Seriously Dangerous Religion: What the Old Testament Really Says and Why It Matters by Iain Provan (PDF)

Description

The Old Testament is often maligned as an outmoded and even dangerous text. Best-selling authors like Richard Dawkins, Karen Armstrong, and Derrick Jensen are prime examples of those who find the Old Testament to be problematic to modern sensibilities. Iain Provan counters that such easy and popular readings misunderstand the Old Testament. He opposes modern misconceptions of the Old Testament by addressing ten fundamental questions that the biblical text should–and according to Provan does–answer: questions such as “Who is God?” and “Why do evil and suffering mark the world?” By focusing on Genesis and drawing on other Old Testament and extra-biblical sources, Seriously Dangerous Religion constructs a more plausible reading. As it turns out, Provan argues, the Old Testament is far more dangerous than modern critics even suppose. Its dangers are the bold claims it makes upon its readers.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review Iain Provan, one of evangelicalism’s finest Old Testament scholars, has provided a much needed book… — G. Kyle Essary ― Apologetics 315Seriously Dangerous Religion will be helpful to Christians and non-Christians alike who struggle to understand how the Old Testament relates to our modern world. — Elliot Ritzema ― Bible Study Magazine[ Seriously Dangerous Religion] will be a particularly helpful read for those heading off to university or entering the workforce, but is broad and deep enough that every reader will find much to profit from and to reflect on. — Daniel C. Timmer, University of Sudbury ― Themelios[Provan’s] ‘thinking outside the box’ creates a broad range of uses for the work, whether in university classes in world religions, theology, apologetics, hermeneutics, as well non-professional areas as discussion groups and church or Sunday school classes. Seriously Dangerous Religion is a ‘must read’ for anyone interested in these issues. — Randall C. Bailey, Faulkner University ― Journal of the Evangelical Theological SocietyIn the world in which biblical studies currently exists, projects such as this are worthy of extended time and reflection. — Richard S. Briggs, St John’s College, Durham University ― Review of Biblical LiteratureSeriously Dangerous Religion is a major synthetic statement of unparalleled scope, deserving a wide readership. It illuminates and challenges, even as it confirms that rumors of the Old Testament’s demise are greatly exaggerated. — Stephen B. Chapman, Associate Professor of Old Testament in the Divinity School and Director of Graduate Studies of the Graduate Program in Religion at Duke University ― SyndicateAt its heart Provan’s volume is a book about worldview. For this reason, it offers the reader a unique resource that blends careful and thorough biblical theology and exegesis with cultural analysis. — William A. Ross, University of Cambridge ― Westminster Theological JournalSeriously Dangerous Religion is a seriously helpful book in that it simultaneously offers what is usually called an ‘Old Testament theology,’ vindicatesthe Old Testament in the face of its cultured despisers, and demonstrates the diversity among the various world religions all while being written in an engaging manner that should appeal to more than just specialists. — Nathan Chambers ― Journal of Reformed TheologyProvan’s explanations and insightful exegesis also result in helpful descriptions of family, the relationship of God to humanity, and similar topics. — Shawn W. Flynn, Saint Mark’s College ― Pro Ecclesia Review A rare combination of deep and wide learning and a compelling and clear writing style. Provan is as comfortable in Mesopotamian texts as in Agatha Christie, the Rig Veda, Lord of the Rings, or the Qur’an. He opens the Old Testament onto a world he believes needs to hear its distinctive notes in a creative and engaging presentation. — Reverend Christopher Seitz, Senior Research Professor, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto About the Author Iain Provan is the Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College. He lives in the Vancouver, Canada area. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐To many, traditional Christianity needs to be significantly rethought in light of the vast expansion of knowledge and globalization that has emerged in the 21st century. It will need to start, as they see it, with becoming real about how to read and understand the Bible. The Bible’s claims to exclusive truth in light of other religions are passé, they believe. Others would emphasize that science, especially biology, has shown that the Bible is little more than a set of ancient fairy tales: western society needs to get over its trust in the Bible as foundational to reality and move on to a reality grounded in reason.This book demonstrates, like none other I have ever read, why it is the secular academy and liberal Christianity that needs to carefully reexamine its picture of the Bible. In profound and eminently readable style, Provan shows that a biblical faith grounded in Jesus Christ is not the vestige of humankind’s earlier ignorance, but an enlightened vision pointing to a reality that is academically satisfying, theologically coherent, and philosophically profound. This book should be read by any person who is tempted to conclude that their Sunday School knowledge of Christianity can no longer stack up up against 21st century science. True, it may need to mature some, but Provan shows that the heart of biblical faith trumps Dawkins’ “God Delusion” in profundity, and rapidly neutralizes the acidity of Dennett’s view of “Darwin’s Dangerous Idea.” Similarly, any person who thinks Christianity is just one approach to truth among a whole set of near-equals, should carefully consider Provan’s arguments before comfortably settling into a pluralistic melting pot of vacuous religious idealism.I cannot emphasize enough that the book is every bit as readable as it is intellectually profound. As such then, I come to my biggest concern about the book. Because of its length (512 pages) and, I assume, its publisher’s (Baylor) view of its being primarily accessible and of interest to a scholarly audience, it is expensive. I wish the publishing entity of Baylor would come to see that it will do a lot better financially on the book if it will price it in a way that makes it accessible to the general reader. True, it is an outstanding piece of biblical scholarship, but it is also highly engaging for the non-specialist. It should be widely read by pastors–their sermons would benefit from it tremendously. Sunday School teachers and Bible study leaders all should read this book, but I’m concerned most won’t when they see the price tag. It is the youth who are beginning to think Christianity irrelevant in this information age who would benefit the most though, and I am concerned that its price makes it inaccessible to most of them. This book could change their lives, but the cost far too often will seem so prohibitive that many will never find out.Be that as it may, the book is worth every penny for all of us, and I personally am deeply grateful to Iain Provan for investing the amount of time he did to put this beautiful piece of work together in such an accessible manner.

