The Bible as Literature

Not too long ago, Time magazine published this article, and although I don’t necessarily see the validity of all the claims Biema is making, he seems to affirm a current trend in secular education:  students, whether religious or not, should have a basic knowledge of the Bible. 

 To most of my readers, this seems implicitly obvious.  The Bible has been arguably the most influential book in American culture (probably even Western culture).  In order for American citizens, both secular and religious, to function in society they have to have a basic knowledge of the book that served as a foundation for their way of life.

As a result, the GBHS English Dept.has asked to teach an elective class referred to as “The Bible as Literature” in which we will examine the Scripture from a literary standpoint. 

Although I am terribly thrilled to have this opportunity, as a Christian with a literal approach to Biblical interpretation, I find that it will be challenging to present the Bible in an objective, even critical light.  It is important to me that students, both religious and secular, see the Bible for what it is, not what they’d like it to be.  It is also important that they leave the class with the hermeneutic tools necessary to interpret the Bible for themselves.  As such, I expect to ruffle more Christian feathers than secular ones.  I have a feeling that my students of faith will feel very threatened by treating the Bible only as a work of literature, and I anticipate some very tense moments and difficult discussions.

Were you in my shoes, how would you approach this class?  Could you teach this book objectively?Â

Biding our time

Here’s a quick update on our plans regarding my return to school.  After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided to defer my enrollment from Fall of ‘07 to Fall of ‘08.  This will give Haley and I a better opportunity to save money and hopefully I’ll be eligible for an assistanceship.

I do fear that something will happen in this interposing school year that will stop me from going, but overall I know that this is the best decision for my wife and me.  So, I’ll just bide my time for one more year in old P-Cola, and pray that things will work out for the best.

Ph.Dreams

It appears that I have been accepted into the Ph.D. program at University of Louisville.  The assistanceships are already filled, though, so funding might be a major issue.  I am still waiting on a response from OSU. 

More news to come…

Insecurity

I’m well into the application process for four different PhD programs. (Theatre at IU, OSU, and LSU, as well as Humanities at University of Louisville), and I’m pretty much waiting on answers now.  While I am excited about the prospects of moving to a new city and marching the hallowed halls of some institution of higher education, I must admit that I fighting the spectres of insecurity and feelings of inadequacy.  What if I’m not admitted to any of these programs?  What if I can’t find a way to pay for it?  etc.  These demonic questions haunt me, but I’m trying to remain undaunted   Things will work out, I’m sure.

The Destructability of the World

We celebrated my wife’s birthday last weekend by taking a trip to Panama City, Florida.  During our stay, I had one of the most memorable experiences of my life.  Six of us took a boat out to Shell Island and discovered that we were being followed by a group of dolphins.  James, Jason, and I jumped into the water, and we actually swam and played with these magnificient mammals.  I won’t soon forget how playful and gentle these massive animals were, and Haley really enjoyed touching and playing with them too.

All this brings a question to my mind.  There are laws against feeding the dolphins in the wild, and if you are caught feeding them, you are fined heavily.  Apparently, the consensus is that if poeple feed the dolphins in the wild, over time they will lose the ability to hunt for their own food.  Do you think that this is possible?  Could man have an impact on the inborn instinct of animals?  

In a larger sense, can man have a significant impact on the ecology of the world and its inhabitants?  Is the world so delicate that man can break it through negligence or deliberate malevolence?  What do you think?Š