__Is the God of the Old Testament nothing but a bully, a murderer, and an oppressor?__   
Many today--even within the church--seem to think so. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments?  
  
In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including:  
  
God is arrogant and jealous  
God punishes people too harshly  
God is guilty of ethnic cleansing  
God oppresses women  
God endorses slavery  
Christianity causes violence  
  
Copan not only answers the critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.  
  
"This is the book I wish I had written myself. It is simply the best book I have read that tackles the many difficulties that the Old Testament presents to thinking and sensitive Christians. Paul Copan writes in such a simple, straightforward way, yet covers enormous issues comprehensively and with reassuring biblical detail and scholarly research."--Christopher J. H. Wright, international director, Langham Partnership International; author of Old Testament Ethics for the People of God   
"Lucid, lively, and very well informed, this book is the best defense of Old Testament ethics that I have read. A must-read for all preachers and Bible study leaders."--Gordon Wenham, emeritus professor of Old Testament, University of Gloucestershire  
  
"The New Atheists have attacked the morality of the Old Testament with a vengeance. In honesty, many Christians will confess that they struggle with what looks like a primitive and barbaric ethic. Paul Copan helps us truly understand the world of the Old Testament and how it relates to us today."--Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College  
  
"Copan takes on current New Atheist biblical critics and powerfully addresses virtually every criticism they have raised. I know of no other book like this one, and it should be required reading in college and seminary courses."--J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Talbot School of Theology; author of The God Question   
"There's virtually no scholar I'd rather read on these subjects than Paul Copan. This handbook of responses to tough ethical issues is able to both diminish the rhetoric as well as alleviate many concerns."--Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor, Liberty University and Seminary  
  
__Paul Copan__ (PhD, Marquette University) is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. He is the author or editor of many books, including When God Goes to Starbucks.

Paul Copan (PhD, Marquette University) is the Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University in Florida. He is the author of several apologetics books and lives with his wife and five children in Florida.

A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have leveled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments?  
  
In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including:  
  
  
God is arrogant and jealous  
God punishes people too harshly  
God is guilty of ethnic cleansing  
God oppresses women  
God endorses slavery  
Christianity causes violence  
and more  
  
  
Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.

Leading apologetics writer with a proven track record tackles the most difficult Old Testament passages and topics, helping readers to reconcile the God of righteousness with the God of love.

Copan, Paul

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Introduction

Part 1: Neo-Atheism

1: Who are the New Atheists?

2: The New Atheists and the Old Testament God

Part 2: God: Gracious Master or Moral Monster?

3: Great Appetite for Praise and Sacrifices? Divine Arrogance or Humility?

4: Monumental Rage and Kinglike Jealousy? Understanding the Covenant-Making God

5: Child Abuse and Bullying? God's Ways and the Binding of Isaac

Part 3: Life in the Ancient Near East and in Israel

6: God's Timeless Wisdom? Incremental Steps for Hardened Hearts

7: The Bible's Ubiquitous Weirdness? Kosher Foods, Kooky Laws? (I)

8: The Bible's Ubiquitous Weirdness? Kosher Foods, Kooky Laws? (II)

9: Barbarisms, Crude Laws, and Other Imaginary Crimes? Punishments and Other Harsh Realities in Perspective

10: Misogynistic? Women in Israel

11: Bride-Price? Polygamy, Concubinage, and Other Such Questions

12: Warrant for Trafficking in Humans as Farm Equipment? (I): Slavery in Israel

13: Warrant for Trafficking in Humans as Farm Equipment? (II): Challenging Texts on Slavery

14: Warrant for Trafficking in Humans as Farm Equipment? (III): Slavery in the New Testament

15: Indiscriminate Massacre and Ethnic Cleansing? The Killing of the Canaanites (I)

16: Indiscriminate Massacre and Ethnic Cleansing? The Killing of the Canaanites (II)

17: Indiscriminate Massacre and Ethnic Cleansing? The Killing of the Canaanites (III)

18: The Root of All Evil? Does Religion Cause Violence?

Part 4: Sharpening the Moral Focus

19: Morality without a Lawgiving God? The Divine Foundation of Goodness 209

20: We Have Moved beyond This God (Haven't We?): Jesus as the Fulfiller of the Old Testament

Discussion/Study Questions

Notes

About the Author

Other Books by Paul Copan

Back Cover

A recent string of popular-level books written by the New Atheists have levelled the accusation that the God of the Old Testament is nothing but a bully, a murderer, and a cosmic child abuser. This viewpoint is even making inroads into the church. How are Christians to respond to such accusations? And how are we to reconcile the seemingly disconnected natures of God portrayed in the two testaments? In this timely and readable book, apologist Paul Copan takes on some of the most vexing accusations of our time, including: God is arrogant and jealous; God punishes people too harshly; God is guilty of ethnic cleansing; God oppresses women; God endorses slavery; Christianity causes violence; and more. Copan not only answers God's critics, he also shows how to read both the Old and New Testaments faithfully, seeing an unchanging, righteous, and loving God in both.

Is God a Moral Monster? [eBook]

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