Thursday, September 28, 2017

Richard Hays on Imagination and Identity

Richard Hays being interviewed,

The figural character of scriptural revelation can encourage and inspire us to think and preach and pray in a way that is boldly imaginative. The New Testament’s richly imaginative reception of Israel’s story should warn us against narrow literalism. The Bible is a complex symphony that invites us to a posture of grateful astonishment at its unexpected harmonic variations on the themes of God’s power and love. Our hermeneutical instructions are clear: “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you” (Mark 4:24).


. . . 

The public and personal reading of Scripture offers us, first of all, our true identity as a people. Scripture teaches us to know ourselves not as autonomous, self-inventing “consumers” driven aimlessly by market forces, but as God’s people, the body of Christ. We are given purpose and hope by the biblical story in which we are caught up. And we’re given one another, a community of brothers and sisters that transcends national identity and breaks down the barriers we erect to protect ourselves.

He does have a way with words!

1 Corinthians and Women's Silence

The discussion as to what Paul meant and whether he even wrote parts of 1 Corinthians continues.

Textual evidence that 1 Cor 14:34-35 is a later interpolation.

Which Larry Hurtado think is correct, but not news.

And in 1 Cor 11:3 "head" does not mean "leader" (HT)

Relatedly, Wayne Grudem continues to amaze us all with his warped theology and supreme lack of scholarly depth. Thankfully Beth Allison Barr puts him straight.

Let me know what you think :-)




Galbraith and Rauser - What's Wrong with Children's Bible Stories

Deane Galbraith takes justified aim at simplified and (semi) sanitised Children's versions of violent Bible stories. Although it is not just the incoherent violence but the theology of the book that worries me.



Is the suggestion here that if Goliath had asked God for help he might have won instead? This is not just a simplification, but an addition of a theme which is not present in the original and changes the meaning of the story altogether.

In a Trinities podcast Randal Rauser shares his shock at discovering the "Disney-fied" version of the Bible he grew up with and how much violence and sex the original contained (from the 23 minute mark).

It is a conundrum. Frequently people have given my children "Bible books" which are both Disney-fied and often theologically confused. Because they are generally rubbish compared to the high quality "secular" books also in the home, I don't worry too much, their attention soon wanders. The fact is the state of play in Christian children's publishing is of incredibly low quality. The Jesus Storybook Bible is a welcome change from the usual, while not perfect it is far higher quality both as a story book and theologically.

Deane is quite right that the toleration, consumption and dissemination of such crap is an indictment against (Western) Christianity. Randal is quite right that having young Christians growing up believing in a Bible they haven't read is a bad way to pass on the faith.

I'd like to see people reading the actual Bible with their children (although admittedly showing discretion depending on age and maturity). I think it would do them all good.

1. This would necessitate difficult conversations about sex and violence. Conversations many parents avoid until too late.
2. This would necessitate difficult conversations about the nature of scripture. The simple "God says it, I believe it" doesn't make any sense when you come to asking in what sense the rape of Dinah or the incest of Lot constitutes "God's word."
3. This would require parents to address their own ignorance of the content of scripture and its interpretation, suddenly sermons and Bible studies would not seem irrelevant to the day to day grind of parenting, "how am I going to answer little Johnny's questions about the Tower of Babel?" Pastors might have to buck up their game too, no more sticking to the safe/easy texts.
4. This would result in raising kids who were thoughtful readers of ancient (and modern) texts, whose faith might be a little more complicated and nuanced but who would not so easily lose it when faced with questions or doubts they hadn't heard before about bits of the Bible they hadn't read before.

Let me know what you think :-) 

Sex, Slogans and Σώματα now on Academia.edu!

Back in 2010 I completed a 40,000 wrd, 1 Year EFT, research project on 1 Cor 6:12-20.  It's seemed pretty awesome at the time, although coming back to it 7 years later I'm happy to say I've developed as a scholar. I've already shared some of my research in very rough form on this blog. I have now uploaded it in its entirety to Academia.edu. Click on the Title to go to the PDF.

Sex, Slogans and Σώματα:

Discovering Paul’s Theological Ethic in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Abstract:

This study examines 1 Cor 6:12-20, a problematic Pauline text.  It is one of only two places where Paul discusses πορνεία (sexual immorality) in any depth.  A thorough grammatico-historical exegesis is performed in conversation with recent scholarship.  Particular attention is given to the use of metaphor.  The issue of Corinthian slogans within the pericope is also  discussed, with the conclusion being reached that it is not necessary to identify any part of 1 Cor 6:12-20 as a Corinthian slogan.  Following the exegesis, Paul’s use of πορνεία, σῶμα (body), and his theological ethic of sex within 1 Cor 6:12-20 are considered in the wider context of the undisputed Pauline corpus.  It is concluded that Paul’s statement that all sin but πορνεία is outside the body in 1 Cor 6:18 is hyperbolic, but is still indicative of a particularly severe judgement on πορνεία.  It is concluded that 1 Corinthians’ unique emphasis on σῶμα is indicative of Paul’s intention to elevate the Corinthians’ esteem for the σῶμα against a Corinthian “spirituality.”  Finally, Paul’s ethic in 1 Cor 6:12-20 is argued to be theological in both construction and content, concluding that Paul’s ethic is formulated in a way which is distinctly Christian against the backgrounds of both 1st cent. Judaism and Greco-Roman moralism.

Jesus treats the Syrophoenecian Woman as a Disciple

[This is an extract from my essay "Breaking Bread: The Power of Hospitality in the Gospel of Mark" which you can read in full and ...