Original scientific paper
Jonah’s Genocidal and Suicidal Attitude — and God’s Rebuke
Alyssa Walker
; Visoko evanđeosko teološko učilište, Osijek
Abstract
The Bible describes God as a judge and warrior who sometimes uses humans to execute his judgment. These violent texts are difficult, especially when they meet the definition of the modern term “genocide.” And unfortunately, at points in history self-professing Christians have misappropriated such texts to justify genocidal campaigns. Fortunately, Scripture read as canon resists such misuse. Many texts teach God’s people how they should respond to the “other,” and it is never with violence. One such text is the book of Jonah. A literary reading of the book with an eye for intertextuality and with sensitivity to the contributions of liberation theology and post-colonialism reveals a prophet whose genocidal desire for the Ninevites’ destruction was so strong that if they lived, he preferred to die. God rebukes this attitude. Jonah functions canonically to direct God’s people away from hatred and toward compassion.
Keywords
genocide; suicide; violence in the Bible; canonical context; Jonah; intertextuality; postcolonialism; liberation theology
Hrčak ID:
215555
URI
Publication date:
25.5.2015.
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