The Shoah is without question the defining moment in modern history, and it has transformed the manner in which the Bible is read and how God is understood. Questions that hitherto were rarely posed publicly must now be posed, and the human drama born out of exile, bondage, and genocide must be reckoned with in a new light. These are issues that are predicated on a faithful God to whom challenging and even unanswerable questions must be voiced. So, how might the Hebrew prophets address such contemporary issues as imperial militarism, eminent domain, trust and trauma, hunger and power, memory and shame, blame and self-critique, madness and exceptionalism? The daring words of the Hebrew prophets must have voices of testimony and witness in our time. This book speaks to that challenge.

Marvin Sweeney finds Holocaust theology an indispensable resource as he examines often ignored biblical texts where ancient Israel contemplated apparent divine absence and "divine evil." In the stories of Abraham, Moses, Esther, Job, kings, prophets, and others, Sweeney discerns the insight "that human beings cannot always depend upon God to act to ensure righteousness in the world." The insistence by Holocaust theologians that human beings are responsible for doing justice in the world is powerfully present already in the Bible itself. Book jacket.

The prevalence of evil and violence in the world is a growing focus of scholarly attention, especially violence done in the name of religion and violence found within the pages of the Old Testament. Many atheists consider this reason enough to reject the notion of a supreme deity. Some Christians attempt to exonerate God by reinterpreting problematic passages or by prioritizing portrayals of God’s nonviolence. Other Christians have begun to respond to violence in the Old Testament by questioning the nature of the text itself, though not rejecting belief in a good God. Wrestling with the Violence of God: Soundings in the Old Testament is a response to these challenging issues. The chapters in this volume present empathetic, holistic, and methodologically responsible readings of the Old Testament as Christian Scripture. Contributors from different nationalities, religious traditions, and educational institutions come together to address representative biblical material that depicts violence. Chapters address explicit portrayals of divine violence, human responses to violence of God and violence in the world, alternative understandings of supposedly violent texts, and a hopeful future in which violence is no more. Rather than attempt to offer a conclusive answer to the issue, this volume constructively contributes to the ongoing discussion.

Examines the question of God's noninterference in the Holocaust and other tragedies in Jewish history. Shows "how man may affirm his faith even when confronted with God's awesome silence."--Back cover.

How is it possible, after the Shoah, to declare one's faith in the God of Israel? Breaking the Tablets is David Weiss Halivni's eloquent and insightful response to this question. Halivni, Auschwitz survivor and one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of the past century, declares that at this time of God's near absence, Jews can still observe the words of the Torah and pray for God to come near again. Jews must continue to study the classic texts of rabbinic Judaism but now with greater humility, recognizing that even the greatest religious leaders and thinkers interpret these texts only as mere people, prone to human error. Breaking the Tablets is important reading for anyone who feels burdened by the question of how it is possible to believe in God and practice their religion.

The prophets of the Old Testament use a wide variety of metaphors to describe God and to portray how to understand people in relation to God. This text searches the prophetic books for these metaphors, looking for ways in which the different images intersect and build off each other.