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Is God a Vindictive Bully? Paperback – October 18, 2022

by Paul Copan (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 24 ratings
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Christianity Today 2023 Award of Merit (Apologetics & Evangelism)

Critics outside the church often accuse the Old Testament God of genocide, racism, ethnic cleansing, and violence. But a rising tide of critics within the church claim that Moses and other "primitive," violence-prone prophets were mistaken about God's commands and character. Both sets of critics dismiss this allegedly harsh, flawed, "textual" Old Testament God in favor of the kind, compassionate, "actual" God revealed by Jesus. Are they right to do so?

Following his popular book Is God a Moral Monster?, noted apologist Paul Copan confronts false, imbalanced teaching that is confusing and misleading many Christians. Copan takes on some of the most difficult Old Testament challenges and places them in their larger historical and theological contexts. He explores the kindness, patience, and compassion of God in the Old Testament and shows how Jesus in the New Testament reveals not only divine kindness but also divine severity. The book includes a detailed Scripture index of difficult and controversial passages and is helpful for anyone interested in understanding the flaws in these emerging claims that are creating a destructive gap between the Testaments.
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  1. Print length
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  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Baker Academic
  4. Publication date
    October 18, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1540964558
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1540964557
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From the Publisher

Examine Challenging Old Testament Texts with a Leading Apologist

Lissa M. Wrap endorsement

Tremper Longman III endorsement

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Paul Copan author bio

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Leading apologist and scholar Paul Copan examines challenging Old Testament texts, placing them in their larger historical and theological context to help readers reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the Old and New Testaments.

"Do you have a problem with something, or a lot of things, in the Old Testament? Copan has provided a virtual encyclopedia of helpful answers to frequently asked questions that trouble many readers. This is a thoroughly detailed reference work that those of us who teach or preach the Old Testament will turn to frequently, or point others to, when such questions are aired. An excellent resource indeed!"
--Christopher J. H. Wright, Langham Partnership; author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God

"People are inclined to think that the Old Testament God is like the Taliban and the New Testament God is a comfort animal. Dr. Copan takes on that kind of view with passion. I can't imagine that there are any misapprehensions about the Scriptures, particularly about the Old Testament, that aren't covered by this book. You may not agree with everything in Dr. Copan's study, but you will be dazzled by the range of issues he covers and the range of material he offers."
--John Goldingay, Fuller Theological Seminary (emeritus)

"Many books have been published that suggest that the Old Testament describes God not as he really is but rather as Israel depicted him from their rather primitive, tribal perspective. One prominent evangelical voice has even suggested that Christians 'unhinge' themselves from the Old Testament. In this well-thought-out and accessible book, Paul Copan takes on these critics 'from within' the church. He does so with grace yet conviction. I highly recommend this book for all Christians who are tempted to ignore the Old Testament."
--Tremper Longman III, Westmont College (emeritus)

"God's people are often confused by and suspicious of the Old Testament, wondering how it aligns with Jesus; these conversations are pressing for my seminary students and for local pastors and congregations. Dr. Copan provides a valuable resource in accessible language that speaks with informed conviction and with grace. I highly recommend it for all whose faith seeks understanding."
--Lissa M. Wray Beal, Providence Theological Seminary, Otterburne, Manitoba

About the Author

Paul Copan (PhD, Marquette University), a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, and apologist, is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. For 6 years, he served as president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He was a visiting scholar at Oxford University in 2017. Copan is the author or editor of more than 40 books, including Is God a Moral Monster?; True for You, But Not for Me; That's Just Your Interpretation; When God Goes to Starbucks; and A Little Book for New Philosophers.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Baker Academic (October 18, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1540964558
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1540964557
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 24 ratings

About the author

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Paul Copan

Paul Copan

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Paul Copan (Ph.D., philosophy, Marquette University) is Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He helped established the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at PBA. He is a professor in this program along with noted philosophers Paul Gould and Brandon Rickabaugh: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/

He is author or editor of about 40 books, and he has contributed chapters to around 40 edited books as well. He is author of "True for You, But Not for Me" (Bethany House), "That's Just Your Interpretation," "How Do You Know You're Not Wrong?", When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics (all with Baker), A Little Book for New Philosophers (IVP Academic) and Loving Wisdom: A Guide to Philosophy and Christian Faith (Eerdmans). These are all books that seek to introduce important Christian themes from a philosophical perspective and to make available accessible answers to the toughest questions asked of Christians.

He has co-authored and coedited various books with the noted Christian philosopher William Lane Craig as well as philosophy of religion volumes, including the philosophy of religion, The Rationality of Theism (Routledge), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion (Routledge), and Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues (Blackwell).

For six years, he was president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and he was a visiting scholar at Oxford University (2017). In light of his well-received book *Is God a Moral Monster* (2011), the author is working on a successor volume, *Is God a Vindictive Bully?* (Baker Academic 2022).

His website is www.paulcopan.com.

