Philip Jenkins

Laying Down the Sword

Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses

Talking Points

Philip Jenkins, the author of The Lost History of Christianity, Jesus Wars, and The Next Christendom, has a joint appointment as the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities in history and religious studies at Penn State University and as Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University. Identified by The Economist as “one of America’s best scholars of religion,” Philip Jenkins examines the dark and violent verses of the Bible, unafraid of reminding Jews and Christians that their holiest texts, too, are complex and often violent—at a time when the Qur’an is too often cited as the root of terrorism. Jenkins’s work has been featured in a cover story of The Atlantic (1st serial). He is a sought-after religion expert by the Wall Street Journal, and his books are regularly covered in key Christian publications such as Christianity Today. He has been interviewed for and published pieces in USA Today, the Washington Post, NPR’s All Things Considered, and U.S. Catholic, among others.

Description

Laying Down the Sword brings to light biblical texts that have been hidden from view and overturns popular stereotypes that continue to generate more heat than light. In many eras, Christianity has initiated more violence and bloodshed than any other religious tradition-and could again, under the right conditions. However, fanaticism is no more hardwired in Christianity than in Islam. And, as Philip Jenkins demonstrates with stunning historical and sociological evidence, the mere existence of bloody sacred texts does not lead to violence. So what does motivate religious adherents to seize upon violent verses?

Jesus said, “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jenkins offers a way to read these troubling passages. Laying Down the Sword presents a vital framework for understanding the Bible and calls believers in every tradition to create a more honest and deeper-rooted faith.