⭐Few, to my knowledge, have attempted to use the Old Testament to summarize the story of Christianity as well as Iain has. Many Christians, including myself at various points, were embarrassed and confused about what they find in the old story. They may love Jesus but can’t reconcile him with what they see in the old story, not to mention the modern stories in circulation. Others use the Old Testament to justify both odd criticisms against and even odder justifications for Christians’ bad behavior. Iain engages this poor treatment of scripture and challenges the overall methodology.The story is good, according to Iain, and I believe it – but it isn’t just good, it’s better than any other story we have, including the NT ONLY story some Christians preach. It’s not just better because it’s more plausible, it’s better because it incorporates the best of the other stories and takes them further than they could ever imagine going. It’s whole, it’s complete; albeit, it is still a great mystery.For those Christians who have lost a connection to the old story and for those detractors who really want to know and understand how anyone could believe the old story, this book is for you. And for those who are willing to challenge the modern stories, this book can help you think through why you believe what you believe.

⭐Iain Provan wrote this book to clarify that the purpose of the Bible is to answer religious and philosophical questions rather than historical and scientific questions. He emphasizes the Old Testament in his discussion because of “the unfortunate tendency to read the Old Testament only through the lens of the New Testament, rather than for its own sake.” (p. 13)He proceeds to make his case by demonstrating how the Old Testament answers ten important questions in Chapters 2-11 and by comparing the Old Testament’s answers with those of the Ancient Near Eastern myths, ancient Greco-Roman philosophies, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism and/or “modern” religions. During the course of this, he clearly demonstrates, among other things, that all religions are not basically the same.Chapter 12 gives a fuller answer to each of the ten questions that takes into account the New Testament. I would have liked the book even more if his taking account of the New Testament material on each question had come immediately after the discussion of the OT material.Chapters 13 and 14 review and summarize the entire book. The book includes a 20-page bibliography, a 14-page scripture index, and eight pages of author and subject indices.The book is occasionally a bit of a slog, but for the most part it is very readable and frequently insightful. Each chapter ends with a brief, well-written summary. It could be a readable alternative to reading a systematic theology (if anybody actually does that).

⭐He argues cogently for a re-evaluation of the old story…of a return to a healthy Biblical approach to life. And he neatly dismisses so many of the shallow and unconsidered attacks on Christianity that are mounted these days.

⭐Excellent scholarly and very readable overview of the Old Testament as giving humankind an overarching “story”. Concentrates on Genesis. Contrasts with other contemporary “stories”. Provides spiritual, political and practical implications.

⭐One of the most interesting books on Old testament ethics I’ve read

⭐”Seriously Dangerous Religion” is an exceptionally readable and extraordinarily engaging account of the fundamental themes of the Old Testament, and so of all of reflective Christian life. I’m midway through my second “slower read” of the book, and already looking forward to an even slower third pass spending a bit more time on references, etc. Professor Provan shows with clarity the coherence of the entire Old Testament, how convincingly and cogently it deals with the topics of the nature of God and of the world, man and woman, evil and suffering, our relationship to God, our neighbor, and society, discussing in the process how these have been misunderstood both by believers and non-believers, and how other major religious traditions do not generally come close to providing anywhere as near a coherent or appealing account of these matters.In an age in which false caricatures of the Old Testament God are seen to be useful for boosting TV ratings and political fortunes or just plain self-image, this is the style and level of book that all Christians should be reading with care (and enjoyment and satisfaction), to be better able to articulate in a God-honoring way the reason for our hope.This is the most expensive book I’ve purchased in many years, but it is worth the price. (I scraped the sixty some Canadian dollars together to buy the paperback edition, because I couldn’t convince myself that it was good stewardship to spend fifty some dollars on the kindle edition, which I would be unable to easily markup and perhaps share with friends.) Don’t let the price by itself be decisive, because books of this caliber will support many hours of fruitful and stimulating Bible Study. I understand that the economics of serious Christian book publishing are not always easy, or perhaps not ever easy, but one can still dream of a day when it is possible to read the type of quality writing exemplified by this book at a somewhat more affordable price.

⭐The book is good for a good understanding and grip on the Old Testament. It offers excellent comparative analysis between the biblical narrative and other popular narratives that try to explain our ontology. However, it lacks certain pieces of puzzle I believe are quite important in understanding the big picture offered by Christianity.

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