His official Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/PaulCopanOfficial

See and subscribe to the bi-weekly Worldview Bulletin (Paul is one of five Christian philosophers who contribute to this--along with notable guest contributors): https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com/.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
24 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Garrett
5.0 out of 5 stars No Stone Unturned
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2024
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Copan leaves no stone unturned in this thorough evaluation of hard texts in the Bible. Where many choose to sidestep uncomfortable texts, Copan attempts to allow them to speak on their own terms in their own context. This is the actual hard work of understanding the Bible rather than just dismissing things that make us uncomfortable. If we do not allow the Bible to push us into discomfort and only accept those items which align with our present views, we have made ourselves god over against the God revealed by the scriptures. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in doing the hard work of wrestling with the hard texts of the Bible.
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John Griffin
5.0 out of 5 stars An Indispensable resource
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023
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I'm studying the topic of Old Testament violence, from all perspectives. I'm in learning mode here, and not out to justify any preconceived positions. In that regard, this book is an indispensable resource. Copan covers A LOT of ground in this work, and gives well researched and well reasoned analyses of key questions and key passages. Because so many topics are covered, and with care, this book serves as a highly desired resource on your book shelf.
The book is clearly written and logically organized. Again, if you wish to investigate difficult OT passages, you need this book because it explains well one (sizable) corner of the discussion/debate.
4 people found this helpful
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Robert B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read
Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2023
This book goes into detail into clarifying the often misquoted old testament. I highly recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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Stephanie, Orange County CA
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, well-researched
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2022
Full disclosure: Paul Copan is a friend of mine and I recently interviewed him about this book in some depth.

Why did I give it a 5-star rating? In my view, it deserves it. That doesn't mean I agree with all his positions. But what it does mean is that this book is extremely well researched and thoughtful. He tackles the toughest passages from the Old Testament, and offers his responses. If you are interested or concerned with some of the most thorny OT passages, regardless of your worldview, this book deserves serious consideration. Copan doesn't claim to settle the issue. But he does offer some fresh insights and "advances the ball." While people approach ethical questions about the OT differently, Paul approaches it with the precision of a philosopher who carefully nuances terms and considers various positions.
13 people found this helpful
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Daniel J. Harvey
3.0 out of 5 stars Missing the mark
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2022
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I was hoping that this book would directly and honestly deal with problematic verses in the Old Testament. Instead, at least in the early chapters, I was treated with rants against those Christians who have trouble seeing God's goodness in these verses. Early on, Copan complains that critics within the church misrepresent the doctrine of penal substitution. Then he returns the favor taking various quotes from a variety of books written by these critics to create a straw man caricature of what these critics say. Of course, I disagree with particular points that many of these authors put forth. And, sometimes they will make a statement here and there that goes too far (at least as I see it). Nevertheless, they are working through their faith in this post-Christian era where about a million are leaving the faith each year. Much of what these authors say deserve respect and reflection.

It is fine to disagree with other authors on particular points. I would have preferred that Copan work through particular verses that some question as not inspired. Say what those authors put forth and then prove them wrong, or at least present a basis for why they are likely wrong. It seems to me that this would be a superior approach academically.
16 people found this helpful
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Joel Grøndrup
5.0 out of 5 stars Yet another brilliant study tool from Paul Copan
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2022
This book addresses some of the hard cases in the Bible and gives good answers. It can also inspire any Christian to read, reason and further study the Scriptures. My best recommendations.
5 people found this helpful
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Bill Muehlenberg
5.0 out of 5 stars More helpful work from Copan
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023
If you are familiar with key contemporary Christian apologists, you would know of Paul Copan. I happen to have 22 of his books, and he has written more than that. If you are up on his work, you know that he has spent a lot of time dealing with critics of Christianity – be they from without (eg., the new atheists) or within (eg., leftist and/or liberal Christians).

In his newest volume he continues the sorts of discussions found in those earlier titles. In 34 brief but well-argued and well-documented chapters, he looks further at the common sorts of objections and criticisms that are levelled at God. Most have to do with claims that God is some kind of ogre who is not worth our worship and love. Thus he looks at issues such as these:

-Is the God of the Old Testament the same as the God of the New?
-How does Mosaic law differ from Ancient Near Eastern laws?
-What about ‘an eye for an eye’?
-What about slavery?
-What about capital crimes in the Bible?
-Does God harden people’s hearts?
-Is God sexist?
-What about polygamy?
-Is God a God of war?
-What about the taking of Canaan?

These are just some of the issues carefully and thoughtfully explored in this volume. While each chapter may be only around ten pages long, detailed and important answers are backed up with plenty of references for further reading and study. Let me look at a few of the issues in more depth.

One thing that bothers even many Christians are the imprecatory psalms. These have to do with God’s people imploring God to restore justice, bring about vindication, and deal with God’s enemies. There are a number of these psalms, such as Pss. 35, 69,109, 139, and so on. Copan notes how these differed from curses found in the surrounding culture. The psalmists were simply reflecting the curses and blessings God had laid out for his covenant people.

