Violence & The Bible for Normal People
By Caroline Blyth
This brilliantly accessible and engaging book canvasses one of the heaviest themes in the Bible, examining portrayals of violence in its many forms. Unlike so many accessible Bible studies, Violence & the Bible for Normal People resists the temptation to provide "neat and tidy" theological solutions to some of the most challenging texts in the Bible, instead naming them for what they are and examining their ongoing legacies.
Weaving her love of true crime and murder mysteries with her extensive expertise, biblical scholar Caroline Blyth has written a book that is both profoundly honest and engaging—that honors the weighty legacies of these texts, but resists being weighed down by them.
If you have ever struggled with biblical portrayals of violence—human and divine—this book is for you. If you have ever seethed in church as violence was described as adultery, this book is for you. If you are seeking a trustworthy guide through the Bible’s texts of terror, this book is for you.
Join Caroline Blyth as she illuminates some of the darkest biblical narratives and gently examines the questions they raise, both for their ancient authors and their readers today.
Book cover for Violence & The Bible for Normal People: A Guide to Biblical Texts of Terror by Caroline Blyth
“Caroline Blyth serves up a platter worthy of Salome—though, yes, the Bible does not actually name Salome in the story featuring John the Baptist’s severed head. Like many other squeamish normal people, I enjoy a gory tale—from the comfort of my home, that is. As an academic, I value scholarship on the Bible that is thorough, accurate, and accessible. This wonderful read on murder, sacrifice, and other biblical violence makes both parts of me—the normal and the scholarly—feel very satisfied.”
about the author
Caroline Blyth
PhD University of Edinburgh
Caroline Blyth is a Scottish biblical scholar who’s made her second home in Aotearoa New Zealand. Before she dipped her toes into biblical studies, she gained a degree in psychology and worked as a mental health nurse. Since taking (very!) early retirement from academic life in 2021, Caroline has worked as a freelance proofreader and editor. In her spare time, she busies herself with various “passion projects,” which usually involve investigating biblical violence in light of contemporary crime narratives, both real and fictional. Her childhood love of crime fiction has never waned, and she’s recently turned her hand to writing some murder mysteries of her own.