The Bible For Normal People [Bible] Episode 311: Chauncey Diego Francisco Handy - The Afterlife of the Conquest of Canaan
Oct 6, 2025
Chauncey Diego Francisco Handy, a professor of religion at Reed College, dives deep into the conquest narrative in Joshua, exploring its historical roots and themes of empire and identity. He discusses the complex voices within the text, emphasizing the militaristic versus the subversive perspectives. Chauncey reveals how this narrative was weaponized by colonial empires and urges readers to recognize its harmful legacy. He advocates for centering colonized voices in interpretation and encourages faith communities to engage with these texts thoughtfully.
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Joshua As Constructed Memory
- The conquest narrative in Joshua functions as a constructed story about the past that serves present identity rather than a literal historical report.
- Chauncey Handy emphasizes the narrative's aim: to explain why land matters to a community more than to record precise events.
An Idealized Golden Age
- The book of Joshua presents an idealized 'golden age' where Israelite faithfulness and divine support are depicted at a peak.
- Handy points out the narrative skews events to show perfect ritual fidelity and miraculous victories, not messy historical reality.
Two Competing Voices In Joshua
- Joshua contains at least two competing voices: a triumphalist militaristic strand and a subtler critical strand that questions Israel's fidelity.
- These voices coexist within the same book, producing tensions that complicate simplistic readings.