Abraham was told that God would bless those who blessed him and his offspring, while bringing judgment on those who did the opposite. So the prayers of the psalmists were reflecting what God had long ago set up for his own people. And these were not cries for personal revenge, but pleas for God to vindicate his people and deal with those who were enemies of God, giving them their just desserts.

And when we read of even ‘little ones’ being prayed against (as in Ps. 137), we are reminded that these were not infants but the offspring of the royal household of Babylon. Although God had used the cruel Babylonians to judge Israel, they would not go unpunished themselves, and God would bring about justice to these rulers and their offspring.

Moreover, these woes that God’s people pray upon their (and God’s) enemies are not confined to the Old Testament. Jesus himself uttered similar woes. Says Copan: “Repeatedly in the Gospels, Jesus himself carries on that prophetic ‘woe’ tradition, most notably when he denounces Israel’s hostile religious leaders in Matthew 23 and chastises cities that rejected his teaching and accompanying signs (Matt. 11:23-24; 24:37-39; Luke 10:13-15).”

Consider also a text which is problematic to many folks. In Malachi 1:2-4 we read about how God loved Jacob but hated Esau. Even Christians wonder how God can “hate” certain people: is not he a God of love? Copan raises six points, which I share here in outline form:

“First, the original context of Malachi refers to God’s prerogative to choose one nation over another….
Second, Romans 9 reminds us that a sovereign God can select not only a nation (Israel over Edom) but also individuals (Jacob over Esau) to accomplish a certain task or mission….
Third, these texts don’t indicate that Esau as a person was somehow divinely blocked from finding salvation. Esau's problem was his own immorality and godlessness – not God’s damning him before he was born (Heb. 12:16)….
Fourth, “love” and “hate” in Scripture are often comparative terms. “Hate” can merely mean “love less.”…
Fifth, God’s choosing Jacob/Israel wasn’t a guarantee of salvation for most Israelites. Early on, most Israelites perished in unbelief in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-19) – the generation with whom God made a covenant at Mount Sinai….
Sixth, even nations God had not originally chosen would be incorporated into the people of God. The Old Testament mentions nations hostile to Israel that would one day be included as part of the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless the nations through Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) – a promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:26-29).”

The thorny issue of slavery is also something Copan devotes several chapters to. Critics say God was pro-slavery, and even in the New Testament nothing was done about it. But Copan reminds us that while slavery was a universal reality in ancient times, Israel’s treatment of slaves - or rather indentured servants - was much more humane than that of surrounding cultures. He looks at some of the provisions of Mosaic law in this regard:

-Harsh physical treatment of slaves was forbidden.
-Kidnapping, which was a major part of slavery back then, was prohibited.
-Foreign slaves were protected from harsh masters.
-There was a fixed six-year term limit on servitude.
-Such servitude was NOT based on some notion of racial inferiority.

When it comes to the New Testament, the Roman empire had slavery deeply embedded in its very fabric, and the earliest Christians lacked any power to abolish it within this situation. But the gospel undermined the very notion of seeing some people as being the property of others. Says Copan:

“The claim that Jesus never denounced slavery misses the point of his very mission: Jesus came to set free all who are oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). So obviously he would oppose any institution that dehumanizes and objectifies humans. Likewise, Paul affirmed that in Christ there is “neither slave nor free” (Gal. 3:28) – all social and class distinctions that once divided lose their power at the foot of the cross. Paul urged slaves to find freedom if possible (1 Cor. 7:21)…. In the Greco-Roman world, household codes were directed at persons having different roles within a household, but these attempted to reinforce the powerful and to keep the powerless in their place. Paul’s Christianized household code is subversive….”

While much of this book addresses criticisms and objections that even believers can have about various issues found in Scripture, Copan of course also addresses the non-believer. In the concluding paragraphs of this book he reminds us that in a sin-soaked, broken, and morally messed-up world, God did not leave us alone. He intervened plenty in the Old Testament, but his primary answer to the ills and suffering of the world was to send his Son. He says this:

“We have approached untidy and unsettling (and perhaps some still unsettled) questions. Nevertheless, we see a generally coherent picture of a God who has made a path for reconciling a broken humanity to himself. Could it be that this biblical story – as former skeptics have discovered – is true and offers a better explanation than the alternative worldviews? In the Scriptures and in Jesus himself, we find a better expatiation than any other. That is why we look in that direction rather than elsewhere.”

The Bible tells us about a God who cares for his creation, and who has done all that can be done to help us in our place of need. Because so many people reject that help, we continue to live in a fractured and evil universe where things are very messy indeed. Copan’s new book does not resolve all the problems and questions we might have, but it goes a long way in at least pointing us in the right direction.
12 people found this helpful
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I am the
1.0 out of 5 stars Absurd
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2022
TL;DR. "Yahweh ordered the extermination of Amalekite babies, but he did some nice things too, so ..."
7 people found this helpful
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