Jesus Loves Canaanites: Biblical Genocide in the Light of Moral Intuition

Randal Rauser's monograph confronts one of the most challenging ethical problems in biblical theology: divine commands to commit genocide against the Canaanites in the Old Testament. The work directly engages the moral intuitions of contemporary readers who find these texts deeply troubling, arguing that such intuitions should not be dismissed but rather integrated into biblical interpretation.

Rauser examines passages in Deuteronomy and Joshua where God allegedly commands the Israelites to completely destroy Canaanite populations, including women and children. Rather than defending these texts through traditional apologetic strategies, he argues that readers' moral revulsion at these commands reflects legitimate ethical insights that should inform theological reflection. The title itself signals his thesis: that divine love, as exemplified in Jesus's teachings, stands in fundamental tension with genocidal commands.

The monograph critically evaluates various interpretive approaches that attempt to reconcile these texts with divine goodness. Rauser challenges literalist readings that accept the genocide commands at face value, as well as attempts to justify them through appeals to divine command theory or claims about Canaanite wickedness. He also examines and ultimately rejects purely symbolic or hyperbolic readings that deny any historical reality to these accounts.

Instead, Rauser proposes that these texts should be understood as human constructions that reflect ancient Near Eastern warfare ideology rather than authentic divine commands. He develops a theological hermeneutic that prioritizes the revelation of God's character in Jesus Christ over problematic Old Testament passages. This Christocentric approach allows him to maintain biblical authority while acknowledging that not all biblical texts equally reflect God's nature.

The work engages extensively with evangelical scholars who defend traditional readings, including Paul Copan, William Lane Craig, and others who argue for the moral acceptability of the Canaanite conquest. Rauser demonstrates how their arguments fail to address the fundamental moral problems these texts pose. His analysis incorporates insights from moral philosophy, particularly discussions of genocide and crimes against humanity in contemporary ethics.

This monograph represents a significant contribution to debates about biblical authority, divine violence, and the relationship between scripture and moral intuition. By taking seriously both biblical revelation and human moral sensibilities, Rauser offers a path for those who struggle to reconcile their faith commitments with troubling biblical passages. His work challenges simplistic approaches to biblical interpretation while maintaining a robustly theological framework.