats of God’s prophets to affect God’s will in Israel and the world. This prophetic violence in the Old Testament mirrors the liberating and revolutionary violence of Nat Turner toward slavery and dehumanization.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

A Theological Account of Nat TurnerProphetic Violence and the Old Testament

Part of the Black Religion / Womanist Thought / Social Justice Book Series
Lampley, Karl W.
Springer Journals — Oct 28, 2015
Download PDF
19 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/springer-journals/a-theological-account-of-nat-turner-prophetic-violence-and-the-old-f4qRnUysDR
Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan US
Copyright
© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Nature America Inc. 2013
ISBN
978-1-349-45923-0
Pages
71 –90
DOI
10.1057/9781137322968_4
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[In the Old Testament, violence is often depicted as the expressed will of God. God’s violence is repeatedly and unmistakably associated with God’s salvation and deliverance. In the first creation account, the Spirit of God battles and subdues the chaotic darkness, formlessness, and void of the earth (Gen 1:2). Within the birthing of the universe, chaos is violently ordered and liberated by God. At significant times in the Old Testament, God is also revealed as a warring and jealous God. God’s violence destroys the earth and almost all of humanity with a great flood (Gen 7). God delivers the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt through a series of violent plagues, including the death of the firstborn sons of Egypt (Exodus). God violently conquers the Promised Land for the Israelites through all-consuming holy war (Joshua). God establishes the Kingdom of Israel through war and conquest (1 Samuel). God utilizes the violence of the Assyrians and Babylonians to cripple and embarrass Israel, forcing her into exile. With these violent acts, the Old Testament reveals that God’s violence is necessary, legitimate, and justified in the salvation history of Israel. Violence saves the people from slavery, idolatry, and unrighteousness while also inviting repentance and faith. Salvation becomes bound up with violence toward the enemies of God and repentance in response to the threat of violence from God. In certain circumstances, God elicits the violence or violent threats of God’s prophets to affect God’s will in Israel and the world. This prophetic violence in the Old Testament mirrors the liberating and revolutionary violence of Nat Turner toward slavery and dehumanization.]

Published: Oct 28, 2015

Keywords: Social Injustice; Free Black; Black Slave; Violent Threat; White Slaveholding

There are no references for this article.