Inspired by God, written by man, the Bible is comprised of various genres including law, history, wisdom, psalms, etc. Based upon when the writings occurred, e.g., pre-exile to or post-exile from Babylon, scriptural verses can conflict, which is why one can chose scripture, if chosen in isolation, to fight whatever cause one wants to fight. The author explores several conflicts within the Bible but also discusses what can be learned from the discrepancies. An enlightening read on this inspirational and historical book, which have often been misused. ( )

NCLA Review - Christians plying Bible verses as swords against fellow believers is nothing new. Donn Morgan , president and dean of Old Testament of a theological college believes biblical writers often contradicted each others’ messages. The Bible teems with variations of belief, supplying grounds for supporting nearly any religious argument. He lines up for comparison the messages of Old Testament prophets, for instance, and traces the evolution of Jewish beliefs, such as thinking of themselves as God’s only people to realizing that God loves their enemies as well. He believes the inclusion of conflicting ideas was intentional and need not set Christians against each other. Morgan advocates respectful dialogue between modern “warring parties,” a willingness to listen to each other and “live and let live.” Exposure to another’s understanding may bring new insights, but even in disagreement there can be unity of purpose. Because of the theological depth, this is not a quick easy read. But it takes readers into a new area of knowledge, and encourages us to beat our dueling swords into plowshares. Rating: 3 —DKW 126p, paper, Seabury 2007, $14.00 [220.6] ( )