Then in part 2 I’ll outline some examples of this syndrome and close with some final conclusions. Human sacrifice is detestable to God because it falls into the category of murd… One of Copan’s emphases in the book is that we should not resist the new atheists’ accusation that the Old Testament ethical standards were imperfect: “Instead of glossing over some of the inferior moral attitudes and practices we encounter in the Old Testament, we should freely acknowledge them. Clearly the opposition seems to be stronger on this issue. In chapters 3 and 4 Copan addresses the charge that God in the Old-Testament is both jealous and egocentrically demands worship. Because the book deals with so many controversial and sensitive subjects, I suppose that readers should expect to take issue with some of Copan’s analyses. He can be a caring God, or He can be a scary God. In part one of the book, Paul Copan spends two chapters summarizing the angry but flimsy arguments of the New Atheists, and lists their typical complaints against the Old Testament God. But I was disappointed that Copan did not concede his (or anyone’s) inability to completely resolve the moral problems presented by a few other passages. But whether or not readers agree with Copan’s approach to each particular problem passage, his book is sure to educate and edify. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2011. Copan points out that a number of textual hints help the reader to see that this is a test, it is only a test. Part 2 mounts a defense of the depiction of God’s character in the Old Testament. Search Search But however helpful or persuasive his points are, we need to keep in mind the biblical observation that God’s ways are not our ways (Isa. So says Gordon Wenham and Christopher J.H. A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. No government is perfect.”, That’s fine for the press secretary, I suppose. Summary Apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including that God is arrogant and jealous, punishes people too harshly, is guilty of ethnic cleansing, oppresses women, and endorses slavery. Copan begins by attempting to make sense of the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Richard Dawkins thinks that Yahweh is a moral monster: “What makes my jaw drop is that people today should base their lives on such an appalling role model as Yahweh — and even worse, that they should bossily try to force the same evil monster (whether fact or fiction) on the rest of us.” is a welcome entry to the literature with twenty short, engaging and informative chapters that provide a first-rate apologetic treatment of a broad range of issues from curious biblical dietary laws to the Israelite relationship to slavery and genocide. Perhaps most significantly this section takes on God’s demand to sacrifice Isaac (chapter 5). In the second part of the review I’ll provide some concrete examples of the press secretary syndrome. Making Sense of the Old Testament God. The recent book published by Mary Trump, the president’s niece, identified one thing – that his own sister, a retired federal judge, believed the president was “cruel”. is a question that many people from various walks of life have asked over the centuries and continues to be front and center in contemporary debates. opens with a discussion on the new atheism in general. it is eminently clear that Paul Copan is an evangelical apologist and a stalwart defender of standard evangelical commitments to the authority and interpretation of scripture. Copan argues that God is not arrogant for demanding worship (chapter 3), and that jealousy is appropriate for a divine being (chapter 4). No approach to the text is perfect.”. That’s exactly why God is wrathful against some of them. I think that for much of the territory covered the standard evangelical views of the meaning and authority of the texts in question is eminently defensible. Show More. The division of parts is somewhat arbitrary but is borne out of necessity to spare the unsuspecting reader from an unduly long and ponderous blog post. First, Copan occasionally refers to God as “other-centered” (e.g., pp. Their moral objections target such things as: (1) God’s desire to be worshipped, (2) God’s preferential treatment of the Israelites, (3) the Old Testament’s apparently low view of women, (4) the Old Testament’s approval of slavery, (5) the divinely ordered massacre of Canaanite people groups, and (6) the Old Testament’s peculiar laws related to food, hygiene, and other matters. Here is a brief summary of some issues Copan addresses and how he responds to each: Copan offers a variety of observations intended to either diminish or eliminate our moral qualms with God’s commands and moral regulations in the Old Testament. This is an excellent book that should be in the personal library of everyone who has more than a passing interest in the topic. in two parts. Part 3 is by far the largest section in the book as it spans chapters 6-18. There were a few places in the book where I thought Copan would have done well to concede the difficulty of some of the problematic O.T. A Monster Calls draws on several literary traditions: first and most notably, contemporary children’s fantasy literature. Reading Copan’s summary of new atheist objections to Christianity is a little like reading Cicero summarizing Goth objections to Roman civilization: Copan does his best to be fair (just like Cicero surely would), but there is no getting around the fact that the new atheist objections are, for the most part, rooted in a positively barbaric ignorance of the subject matter in question. The question is one that cannot be avoided and must be confronted honestly and thoughtfully. Copan is to be commended for this superb work. Throughout the Old Testament God shows many different sides. The same may apply to our thoughts about what God should or shouldn’t have done in Canaan” (192). We live in a time that sees death as the ultimate evil. 27 and 201), presumably to combat some new atheists’ claims that God is ego-centric or, in Dawkins’ terms, “megalomaniacal.” While God is surely extremely other-concerned, even self-sacrificially, he is not other-centered. Summary: Chapter 11. He is also a professor in Palm Beach Atlantic University. Scribd is the world's largest social reading and publishing site. I was thrilled, therefore, to hear of Paul Copan’s latest offering, Is God a Moral Monster? For those who are willing to approach the text sympathetically, Copan’s treatment of these thorny issues is richly rewarding. Making Sense of the Old Testament God (Baker, 2011). This is my review of Paul Copan’s Is God a Moral Monster?Making Sense of the Old Testament God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011). 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