Friday, November 11, 2016

Second Yale Course - The Old Testament


In the spring I told my readers about the New Testament course I was taking on Open Yale and how much I enjoyed the learnings.  Christine Hayes is another brilliant professor and her knowledge of the Hebrew Bible (as she continually referred to the Old Testament, correctly) is profound.  Once again I admit that I learned so much about the historical development of this part of the bible.  Understanding the history of the Israelites and how their canon was written is very rewarding.  You may recall how disgusted I was as I read the Old Testament through as part of my year of reading the bible cover to cover.  I now have a very different perspective on the stories contained in the bible and why there was so much admonition going on throughout most of it.  Anyone wanting true knowledge of the history of the bible would find both courses rewarding.
Would a study of the “history” of the bible cause a person to lose faith in God or their religion?  I think it is possible if one has relied heavily on their bible for the source of their faith.  One is taught that “all scripture is inspired by God” and clearly you will learn that this is doubtful since many of the stories have strong parallels in other, older religions of (for example) Canaanites and Assyrians.  As well, you will learn that there are many conflicting ideas in different books of the bible.  Doubt is thrown on the existence of notable writers as well as characters of the bible.  With respect to the character and teachings of Jesus, in particular, there is a lot of doubt and conflict of what the various books of the New Testament propound to be his teachings.
Nevertheless if one has faith in God regardless of the “holiness” of the bible, have no fear, you will not be shaken.  Instead, you will actually come away with a greater regard for humanity and a better appreciation of people’s struggle to understanding the meaning of life.  Our ancestors were as confused, doubtful and seeking as we few, we happy few, are today.
More on that tomorrow.

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