Fighting Words: Religion, Violence, and the Interpretation of Sacred Texts

Contents

Contents Preface vii 1. Exegesis and Violence: Texts, Contexts, and Hermeneutical Concerns John Renard 1 2. A Brief History of War in the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish Interpretive Tradition Reuven Firestone 29 3. Annihilate Amalek: Christian Perspectives on 1 Samuel 15 Bernhard A. Asen 55 4. Violence in the New Testament and the History of Interpretation Leo D. Lefebure 75 5. Finhās of Medina: Islam, “The Jews,” and the Construction of Religious Militancy Michael A. Sells 101 6. The Baha’i Tradition: The Return of Joseph and the Peaceable Imagination Todd Lawson 135 7. Justifiable Force and Holy War in Zoroastrianism Jamsheed K. Choksy 158 8. The Failure of Allegory: Notes on Textual Violence and the Bhagavad Gita Laurie L. Patton 177 9. Words as Weapons: Theory and Practice of a Righteous War (Dharam Yudh) in Sikh Texts Pashaura Singh 200 Glossary of Names and Technical Terms 227 Contributors 235 Index 237 This page intentionally left blank ...