Length: one page, double-spaced, standard margins.
Points: 25
For these essays, I don’t have a particular answer in mind. I want to see how you engage the texts and make applications to our world and our lives. You are graded, not on a “right” answer, but on the thoughtfulness of your response. Your grade on this topic does not depend on whether I agree or disagree with your position. You may get the full 20 points, even if I disagree with you entirely.
There are three parts to this essay. Your essay should clearly indicate parts 1, 2, and 3.
Israel and her neighbors practiced a form or war known as “ḥerem,” which is a war of total destruction.
Explain what possible rationales might explain it. We discussed three rationales in class – check PowerPoint 6.
Is this kind of war morally defensible? Are there any circumstances in which it might be?
Most importantly, how do we deal with the issue that, according to biblical texts, it is God who commands indiscriminate killing?