Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Lyons, William L
URN	etd-09042003-150128
Title	Between History And Theology: The Problem Of Herem In Modern Evangelical Biblical Scholarship
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Religion, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title David Levenson Committee Chair Eric Walker Committee Member John Kelsay Committee Member Shannon Burkes Committee Member
Keywords	Ancient Israelite Approach To War
Date of Defense	2003-06-01
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract One does not have to read very far in the Old Testament to discover that war and warfare are frequently recurring motifs. Whether spiritualized, extolled in poetry, or reported in sparse narration, war is everywhere. One aspect of the ancient Israelite approach to war in the Bible is found in the Hebrew word h9erem ({rx, meaning “to place under a ban” or “devote to destruction”), a word that often calls for the complete annihilation of an enemy and is translated by some as “holy war.” The practice of herem assaults modern sensibilities with regard to right and wrong actions in times of war and thus has proven to be a hermeneutical dilemma. How can such passages inform modern readers when the armies of Israel “completely destroyed” their enemy (often including women, children, and livestock in the annihilation), not only with impunity, but with divine direction and blessing? This dissertation examines the treatment of herem in the work of three prominent 20th century evangelical Old Testament scholars: Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Peter C. Craigie, and Tremper Longman, III. As an exercise in the history of biblical interpretation, it specifically examines how these evangelical scholars interpret a problematic biblical concept for an audience that accepts the Bible as an infallible document which is authoritative for Christian life and practice. Based on an extensive review of their writings and personal interviews with Kaiser and Longman, it takes a close look at the hermeneutical strategies they share for interpreting herem, others that they reject, and still others that are unique to each scholar. Although clearly sharing a common interpretative tradition, each scholar represents a distinct way of negotiating the simultaneous demands of historical criticism and contemporary evangelical theology. Moreover, it also demonstrates that there is no monolithic evangelical approach to interpreting this problematic military convention; rather, the works of Kaiser, Craigie, and Longman indicate that there is a multiplicity of approaches to resolving perplexing biblical stories within evangelical Old Testament scholarship.
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