What the Bible is really about

[daaron]

20. True this.

In your last paragraph, you hit the nail, IMO. If it was for an interpretive approach to scripture (and in my case, extra-biblical texts from the D.S.S. to alchemical commentary) I do believe my faith would have burned away years ago.

I think part of the problem that the OP identifies (RE biblical scholarship and religion) is that as one reads more, and takes a more rational approach to biblical and apocryphal texts, one can end up wondering if one isn't engaging in over-interpretation - essentially the pitfall of biblical scholarship lies in cherry-picking. What makes one interpretation (say, a liberation theology one) more valid than another (say, a fundamentalist one)?

I've never found a fully satisfying answer to this puzzle, for myself. What keeps me going is just how damn fascinating the history of Judaism and Christianity are. It get's even more interesting once one gives up thinking about the Bible as in any way a special or particularly legitimate collection of texts. Once I accepted that I would never know the whole factual, historical truth about Jesus Christ and his disciples, I felt free to pursue theological directions that are still considered heretical. I feel my faith has been enriched by this practice, and I credit it with saving my faith from the dustbin.