The Letter Killeth: A Plea for Decanonizing Violent Biblical Texts

Abstract

<p>Unprecedented historical crises often have compelled the rethinking of theological premises. The Roman Empire’s oppression of the Jews in Palestine generated the rethinking of major theological tenets of Judaism, which then resulted in what we call Christianity. The socio-economic upheavals of the sixteenth century in Europe helped to spawn Protestantism and the rise of Anabaptist groups that rethought the role of scripture for believers. In modern times, the Holocaust impacted how we view anti-Judaism in the Christian tradition.</p>