For the last couple of weeks I’ve been reading the New Testament. Just one chapter a night before I go to sleep. Although I’ve grown up with this scripture, used it in prayer and listened to it during the Mass for years, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually read it all through sequentially, and I thought I should.
In her book A History of God, which I posted about recently, Karen Armstrong also describes the indifference felt by many Christians when they read the most sacred and central element of Muslim faith, the Koran. We cannot appreciate the beauty of the original Arabic language, and the Koran is meant to be heard, not read.
Well unexpectedly, that is exactly how I am feeling about the New Testament: indifferent. I cannot quite believe how passages that have seemed beautiful and full of meaning during meditation seem dry as dust when read as a book. I find myself dwelling on the inconsistencies, thinking about what we know about the timescale during which the Gospels were written, and the political influences involved (e.g. were the Pharisees really the big baddies they were portrayed as?).
With the all the current discussion about the reality of Christ – some sensationalist, some serious – it’s important to me as a Christian to keep my eyes open about the reality, and to learn about the historical context. There are some things I simply don’t believe are meant literally, such as the (masculine) voice of God booming out from heaven. But I remember the power of an experience on retreat some years ago in which we sang repeatedly in plain chant “This is my Son the beloved, listen to him” while meditating upon an icon of the Transfiguration.
I don’t want to lose the beauty, but I want to know the scripture of my faith better. It’ll be interesting to monitor if this experience changes as I continue reading.
PS: Literally minutes after first publishing this post, I read this by Tracy on the subject of hermeneutics, which I’d never heard of before. It really helps. Ain’t the blogosphere great!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, thanks for commenting on my blog. I think there must be many people with similar questions about the NT, but many are worried about asking their questions and what the impliations for their faith would be. I am concerned as well, but I’ve always had this deep compelling desire to know even if it’s “dangerous”. Truly, if something is real and true, wouldn’t it be able to stand up to scrutiny? If it dissolves under bright lights, then how solid is it and should we then plant our lives on it?
A question for the ages, eh?
hi tess–this is a fascinating post. i completed my masters in counseling psychology a couple of years ago and the program i attended was also part of a seminary. it was there that i was introduced to the concept of hermeneutics. much discussion was made of our personal hermeneutic and what we bring to the text as well as historical considerations, context, etc. in my religious upbringing I always considered that others had studied this before me and they, therefore, knew the “right” interpretation of what i was reading. i remember in graduate school, however, writing a paper on one of the gospel stories and really listening to my heart and bringing my own interpretation to the story. the grader was a bit taken aback with his more traditional view as i had stepped out of the box. while i certainly did not profess my interpretation to be the “right” one, i do believe it could be considered at least a possibility–particularly for me in that moment.
today after reading your post i listened to a podcast with historian Jennifer Michael Hecht and her book, “Doubt: A History.” She had some great comments on how doubt has actually shaped much of the great religions. i particularly like this quote from social reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton:
“When I first heard from the lips of Lucretia Mott that I had the same right to think for myself that Luther, Calvin and John Knox had, and the same right to be guided by my own convictions and would no doubt live a higher, happier life than if guided by theirs, I felt at once a newborn sense of dignity and freedom. It was like suddenly coming into the rays of the noonday sun after wandering with a rushlight in the caves of the earth.”
Sorry for the rather long post, but this topic of wondering and questioning our Christian text and heritage is so fascinating to me. It also is often hard to discuss with many Christian friends because there seems to be so much fear around questioning and doubting that every bit of the Bible is not “literal.” BTW–did you realize that the Hebrew pronoun in the original text is non-gender specific? (ie. it is neither HE nor SHE) I guess if women had done the original transcriptions that God would be a woman
look forward to continuing this conversation. (i very likely will do a post on this, too)
all the best–
Thanks to both of you for your comments. Tracy, I so agree that things that are true will stand up to scrutiny.
Lucy, thanks so much for your post, and the wonderful Elizabeth Cady Stanton quote. My own experience of being educated by nuns who would never allow a moment’s questioning of tradition has, I think, had a deeper influence than I like to think. (Very different from the thoughtful, intelligent nuns I know today!)