tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23471801.post2144792543977725701..comments2023-10-21T07:44:20.549-04:00Comments on The Existence Machine: More on Biblical narration and The Adventures of Augie MarchRichardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08014014605639738887noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23471801.post-18500524552831981492009-03-11T14:44:00.000-04:002009-03-11T14:44:00.000-04:00Hi Jim, thanks. You're of course right that people...Hi Jim, thanks. You're of course right that people read all kinds of meanings into the Bible. In part, I think, this is because it has been presented as a repository of meaning, and people want justifications. And people feel like a sacred document ought to provide meaning.<BR/><BR/>For the purposes of this discussion, I highly recommend finding Josipovici's <I>The Book of God</I>. You can usually pick it up for very cheap (I bought it for $1 from Amazon). It addresses, I think, most of your points.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08014014605639738887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23471801.post-24472627253392580572009-03-11T14:29:00.000-04:002009-03-11T14:29:00.000-04:00Richard,I'm very much drawn into your last three p...Richard,<BR/><BR/>I'm very much drawn into your last three posts. Confession: I know nothing about Josipovici. It's only your and some other bloggers' references that have alerted me to his work. So much to read, so little time.<BR/><BR/>These posts about the centrality of narrative are rich and deserving of lengthy commentary, but, for purposes of brevity, let me pull out one strand that struck me as not quite spot on. You say (I think summarizing GJ) that the Bible resists meaning. If anything, the opposite is the case: it invites too much meaning (which, of course, may be the same thing).<BR/><BR/>The narratives are historical narratives. There are BIG historical figures: Moses, Elijah, David, Solomon, Jesus, Peter, Paul. There is the narrative of the liberation, founding, establishing, and fall of the ancient Hebrew state—its victories and defeats, its heroes and villains, its Cassandras and Priams.<BR/><BR/>But there are more than mere narratives. There are law codes (as deadly dull as reading the CFR), genealogies, love poetry, liturgical songs, and the ancient equivalent of talking head commentators (just as biased and annoying as any you'll find on FOX News or CNN). There are instructions on how to build a small home church or school, how to seduce important people to your point of view, how to deal with persecution, how to discipline traitors to your cause. There are even visionary passage that are, frankly, quite insane (Quick Hint: If you ever read so-called 'Apocalyptic' writings, think of the symbolism like you would an editorial cartoon, Say, in the '70s you saw a picture of a fierce bear playing cards with an equally serious eagle while a giant bomb destroyed the world on the table between them, you would know the Bear was the U.S.S.R., the eagle was the U.S., and the stakes were either disarmament or nuclear armagaddon. Etc.)<BR/><BR/>Now, what I meant by inviting too much meaning. Though there is the great sweep of narrative, too many people read each word as if it had direct meaning in their own lives at that particular moment. They over-interpret. Others read the cultural proscriptions (don't eat shrimp or pork—valuable sanitational issues for a nomadic tribe which lacked, e.g., refrigeration) as if they were still relevant, elevating these at-the-time culturally relevant bits of survival advice to nation-defining status. Others read the apocalyptic bits as if each element were a tumbler that must (when interpreted rightly) fall into place and signify the end of the world (the is Obama, e.g., the anti-christ debate that is being waged among the fundamentalists today).<BR/><BR/>In sum, there is a 'can't see the forest for the trees' approach to the Bible that is truly off-putting. GJ's narrative understanding sounds similar to conclusions I've come to over the years. I must read him. However, as for its resisting meaning, I must take some exception.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>Jim H.Jim H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02088100982761595050noreply@blogger.com