In his provocative book Der Bibel-Gott Israels auf der Anklagebank nach dem Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) , subjects the biblical portrayal of the deity to a modern legal "trial" based on the German Penal Code (StGB).
: By putting God on the "defendant's bench," Berghaus challenges theologians to reconcile the "merciful God" of modern preaching with the "wrathful and violent God" found in the scriptural texts he cites. In his provocative book Der Bibel-Gott Israels auf
: The book is written from a strictly rationalist and secularist viewpoint, aiming to demystify religious texts and hold them accountable to the same legal scrutiny as any historical or fictional character. Context and Reception Context and Reception : The central thesis is
: The central thesis is that the behavior of the biblical God—if judged by today’s secular legal and ethical standards—is not that of a moral authority but of a criminal. Berghaus argues that religious tradition often masks or justifies violence that would be condemned in any other context. It serves more as a philosophical and ethical
The book is often associated with the or similar freethinker movements in Germany. It serves more as a philosophical and ethical critique than a literal legal exercise, using the framework of the StGB to highlight what the author sees as the "inhumane" foundations of monotheistic scripture.