Quote:
Originally Posted by zeek
OK, so we are working from different presuppositions. Your understanding of what Bible criticism means is idiosyncratic though, I think. Mine is consistent with Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_criticism Like William James, I am open to the possibility that there is something more. But, I'm skeptical about the ability of you or anybody else to turn God into a science. The past is riddled with failures. Witness Lee, for instance. It is hubris to think you can systematize God. |
How is my approach any different from this:
"Biblical criticism is the scholarly "study and investigation of biblical writings that seeks to make discerning judgments about these writings".[1] Viewing biblical texts as being ordinary pieces of literature, rather than set apart from other literature, as in the traditional view, it asks when and where a particular text originated; how, why, by whom, for whom, and in what circumstances it was produced; what influences were at work in its production; what sources were used in its composition; and what message it was intended to convey. It will vary slightly depending on whether the focus is on the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, the letters of New Testament or the canonical gospels. It also plays an important role in the quest for a historical Jesus.
It also addresses the physical text, including the meaning of the words and the way in which they are used, its preservation, history and integrity. Biblical criticism draws upon a wide range of scholarly disciplines including archaeology, anthropology, folklore, linguistics, Oral Tradition studies, and historical and religious studies."
Although I view the Bible as the word of God that does not mean that we cannot examine it as any other writing. The difference for me is that you can find holes in other writings -- for example, Einstein's fudge factor. And you can easily find holes in these epic works, like JK Rowlings Harry Potter books. Therefore, if one author cannot write without leaving errors and blunders, it seems reasonable with the many different authors of the Bible written over hundreds and hundreds of years that it would be full of errors. I have yet to conclusively find one.
Therefore if someone is truly doing "scholarly research of the Bible" as an ordinary piece of literature I would expect that they too have come to this realization. If not I am skeptical of them and their hubris to so quickly assume they have found errors.
Also, I am not trying to "turn God into a science". Instead I see pure science as a close observation and examination of the creation. It is as though we are both climbing the same mountain (trying to understand and know God the creator of the universe), just taking separate trails.