from LTM Workshop March 2013

1. Lord, inspire us to read your Scriptures and
meditate on them day and night.
We beg you to give us real understanding of
what we need, that we may in turn
put its precepts into practice. Yet we know that
understanding and good
intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your
graceful love. So we ask
that the words of the Scriptures may also be not
just signs on a page, but channels
of grace into our hearts.
--Origen of Alexandria (c.186-254)

2. Where do the Hebrew Scriptures come from?

3. Where do the Hebrew Scriptures come from?
1. Parachute option

4. Where do the Hebrew Scriptures come from?
1. Parachute option
2. Gradual appearance and collection option
Oral phases
Written phases
Collection phases
Formalized phase
Translation phase
Reappraisal phases

5. • J - Yahwist source
• E - Elohist source
• D - Deuteronomist source
• P - Priestly source
• R - "Redactor", editor who compiled the sources
• DH - "Deuteronomic History": Joshua, Judges, Samuel 1 & 2, Kings 1 & 2
• *includes most of the Leviticus
• †
includes most of the Deuteronomy

8. How to Read the Bible:
4 (or 8?) Options
(beyond liberal and conservative)

9. Literal:
Like a newspaper, science text, or work of nonfiction -
attempting to tell objective, literal, observable, scientific
facts.
Literary:
Like a poem, novel, journal, or movie - attempting to
convey meaningful, mysterious, multi-faceted beauty and
truth.

10. Critical:
Questioned. Tested. Scrutinized. Evaluated. Treated as human,
situated, constructed, and interpreted.
Naive:
Taken at face value. Unquestioned. Univocal. Treated as
divine, transcendent, incorrigible, or absolute.

11. Critical
2. Critical Literal 4. Critical Literary
1. Naive Literal 3. Naive Literary
Naive
Literal Literary

12. Option 1: Naive Literal
The Bible is a divine text, akin to a
Textbook
Instruction manual
Objective historical account
Audit report
Constitution

13. Option 2: Critical Literal
The Bible is a human text, akin to
a collection of myths
a collection of folk tales
a collection of propaganda
a collection of misinformation

14. Option 3: Naive Literary
The Bible is a collection of literary artifacts, akin to ...
an anthology of moralistic fables
a collection of magic chants or mantras
a source of inspiring stories and quotations

15. Option 4: Critical Literary
The Bible is a collection of human literary artifacts, akin
to ...
a museum
an heirloom quilt
a family scrapbook or photo album
a refrigerator door or classroom bulletin board
a specialized library

16. Critical
2. Critical Literal 4. Critical Literary
1. Naive Literal 3. Naive Literary
Naive
Literal Literary

17. Critical
2. Critical Literal 4. Critical Literary
Faithful
1. Naive Literal 3. Naive Literary
Naive
Literal Literary

18. Option 1: Faithful Naive Literal
The Bible is a divine text, akin to a
Textbook
Instruction manual
Objective historical account
Audit report
Constitution
through which God can speak to us today.

19. Option 2: Faithful Critical Literal
The Bible is a human text, akin to
a collection of myths
a collection of folk tales
a collection of propaganda
a collection of misinformation
through which God can speak to us today.

20. Option 3: Faithful Naive Literary
The Bible is a collection of divine literary artifacts, akin
to ...
a book of moralistic fables
a collection of magic chants or mantras
a source of inspiring quotations and stories
through which God can speak to us today.

21. Option 4: Faithful Critical Literary
The Bible is a collection of human literary artifacts, akin
to ...
a museum
an heirloom quilt
a family scrapbook or photo album
a refrigerator door
a specialized library
through which God can speak to us today.

22. Critical
2. Critical Literal 4. Critical Literary
Faithful
1. Naive Literal 3. Naive Literary
Naive
Literal Literary

23. Why Faithful Critical Literary?
1. Takes the text seriously
2. Takes art of interpretation seriously
3. Takes humans seriously (producers/readers)
4. Takes God seriously
5. Takes Jesus seriously
6. Takes the Spirit seriously
7. Takes the living tradition seriously