Are Holy Scriptures Best Understood As Art? (soul, hell, experience)

[Jose Fly]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

What is the best way to understand holy scriptures? Is approaching holy scriptures as art the best way to understand them? Why or why not?

IMO, the best way to understand scriptures is the same way we understand Beowulf--as folklore.

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Jose Fly

IMO, the best way to understand scriptures is the same way we understand Beowulf--as folklore.

That would be grossly superficial. For one thing, it wholly ignores the distinction between folklore and folk history while dismissing the Tanach's role as codification of civil code.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Jose Fly

IMO, the best way to understand scriptures is the same way we understand Beowulf--as folklore.

But then, I would imagine that people's understanding of Beowulf is just as divergent as thier understanding of the Bible.

In any case, Jay's right Jose; quite a bit of the Bible could be classified as folklore, but there's a lot more to it than that; history (even if you choose to disregard the events themselves as mostly myth, the books still gives you a pretty comprehensive outline of the socio-political development of a people who've had as great an influence on the development of western civilization as any other) esoteric poetry, philosophy,..

.. and if you read it in just the right light in just the right frame of mind it's a halfway decent owners manual for a 68 Toyota (although I've never been able to prove this last part).

[Sunstone]

Originally Posted by Quagmire

But then, I would imagine that people's understanding of Beowulf is just as divergent as thier understanding of the Bible.

In any case, Jay's right Jose; quite a bit of the Bible could be classified as folklore, but there's a lot more to it than that; history (even if you choose to disregard the events themselves as mostly myth, the books still gives you a pretty comprehensive outline of the socio-political development of a people who've had as great an influence on the development of western civilization as any other) esoteric poetry, philosophy,..

.. and if you read it in just the right light in just the right frame of mind it's a halfway decent owners manual for a 68 Toyota (although I've never been able to prove this last part).

If you read the bible backwards, it lays out a cogent argument for evolution, as God and Darwin wanted it to.

[Quagmire]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

If you read the bible backwards, it lays out a cogent argument for evolution, as God and Darwin wanted it to.

Hmmm, I always had a feeling God and Darwin were in it together on this whole thing.

Not a bad idea Phil; if you read the Bible backwards you wind up in the garden of Eden. Unless you go too far, in which case you wind up in the introduction, which is usually boring and at least a little sanctomonious.

[Jose Fly]

Originally Posted by Jay

That would be grossly superficial. For one thing, it wholly ignores the distinction between folklore and folk history while dismissing the Tanach's role as codification of civil code.

Good point Jay. I stand corrected!