Ham-Handed Hermeneutics VI: More Hippo, Less Ham

November 28, 2015November 28, 2015Posted in ANE, Answers in Genesis, Augustine, Bible, Biblical Theology, Christianity and Science, Church Fathers, Evolution, Exodus, Genesis, Gospel, hermeneutics, Ken Ham, N.T. Wright, Philosophy, TheologyTagged aig, Ancient Near East, ANE, answers in genesis, Augustine, bible, biblical interpretation, biblical theology, chrisitianity, Christian Scriptures, church fathers, creationism, evolution, exodus, genesis, Genesis 1, Genesis 1-11, hermeneutics, history, ken ham, literalism, nt wright, Old Testament, science1 Comment

Or the Harmonization Temptation

This post continues and concludes (for now) my engagement with Augustine’s On the Literal Meaning of Genesis.
I simply want to note some of the intriguing and insightful elements in this work. I will give particular attention to Augustine’s suggestion that Genesis 1 presents God’s causal creation of all things, including human beings, while Genesis 2 describes the formal or material creation of human beings which for Augustine is God’s ongoing creative activity. Finally, I suggest that one of the errors that is common to Ham, Augustine and many errors is the desire to harmonize Genesis 1 and Genesis 2.

[For related Ham-Handed posts follow these links: Augustine I, Augustine II, Augustine III)

Continue reading “Ham-Handed Hermeneutics VI: More Hippo, Less Ham” →

How to Teach Genesis 1 – Part I: Don’t Begin with “In the Beginning . . . “

November 23, 2015February 25, 2016Posted in ANE, Bible, Education, Exodus, Genesis, hermeneutics, Poetry, Practice, Sunday School, TeachingTagged Ancient Near East, bible, biblical interpretation, creation, education, exodus, Genesis 1, Genesis 1-11, Interpreting Biblical Literature, Michael Cosby, myth, Old Testament, Psalms, Stoney Run Publishing, survey courses, textbooks1 Comment

Given that my post How to Teach Genesis 1 in 30 Minutes remains one of my most popular posts, I thought my readers (new and old) might appreciate a little more detail and a slower walk through the process.

While my previous post was aimed at a single session, this series will hopefully aid those who teach introductory or survey courses either in an academic or church setting.

Related Posts: Why Seven Days?, Review of Michael Cosby’s Interpreting Biblical Literature, Have Sex and Eat: The First Two Commandments, When is a Snake not Merely a Snake?, Review: Pete Enn’s Inspiration & Incarnation 1

Mistakes to Avoid:

Mistake 1. Beginning with Genesis

Do not begin with Genesis. As I have stated elsewhere, I think the majority of textbooks and biblical overview courses make a pedagogical error in beginning with “In the beginning . . . ” In any other subject, you teach the basics first before you jump into the really difficult material. You don’t jump into Hamlet before you teach grammar and the basics of poetry.

What’s a rhyme? What’s a simile? What’s a metaphor? Am I reading a comedy or a tragedy? If Romeo & Juliet is really a love story, then why do they die in the end? If Hamlet is a tragedy, why are there so many funny moments? Is that another dirty joke? Err, I mean, Is that more ribald humor? How come the clowns aren’t funny? Continue reading “How to Teach Genesis 1 – Part I: Don’t Begin with “In the Beginning . . . “” →

Book Review: Inspiration and Incarnation (Chapter 3: The Old Testament and Theological Diversity)

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015Posted in ANE, Bible, Biblical Theology, Education, hermeneutics, Jewish/Christian Dialogue, Sunday School, TeachingTagged bible, Ezra-Nehemiah, Inspiration and Incarnation, Jonah, Old Testament, Peter Enns, Ruth, Theological DiversityLeave a comment

In this chapter on theological diversity in the Old Testament, Peter Enns offers an engaging and helpful introduction to what most biblical scholars Christian and non-Christian have come to recognize as simply being the nature of the Old Testament. Moreover, for many of us with strong commitments to the authority of Scripture, the recognition of theological diversity in the OT has not only enriched our understading of the Scriptures themselves but of the God who inspired them including what it might mean to be creatively inspired by the Creator. There are three key aspects to Enns chapter on diversity in the OT.

The Old Testament is not a flat text. It is a textured text. Not all books can be read in the same way and some work needs to be done to understand the different genres in the Old Testament.
The books of the OT were written in differing time periods and show signs of being edited to some degree and therefore to some degree there is evidence of the develoopment and revision of thought over time and according to chaning circumstances.
And related to the latter, there are ongoing arguments, discussion, and unresolved tensions within texts and between texts of the Old Testament. (Some of these tension are resolved by and in Christ Jesus.)

Continue reading “Book Review: Inspiration and Incarnation (Chapter 3: The Old Testament and Theological Diversity)” →

Why Seven Days? Heavenly Bodies, Ancient Gods, and 24 Hour Tangents

August 27, 2015August 31, 2015Posted in ANE, Biblical Theology, Christianity and Science, hermeneuticsTagged Ancient Near East, ANE, answers in genesis, bible, biblical interpretation, biblical theology, creationism, Genesis 1, hermeneutics, Old Testament, science5 Comments

The number 7 plays a significant structural role in both the writings and practices of ancient Israel. Is there something ontologically significant about the number? Is the number 7 something like the c in e=mc2? Maybe, I don’t know. Ask a physicist.

(I am sure somebody somewhere has written a book with the spurious claim that the number 7 is the key to unlocking the universe and used the Jewish and Christian Scripture to “prove” it.)

Why is the number 7 significant? Why do we have a 7 day week? Continue reading “Why Seven Days? Heavenly Bodies, Ancient Gods, and 24 Hour Tangents” →