Over the years, scholars have wrestled with the apparent emphasis on violence in the Apocalypse, even to question whether it should be considered Christian at all. Certainly, much of the material in Revelation appears to be violent and vengeful. In fact, Gerd Lüdemann calls this the ‘dark side of the Bible’. As scholars of the Apocalypse, we are forced to ask, ‘What is the significance of the violent images in Revelation? Does it matter? Does God, in fact, have a dark side, one which perhaps negates his “loving side”? If this violence is significant, how can these images be understood as relevant to our world which is so focused on technology, empiricism and rationality? What are we, as biblical scholars, to say about this as we proceed into the twenty-first century, a century already marred by terrorism justified by its emphasis on jihad? Is violence ever justified, even when it is used to bring about a just cause?’ This article will review, without being comprehensive, what noteworthy scholars have suggested from their study of the Apocalypse. Possibly, an alternative to the extreme positions of violence and non-violence can be found within the text of Revelation. Hopefully, this review will advance a further consideration of this issue.
Violence in the Bible and the Apocalypse of John: A critical reading of J.D. Crossan’s How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian
