Joshua: Believers Church Bible Commentary
Matties prefaces his commentary on the book of Joshua with a statement: 'In an age of fear and insecurity, in which ethnic nationalisms continue to give rise to conflict and war, we dare not avoid critical engagement with biblical texts that have been used to justify colonialism, conquest, occupation, and ethnic cleansing'.With a brave and honest recognition of the historical legacy of this biblical book, Matties explores the biblical text of Joshua and takes the reader to places of reflection on the Holocaust, popular culture (VeggieTales, The Lord of the Rings and Bob Dylan rate a mention) and a serious consideration in light of the international law of Genocide. He argues that 'in a time of religious justification for terrorism and counterterrorism, Joshua may be a book for our time'. For Matties, 'at its heart the book of Joshua is concerned with leadership and political community, concerns that become ever more pressing in our time as ethnic nationalisms and corporate interests vie for human loyalty, and as disenfranchised groups exert their will against either powerful minorities or over-powering imperialisms'.Eschewing the temptation to 'perform a textectomy' on the book of Joshua, Matties instead is content to enter into 'a difficult conversation with the text, even an argument with it'. For each passage of the text, Matties considers it in light of the biblical context and the life of the church. The volume concludes with a collection of relevant essays.Although helpful as a reference for those engaging a text for the purpose of delivering a sermon or homily, Matties draws on Eugene's Petersons advice where he has said: 'I recommend reading commentaries in the same way we read novels, from beginning to end, skipping nothing'. Whilst some commentaries may not lend the reader to such an approach, Matties' work does and it is an engaging commentary that breathes ethical, sociological and theological perspective into readings of the book of Joshua.--Nathan Willis,On The Road JournalIn the sure hands of this skillful interpreter the book of Joshua is seen to be an arena for interpretive contestation that regularly runs back and forth between our most ancient memories and the urgent realities that now face the church. … Matties insists that we must think and struggle and study beyond our temptation to over-simplification. --Walter Brueggemann,scholar and theologian