Pope Expresses Concern Over Diminishing Interest in the Bible

This article from the BBC notes Pope Benedict XVI’s quest to understand why the Bible is ignored in modern times.  PB16 expresses a concern which I hold as well.  The Bible is a fascinating book worthy of our attention and thought, yet is insufficiently read, discussed, and grappled with by Christians, much less those who do not call themselves followers of Jesus.  The fault does not entirely lie with those outside clergy ranks.  I’ve met and heard pastoral leaders who lack confidence in the text, use it as a form of psychological self-help, or who don’t know the story very well, thus setting a poor example for lay persons.  Here is an excerpt from the BBC article:

Pope Benedict XVI has opened a synod of more than 200 cardinals and bishops from around the world to examine the modern lack of interest the Bible.

The Pope lamented what he called the harmful and destructive influence of some forms of modern culture.

This, he said, had decided that God was dead, and man was the sole architect of his destiny and master of creation.

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Bart Ehrman :: God, the Bible, and Suffering

Last night I attended the Annual Awards Banquet for the Religious Studies Department at the University of Kansas.  Following the banquet was the annual lecture.  Dr. Bart Ehrman is a Lawrence native who is now the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Ehrman’s lecture, delivered at the Plymouth Congregational Church, was part of a multiple day visit as part of the Theologian in Residence program, which is sponsored by a vast number of organizations.  Baker University, Washburn University, and the KU Department of Religious Studies, along with various churches and campus ministries have teamed together to fund this program and bring distinguished voices in religious studies to speak as part of this program.

Dr. Ehrman’s lecture drew from material presented in his latest book, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question–Why We Suffer.  Ehrman’s talk was informative.  He was at times humorous, at times insightful, and without doubt passionate about his research and his findings.  His book covers (at least) seven perspectives on suffering which he has found in the Old and New Testament Scriptures, though his lecture only touched on two of those perspectives (prophetic and apocalyptic).  He concluded with his own alternative perspective (a third way to look at it), largely based on his reading of the book of Ecclesiastes.  He informed the audience that his book has garnered a large response from readers.  He has received hundreds of emails informing him of the answer to the problem of suffering–according to Ehrman, most of these responses sum up the answer in twelve lines or less.  He is thankful for the feedback, though dismisses such simplistic answers.

Ehrman triangulates the problem of suffering by identifying three maxims within the Judeo-Christian tradition that are difficult to reconcile with one another.  They are:

• God is all powerful.
• God is all loving.
• There is suffering.

If God is all powerful and God is all loving, why is there suffering?  Herein lies the problem.  Many commentators, theologians, and scholars have debated this question.  In fact, every human being has thought about this.  Thus the strong reactions from Ehrman’s readers.

The two perspectives he chronicled in his lecture he labeled the Prophetic and the Apocalyptic response.  Though this simplifies his presentation, according to the Prophetic Response, suffering comes about as the result of God’s decision to punish human beings for some violation of the divine will.  He quoted Amos at length, “because I have known you (Israel) from all the nations of the earth, therefore I will punish you” (Amos 3:2; 4:6-12).  People have acted against God’s will, therefore God punishes them and causes them to suffer in hopes they will change their behavior.

The second perspective is the Apocalyptic response.  There will be a final judgement, a resurrection, and a time in which God will set right all that appears wrong–justice will eventually be done.  The apocalyptic message is one of hope that grapples seriously with the problem of suffering.  Ehrman notes how in the Gospels, the Pauline corpus, and in the book of Revelation there are elements of this perspective.  During his lecture he noted that from the time of Paul through very recent times there have been heralds announcing that the world will soon end and this apocalyptic scenario will be fulfilled–and all of them have been wrong.  Ehrman believes that both Jesus and Paul held that the world was about to end, and that has proven false.

Ehrman’s third way is based on his interpretation of the book of Ecclessiastes.  Basically, Ehrman understands the teacher to present life as transient, so we should essentially enjoy food, drink, family life, and work while we can.  This life is all we have.  Ehrman goes a step further by saying that because this life is all we have and we live in a chaotic world where suffering is part of reality, we should do all we can to minimize the suffering of others.  We should volunteer more.  Care about our communities more.  Be more generous.  Of course, one would ask where the motivation for such philanthropy would come from.

Ehrman told a bit of his own story during the evening.  He grew up as part of Christian communities in Lawrence.  He began in Plymouth Congregational Church and eventually moved into fundamentalist Christianity.  He attended Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College.  He obtained his Ph.D. from Princeton.  After struggling with the problem of suffering in the world, he lost his faith.  He is now an agnostic, and was open in sharing this with the audience.

Ehrman’s presentation was followed by a question and answer session.  He was generous with those in attendance.

The problem of suffering (evil) will always be a good topic upon which to reflect and publish.  Though I would disagree with Ehrman’s conclusions (and some of his presuppositions that lead to those conclusions), I appreciated his presentation and the manner in which he engaged the audience.

Last night was good.  I enjoyed being around my colleagues, and being in Lawrence to listen in on some dialogue.  I fundamentally disagree with Ehrman concerning the resurrection, the existence of God, the person of Jesus Christ, and I’m sure many other things, but it was good.  Food for thought.  For those that know me, this should come as no surprise.

Questions, thoughts, responses?

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Radical Engagement and Matters of Truth

I live in an increasingly pluralistic age and stand in the midst of an increasingly pluralistic society–a country which is coming to grips with the decline of Christendom and the emergence of a new, multi-faith public square. It might be true that the vast majority of our nation still claims Christianity as their religious faith. However, religious expression in public discourse has become increasingly minimized, as matters of conviction and faith have been closeted.

Last night I had the opportunity to explore the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman found in John 4. A careful reading of this passage yields a great example of what it means to be in radical engagement of the other. Jesus crosses lines of gender (v.7), he discusses differences of religious opinion(v.19-20), he ignores ethnic barriers (v.9), and he even addresses private morality (v.16-18). As a Jew engaging with a Samaritan, Jesus sets a radical example of how we are to engage our enemies. There is even an occasion where literal and figurative interpretation of language is considered–modern interpreters take note (v.13-15)!

Throughout the passage Jesus and this woman dance around issues of truth. I am most struck by this portion of the discourse:

²¹Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. ²⁴God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Remember, Jesus is in dialog with someone who holds similar, yet distinct religious convictions. There is a clear divide between Jews and Samaritans, illustrated here by Jesus’ response to the woman’s question concerning the proper place for worship. I find it fascinating that Jesus is very clear in addressing the differences which exists between Jews and Samaritans while at the same time painting a picture of the radical shift in a future time where the centralized worship of the deity will no longer hold the greatest significance. What will take precedence? Spirit and truth.

What do those words mean? First, I understand Jesus to be addressing central matters of the heart, or our overall orientation towards God when we engage in worship. Are our motives pure? Are we extending ourselves toward the Father with the totality of our being? Are we sincere? Passionate? Open to healing, instruction, guidance, and direction?

Second, Jesus is making claims of truth. As a Christian person, I hold particular convictions about the stories of Israel and Jesus, most notably God’s action on the cross. The particulars matter. They make a difference. As much as we are called to follow after Jesus’ example in how we engage and listen to others, we are also called to hold and express our convictions with clarity and consistency as an expression of our commitment to Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan woman was wise to say, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Jesus was just as bold in sharing, “I who speak to you am he.”

Upon hearing these words may we be blessed with the gift of faith which comes by grace, taking hold of our particular claims and sharing them without fear. Like the Samaritan woman, may we boldly share with others what we have seen and heard with generosity, love, enthusiasm, and courage.

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