Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses

Philip Jenkins delivers a fearless examination of the dark and violent verses of the Bible--and a call for us to read them anew in pursuit of a richer, more honest faith. From "one of America's best scholars of religion" ("The Economist"), this daring exploration of the Scripture's most difficult passages forces us to confront and accept the violence that was as integral to the formulation of Christianity's message as it was for many other of the world's religions, and shows us how a full understanding of the Scripture will allow us to finally move towards a more peaceful, spiritual world. Readers of Bart Ehrman's "God's Problem," John Selby Spong's "The Sins of Scripture," and Jenkins's own "The Jesus Wars," as well as every Christian eager to square the recurrent violence of the Scripture with Christianity's enduring message of peace, will find these difficult questions explored in full in "Laying Down the Sword."