The Human Element

COPIES OF COPIES OF COPIES

“What if God didn’t say it? What if the book you take as giving you God’s words instead contain human words? What if the Bible doesn’t give a foolproof answer to the question of the modern age—abortion, women’s rights, gay rights, religious supremacy, Western-style democracy, and the like? What if we have to figure out how to live and what to believe on our own, without setting up the bible as a false idol—or an oracle that gives us a direct line of communication with the Almighty? There are clear reasons for thinking that, in fact, the Bible is not this kind of inerrant guide to our lives: among other things, . . . in many places we (as scholars, or just regular readers) don’t even know what the original words of the Bible actually were.”

Bart Ehrman. Misquoting Jesus. 2005


A RECOMMENDATION

Because these posts are not intended as book reviews, the reader may frequently feel more teased than edified. In quoting from Ehrman’s work, I run a particular risk of leaving my vast audience feeling unsatisfied, if not dissatisfied. So, here’s a straightforward recommendation: read Misquoting Jesus if you are serious about biblical interpretation. And keep in mind a theme that recurs throughout the scriptures: the symbol is not the holy thing.

CS