Book SummaryGod, by Dan Barker

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of God

Troubling Traits of the Old Testament God: Violence, Discrimination, Lack of Mercy

This book dissects the character of the Old Testament deity, portraying him as a cruel, vindictive, and unjust being. Dan Barker, the author, meticulously analyzes scriptural verses to expose the god's troubling traits, focusing on his violence, discriminatory practices, and absence of genuine mercy. He argues that the God depicted in the Hebrew Bible, often called "The Lord Jealous" throughout the book, is not real and that his actions and decrees reflect the primitive and inhumane mindset of the men who wrote the ancient scriptures.

God's Genocidal Acts as Evidence of His Violence

Barker presents the numerous instances of mass killing in the Hebrew Bible as the most compelling proof of God's violent nature. He argues that the scale and brutality of these exterminations, often condoned by God, make him the most homicidal character in any work of fiction.

Ordering the Extermination of Populations, Including All Ages and Genders

The author highlights God's command to "utterly destroy" entire nations, including the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, as documented in Deuteronomy 7:1-2. This divine decree, according to Barker, clearly demonstrates God's genocidal intent, as it includes the extermination of men, women, and children without mercy. He further emphasizes the account of the Amalekites, whom God ordered Saul to eradicate entirely, sparing neither man, woman, infant, nor child at the breast, showing the ruthlessness and indiscriminate nature of God's violence.

Barker cites the brutal conquest of Canaan as a prime instance of divinely ordained genocide, drawing attention to passages like Deuteronomy 20:16-17, where God commands them to ensure nothing breathing survives in the cities they inherit. He argues that the biblical accounts of the ruin of Jericho (Joshua 6:21), Ai (Joshua 8:28), and Hazor (Joshua 11:11), depict the Israelites, under God's explicit instructions, carrying out these merciless annihilations.

Practical Tips

• Create a virtual reality experience that reconstructs ancient cities. Using VR software, you can design immersive environments that depict what cities like Hattusa or Jericho might have looked like. This can be a personal project to deepen your understanding of these cultures or shared online for educational purposes.
• Engage in creative writing exercises to explore the emotional impact of such decrees. Write a short story or poem from the perspective of someone affected by a merciless decree. This can help you empathize with the victims and understand the gravity of such actions on a personal level.
• Engage in role-playing exercises with friends or family where you debate historical decisions from multiple perspectives. Assign roles such as a historical figure, a modern-day ethicist, and a neutral observer to discuss the actions taken during events like the conquest of Canaan. This activity can enhance your ability to see complex issues from various angles and improve your critical thinking skills.
• Create a 'clean slate' ritual to symbolize a fresh start, similar to the Israelites inheriting new cities. This could involve a physical activity like decluttering your space, digitally detoxing by deleting old files and emails, or even a personal ceremony where you write down old grievances and burn the paper as a symbol of moving on.
• Create art inspired by historical events to explore and express your interpretation of their impact. Art can be a powerful medium for processing and conveying complex ideas and emotions. You might paint, draw, or even write a poem or song that captures your reflections on the accounts of the Israelites, allowing you to connect with the material in a personal and creative way.

Destroying Cities to Erase Evidence of "Sinners"

Barker notes that God's violence extends beyond taking individual lives to the eradication of entire cities, obliterating them to erase any trace of those he considers "wicked." This practice, often termed "genocidal cleansing" in modern parlance, reflects God's desire to create a "pure" and homogenous society dedicated solely to his worship. The destruction of these settlements, including their buildings, temples, and cultural artifacts, demonstrates the depth of God's jealous rage and his need to assert his dominance over any rival faiths or cultures.

Citing passages like Deuteronomy 12:2-3, Barker argues that God commanded the Israelites to "completely destroy every location where the peoples you're going to dispossess worshiped their gods." He highlights how God frequently demanded the destruction of altars, pillars, and sacred groves of other religions, calling for the burning of their idols and the blotting out of their names from those places, as evidence of this systematic cultural annihilation.

