Sunday, December 28, 2008

First rate piece of literature

Rick Elliott, a Presbyterian pastor, examines a different way to look at the bible, one he encountered in seminary as a student. A professor said to him:

"It's obvious that the Bible is a library. Everybody knows it is made out of a bunch of books. Most Libraries I've ever been to have a variety of different kinds of books and the Bible is no different.

"It is a literature that contains just about every kind of literature known to man. It has poetry, history, philosophical discourses, comedy, tragedy, intrigue, puns, fiction that makes a point, romance and all sorts of literary efforts. Some began as stories told around a campfire to folk who couldn't read or write. There were letters written to folks in a particular place. There were commentators who tried to tell folks that the path they were on would lead to all sorts of trouble. And that just scratches the surface."

Some additional points that professor made:

It's a first rate piece of literature from a third rate people, one reason why some people think God had a hand in writing it.

The start of Genesis is high quality Hebrew poetry. It's not a newspaper. We don't insist modern poets be taken literally.

It is ancient. Oldest parts are 4000 years old, newest about 1850 years old. What was the context when it was written?

It is pre-scientific, so don't ask it to answer science questions.

It was written in a concrete language that didn't express abstract ideas well.

It is Eastern, it doesn't work with Western logical thought.

It doesn't prove God, but assumes God. It's priority is theological, not historical.

It probably isn't the direct word of God. It is the story of a people who had encountered God and felt they had to write about it.

Alas, since this was posted on a gay blog it attracted a lot of comments about the hurt people have received at the hands of "Christians" and wouldn't the world be a better place if we got rid of it.

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