I’ve been reading Ennis again, before finishing my book review. This has made me reflect on using scriptures as a rulebook.
Especially when you compare Proverbs and the following book.
Both are there waiting for us when we need them, as we plod through our own messy journey of faith.
If you’re questioning God, are about to give up, and need to rant, Qohelet is your guy.
If that’s not your issue, but you’re on a path to try to live your life wisely, Proverbs has a lot to say.
And either way, God is with you.
“Rulebook Bible reading” shortchanges the depth and raw reality of Israel’s own journey of faith in God.
Both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes belong in the Bible just as they are, because both situations are real experiences for those on the same journey. And then there’s Job.
First we have Proverbs to help us look at just what rules are in the Bible, since often there will be three or four or five different ones.
Then the next book. After all Proverbs looks like a number of different rules, that contradict each other, but with wisdom you can pick which one applies.
Isn’t that enough?
Of course I led with the conclusion. Both books are sets of stories that are there when you need them rather than a unified set of rules so you can avoid needing them.
The same is true of the rest of scripture.
If you simplify the scriptures to simple proof texts and rulebooks you strip them of their relevance, power and usefulness.
With rulebook scriptures, instead of the scriptures being a powerful tool to be there for our needs and to allow God to communicate with us in our circumstances; to rulebook the scriptures we cut and paste them into our own image, a sort of hamstrung idolatry.
If you demand of others that they fit into your rulebook, you deny God and are without charity or the love of Christ.
That is what I think.
What do you think of whether the scriptures are a simple rulebook or whether they are narratives that can find us in our needs and help us respond to God?
And how much do the scriptures allow us to self righteously straight jacket how others must respond to God?
I haven’t yet read Enns. Other popularizers of the same view of the Bible as a library and not a book of answers include:
Professor Timothy Beal whose “The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book” (2011) “… offers the chance to rediscover a Bible, and a faith, that is truer to its own history—not a book of answers but a library of questions.”
and
Rahel Held Evans:
“The Bible is meant to be a conversation-starter, not a conversation-ender.
One reason I think the Bible is such a powerful conversation-starter is that it asks the questions that are most important to humanity without providing neat and tidy answers in response. Instead, it speaks to us through poetry, proverbs, letters, laws, prophecies, philosophy, history, traditions, and stories. God chose not to communicate in bullet points, and I believe it’s because he wants to draw us into conversation with Himself and with one another.”
To varying degrees, the same view applies to other LDS scriptures as well. Unfortunately, our Church study manuals have treated the scriptures as “fixed-in-cement” rule-books for decades — while proof-texting and selectively ignoring inconvenient proof-texts. There does not seem to be much institutional interest in fostering thinking for oneself or becoming an adult of God rather than a child of the Church. Whether or not adults of God, there are many — both LDS and formerly LDS — who have found it necessary to emancipate themselves. I wonder if institutional change is even possible. The gospel topics essays may be a first step, but they are generally not being read or used in our Church classes.
Context mattter, so lessons covering scriptures should include discussion of the history and context that brought forth the book or chapters one is reading. Application context matters as well, as pointed out in the post. While it would obviously be the wrong approach to treat the scriptures as a cafeteria offering and choose only those that are comfortable or convenient to apply, it would be proper, I think, to ask whether this or that scripture can and should apply to me, now, in my situation.
@wondering- I really like your thought of “…thinking for oneself or becoming an adult of God rather than a child of the Church”. I find myself here as well. As a “mid-century modern:” guy over 60, I am in the midst of trying to figure out how to become an adult of God. I’m so tired of the structured approach that I have had in church for at least the last 20 years. I am weary of the here’s the answer for all for this situation from scripture that we often teach. Of course, having a canon that includes more than just the Bible makes this all the more relevant.
@Stephen -This post is excellent, and I have already bought the kindle book and started in. Thanks for the recommendation and thoughts about this topic, I have viewed scripture, I think, in the same way for many years. I find few hard answers to anything there, but can be lifted to find within my heart and soul ways to move forward in what I believe are inspired ways. Many will say how they “found” answers to problems with a random flip of pages in scripture, but I think that they are likewise finding more of an inspiration.
I am excited to read this book and glad I have found another author.
I’m sometime tempted when I encounter a Bible-as-rulebook person to recommend they read the Old Testament book of Hosea. Basically, God tells the prophet Hosea to marry a whore and have three children by her (giving each of them weird, symbolic names). Later she commits adultery (or possibly it’s a case of becoming a ritual prostitute in the Baal fertility cult), Hosea is to buy her back from her lover (or cult leader), forgive her, and make her once again a member of Hosea’s household. But she’s to never again have sexual intercourse with any man, including Hosea. How’s that for a rulebook? Jewish and Christian scholars have been debating this book for a long, long time without definitive answers. But at the very least it’s a good starting point to discuss God’s faithful relationship with Israel.
“It depends” is pretty much my favourite answer to questions I’m asked. Makes my mother-in-law laugh. And annoys folks conducting surveys. I tend to avoid surveys.
I’ve always liked Ecclesiastes… I definitely rant.
Need to move up my Peter Enns on my to-read list.