Lynch does a good job not pigeonholing himself into a single approach. He borrows from multiple interpretative threads and creates a richer argument as a result. He strikes a good balance between taking the ethical concerns of the issue seriously, and letting the text speak for itself (and accepting it). I’ll go ahead and offer a spoiler alert: Lynch admits that he can’t completely resolve the tension in the text. But in terms of creating a humane approach to these texts, Lynch succeeds. A couple of times, a quick Google search found that Lynch stood in a camp of his own. This part is also messy. He doesn’t get close to dealing with the Flood texts in as much depth as the Conquest narrative. There’s a lack of focus, to say the least. For example, one chapter in this part deals with violence against women in the early Genesis narratives. It was a fascinating and convincing piece of scholarship, but it’s connection to the Flood was tenuous at best. ( )

This was a very complex book, and took a while to read. The author addresses a very difficult topic, how do Christians reconcile the loving God of the New Testament with the just and often violent God of the Old Testament. There is no definitive answer, but the author provided a lot of good information, which makes the reader really think and ponder this complicated issue. ( )

"Flood and Fury" by Michael Lynch is a captivating and thought-provoking examination of Old Testament violence and its implications on the concept of the Shalom of God. Lynch, a skilled theologian, delves into the often challenging and controversial narratives of violence within the Old Testament, offering readers a comprehensive and nuanced perspective.
The strength of Lynch's work lies in his ability to navigate through complex biblical passages with scholarly insight and a deep understanding of historical and cultural contexts. The book doesn't shy away from acknowledging the discomfort that arises when encountering the violent episodes in the Old Testament. Instead, Lynch invites readers to engage in a critical examination, challenging preconceived notions and encouraging a more nuanced understanding of the divine narrative.
The central theme of "Shalom," often translated as peace, plays a pivotal role throughout the book. Lynch skillfully connects the dots between the violent episodes and the overarching theme of Shalom, proposing that the seemingly contradictory elements of wrath and peace in the Old Testament are, in fact, part of a larger redemptive narrative. His exploration of Shalom as not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of justice and wholeness adds depth to the discussion.
One notable aspect of Lynch's approach is his commitment to an inclusive dialogue. He engages with various theological perspectives, historical interpretations, and contemporary scholarship, providing readers with a well-rounded understanding of the discourse surrounding Old Testament violence. The book encourages readers to grapple with challenging questions, fostering a more thoughtful and compassionate engagement with the biblical text.
While "Flood and Fury" successfully tackles its subject matter, some readers may find the depth of theological discussion and academic language a bit challenging. However, Lynch does make an effort to present complex ideas in an accessible manner, making the book suitable for both scholars and interested lay readers.
In conclusion, "Flood and Fury" is a commendable work that adds valuable insights to the ongoing conversation about Old Testament violence. Michael Lynch's approach is scholarly, thought-provoking, and ultimately contributes to a richer understanding of the Old Testament narrative and the profound concept of the Shalom of God.

The book Flood and Fury by Matthew J. Lynch is a book about violence and the Bible. This book focuses on those texts in the Old Testament that seem to show God's violence. While focusing on the Old Testament, the book also brings in the New Testament, both its ways of modifying violent Old Testament texts and those texts that seems to accept the violence of God.

The book is split into four different parts. Part one introduces the problem and provides an historical overview of different positions on violence in the Old Testament. It also provides an introduction for how Christians can understand the violent texts within scripture. The second part focuses on one of the major themes of violence in the Old Testament, the story of the flood. Within this part, Lynch examines how the flood is understood as a way of God not destroying the world but of making a re-creation of the world. The analogy that the author uses, which I found helpful, was of a person making a ceramic vase that had defects in it. In this case a person would have to destroy the vase and start over again with the clay. The defect was there from the beginning and needed to be destroyed, to be recreated. In a similar way God recreates God's creation as it is already has faults within it.

Part three looks at the conquest of Canaan by Joshua. This section is the longest section in the book as Lynch is trying to hold multiple ideas in the air. His basic understanding of the conquest is that there is an ideal understanding of the conquest which was seen in things like the fall of the walls of Jericho that talks about a direct and quick conquest. This “majority report” is where most of the violent texts occur. There is also a minority report which is more of a gradual assimilation. Lynch also goes into several historical critical critiques of the text which attempt to show, and i feel successfully, that some of the violent texts are Ancient Israel's way of speaking which could be found throughout all the Middle East at this time. Finally, he makes a case that the violent conquest of Canaan should be seen metaphorically as an attempt at how we are to worship. That worshipping God is a struggle and how Israel battled Canaan, so too are we to battle ourselves in our worship with God. Finally, the fourth part is a summary exposition of what it means to say about these texts and the character of God. Lynch finally concludes by saying that in many cases the violent texts are such that they are in themselves irresolvable and that part of what makes the Bible the Bible is that we must struggle with these difficult texts and will never have fully satisfying answers.

I believe that his book is a great book for those who have questions about the violent texts in the Bible. As the author concludes his book, Lynch does not have a fully satisfying answer to the question of the violent texts within the book, however, he does provide the tools to allow a person to grapple with the texts and provide the answer for themselves. ( )

Many people wrestle with the apparent disparity between the God of the Old Testament and Jesus, the Son of God of the New Testament. Flood and Fury invites readers to engage violence in the Old Testament. Lynch covers two brutal texts--the story of the flood and the annihilation of the Canaanites in Joshua.

Lynch is a respected Old Testament scholar who handles the issues with thoroughness. He avoids easy answers, admitting that the problem is ultimately unresolvable. He leads the reader through difficult passages encouraging a deeper examination of the context in which it was written. For those interested in even more scholarly resources, Lynch includes a robust bibliography.

The chapter "What the Old Testament Says About God's Character" was pivotal in reshaping my opinion of the wrath-filled God of the Old Testament. I'd encourage anyone to pick up the book for that section alone.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a free copy of the book via LibraryThing, but this was not contingent on writing a review nor did receiving a free copy influence the review. ( )