When David beheaded Goliath, he violated rule 113 of customary international humanitarian law which prohibits the mutilation of corpses in war. Interestingly, that was never addressed when I learned the story in Sunday school. I know what you’re thinking: “That’s anachronistic! You can’t judge an earlier action by a later law!” But I’m less interested […]
David and Goliath
David as Goliath and Goliath as David
In this fascinating TED Talk Malcolm Gladwell turns the story of David and Goliath upside down by reading David in the role of Goliath and Goliath in the role of David. As Gladwell puts it, “Goliath is a sitting duck. He doesn’t have a chance.” This is a familiar biblical narrative as you’ve never heard […]
If “The Bible is not a children’s book” then why do we have children’s Bibles?
Steve Hays of Triablogue wrote a response to my discussion of teaching biblical genocide to children called “Scout’s Honor!” It includes all the hallmarks of Hays’s critical analysis (or lack thereof) including the claim that I accept the UN as my “moral authority”. (How’s that supposed to work exactly?! “Hmm, has the UN addressed whether […]
