Book Description
The book of Joshua is rich, brimming with dramatic irony, heart-pounding conflict, and luminous stories of miracles. But Joshua presents serious challenges for theological ethics, giving us a deity who demands militarized appropriation of indigenous territory and extermination of Canaanite noncombatants. In this commentary, Carolyn Sharp explores archaeological, literary, theological, and ethical dimensions of Joshua in depth. Sharp honors indigeneity on every page of her commentary, supplying postcolonial epigraphs, quotations of ancient Canaanite voices, and twenty-nine sidebars with insights from Native Studies. Dozens of side- bars offer suggestions for the Christian preacher. This volume is essential for those seeking to engage fruitfully with violent traditions in Scripture.
The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series brings insightful commentary to bear on the lives of contemporary Christians. Using a multimedia format, the volumes employ a stunning array of art, maps, and drawings to illustrate the insights of the Bible. It is built upon the idea that meaningful Bible study can occur when the insights of contemporary biblical scholars blend with sensitivity to the needs of students of Scripture. In addition, the CD-ROM, which offers powerful searching and research tools, pairs the text with a digital resource that is a distinctive feature of this series.
Book Reviews
“Exceptional. . . . This is a landmark commentary for the twenty-first-century church: illuminating, provocative, multi- voiced, and timely.”
—L. Daniel Hawk
Ashland Theological Seminary
“Carolyn Sharp has set a new standard for critically informed, interdisciplinary, and ethically engaged commentary on the book of Joshua in today’s context fraught with militarism, racial violence, and the dehumanization of immigrants and indigenous persons.”
—Brad E. Kelle
Point Loma Nazarene University