Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The pros and cons of biblical criticism

By Peter Sellick - posted Friday, 4 December 2009


Under the auspices of modernity all knowledge is thought to be contained in truth claims that must be judged according to what we know of the world. For example, since miracles do not happen in our time it is unlikely that they happened in biblical time. The result is that faith becomes impossible because much of biblical narrative is simply cancelled.

It is interesting that Karl Barth felt that he had to write on angels, to the surprise of the demythologisers. He did this because angels play a large part in biblical narrative and could not be ignored. It was not enough to simply write them off because they did not coincide with what we know of the world. In talking on this task he was not trying to argue about the existence of heavenly beings but how humanity could be open to the transcendent, that which could not be encapsulated by our understanding of how the world is.

The logic of natural science dominates our understanding of what is true and what is not and is the reason that some commentators to these pages are indignant that theological statements are not so tested. In this they are thoroughly modern. But, as has been argued again and again in these pages, such a scheme means that we lose human “being” itself, which is another way of referring to the death of the soul.

Advertisement

This is why modernity is the enemy of faith, not because it exposes faith as irrational but because it cripples the imagination, that enemy of “clear and distinct ideas.” When the human mind is dominated by what is perceived as the factual we become enveloped in a great grey cloud that blocks out the light that our forefathers (and mothers) knew to be essential to life.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

45 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Peter Sellick an Anglican deacon working in Perth with a background in the biological sciences.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Peter Sellick

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Peter Sellick
Article Tools
Comment 45 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy