Biblical Interpretation

[SemiCharmedQuark]

What methods do you use to read the Bible? Do you read it as is at face value? Textual Criticism (Looking at the document as it would be read at the time of creation), Source Criticism (looking at the text as it was written by many different editors over many different centuries), Rhetorical Criticism (Use of specific words or phrases by author to drive home point to that particular audience), Form Criticism (the history through which it was formed and what it meant to each person), Redaction Criticism (different authors altering the original text as it was originally written)? I think I use a combination, mostly because I don't personally hold true many of the beliefs and rules of the Old Testament. For the New Testament, I take a much more "as is" approach, except for John's Gospel and some of the Pauline Epistles.

[Matilda]

1. Food for thought here!

My, you certainly have a good grasp of the scholarly aspects of
reading the Bible.

I would say I read both Testaments as Rhetorical Criticism, but the
little study I've done tends to cover the history of the writings,
with the aim of aiding me in how to approach it.

The Old Testament in particular I view mostly as literature with a
message. I do love Isaiah in particular, to me he is sheer poetry,
and paints the most wonderful word pictures. Because so much of
his writing relates to the events of the New Testament, he seems
a bit more relevant to me than many others. And of course the Psalms
of David are magic, the most beautiful testimony of man's faith
ever written I think. I just take them as that.

I take the New Testament mostly as a whole series of parables - I
read the message at face value, but I know that we really don't have
any clear idea of just who Jesus was, or what parts of his story
were written by whom, or when they were written. I base my faith on
the gospel message, but not on the literal facts, because there are
so many contradictions between the various gospels.

I'm not sure where that leaves me in scholarly terms!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. I think you worded it perfectly.

Psalms is absolutely beautiful. I also like Song of Songs and surprisingly Jeremiah and the book of Susanna.

I had to take Bibilical Interpretation this semester. I tried to put it as best I could. Im not as good with words as you are, and I didn't want to write "well...er..you know, when you believe some of the stuff, but not all of the stuff, but you know, you like most of it. "

[sandnsea]

3. A combination

Although I never take an "as is" approach anymore, messes me up every time. I also understand the New Testament the most when I put it in context with the Old Testament. When I get confused about what a particular word or phrase means, alot of the time going into Jewish Law or seeking out Hebrew definitions really helps. The internet makes that alot easier. Baptism, pergatory, priests, alot of Catholicism makes more sense when you take it as a continuum of Judaism.

[Princess Turandot]

4. Too complicated a question for me at this hour..

but I will say that one of my favorite Biblical Old Testament quotes comes from Machabees, who discusses Alexander the Great, and notes that the end of his campaign, 'the world was silent before him'.
What could describe this famous and intriguing historical character in a more perfect way.

[TrogL]

5. With a Greek Concordance close at hand

and a bushel of salt.