The Enemy in the Household

Download or read book The Enemy in the Household written by Caryn A. Reeder and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fresh approach to troubling biblical texts explores the "family violence" passages in Deuteronomy, tracing their ancient interpretation and assessing their contemporary significance. Three laws in Deuteronomy command violence against a family member--the enemy in the household--who leads others away from covenantal obligations to God. This book examines such "constructive" violence carried out to protect the covenant community by investigating the reading practices of ancient Jewish and Christian interpreters of Scripture and their applications of these passages. It also helps modern readers approach biblical texts that command violence in the family, providing a model for the ethical interpretation of these difficult texts.