Context

• Archaeological findings sometimes provide insights into the historical accuracy of these events, though evidence can be sparse or open to interpretation.
• Modern readers often grapple with the ethical implications of these narratives, questioning the morality of such actions and how they align with contemporary values of tolerance and coexistence.
• Temples and altars were central to the religious and social life of ancient communities. Destroying them was not just a physical act but a symbolic one, aimed at dismantling the spiritual foundation of a society.
• The depiction of divine violence raises ongoing debates about the morality of such actions, with some arguing it reflects the human authors' perspectives rather than divine will.
• The directive reflects the monotheistic nature of ancient Israelite religion, which sought to eliminate polytheistic practices that were common among neighboring cultures.
• The obliteration of religious sites served as a form of psychological warfare, demoralizing the...

God Summary The Hebrew Bible's God vs. the Christian Scriptures' God

Barker rejects the claim that the God of the New Testament is a fundamentally different being than the God depicted in the Old Testament. He argues that Jesus, as depicted in the Gospels, clearly associates himself with the jealous, vengeful, and violent deity of the Hebrew Bible. Instead of offering a new and more compassionate vision of God, Barker contends that Jesus reinforces and even amplifies some of the Hebrew scriptures' most troubling teachings.

Jesus's Claim to Being the God of the Hebrew Bible

Barker maintains that Jesus's identity as the Old Testament's God cannot be disputed within the framework of Christian belief. He points to numerous verses in the Gospels where Jesus explicitly equates himself with the Father, claiming to be Yahweh.

Asserting "My Father and I Are Unified," Angering Jewish Elders

The author highlights Jesus's bold pronouncements, such as "The Father and I are one" (John 10:30) and "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), as clear statements of his divinity and his identity as Yahweh. He emphasizes the hostile reaction of the Jewish elders to Jesus's claims, particularly their attempt to stone him for blasphemy when he...

God Summary Old Testament God Supports Unethical Practices and Contradicts Himself

The author argues that the Old Testament God not only exhibits disturbing character flaws but also actively supports unethical practices like slavery. Barker criticizes God, saying that he inconsistently applies moral principles, highlighting passages that demonstrate his capricious and arbitrary nature.

God's Support of Slavery

Barker reveals that the Old Testament God is not opposed to slavery; in fact, he endorses it both implicitly and explicitly in his laws. The author points out that the Decalogue, while prohibiting the coveting of a neighbor's slave, doesn't denounce slavery itself. The fourth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:9-10) includes slaves alongside sons, daughters, and livestock as those who should rest on the Sabbath, demonstrating their inclusion within a system of ownership.

Allowing Ownership and Beating of Slaves, Including Children

Barker criticizes the detailed instructions on slave ownership found in Exodus 21, a chapter immediately following the Decalogue. He points to the verses that allow slaveholders to physically assault slaves as long as they do not die from their injuries (Exodus 21:20-21), highlighting the inhumane treatment of...

God Summary Old Testament: God Admits to Causing Evil and Using Plagues and Disease as Punishment

This section examines God's disturbing admission in Isaiah 45:7: "I shape light and make dark, create peace and cause evil; I, God, am behind all these actions," as a clear demonstration of his malevolence. Barker explores the various attempts by translators and theologians to soften the impact of the passage, arguing that they ultimately fail to negate God's responsibility for the world's evils. He also discusses God's frequent use of infectious diseases and plagues as punishment, highlighting how these actions reveal a capricious and cruel nature.

God's Statement "I Make Evil" as Evidence of Harmful Intent

Barker focuses on the numerous Bible verses that link God with evil, particularly Isaiah 45:7, where God unequivocally says, "I create evil and make peace." He emphasizes that the Hebrew term "rah," in both this passage and its initial appearance in Genesis 2:17, clearly refers to immorality rather than merely natural disasters or misfortune.

Interpreters and Theologians Evade the Text's Clear Meaning

The author criticizes the various translations of Isaiah 45:7 that attempt to downplay God's creation of ethical wrongdoing by replacing "evil" with synonyms like...