catapult magazine

[b:60dde8c708]Read this issue’s Bible study verses[/b:60dde8c708]

What are the various literary forms in the Bible? How do we understand and interpret passages according to their literary forms? How might these passages be misunderstood without accounting for their literary forms?

We had loads of fun in our biblestudy trying to set the scenes behind Paul’s letters, especially 1 Corinthians. Because it’s a letter, we don’t have the stuff that Paul is responding to, so we kind of had to use the imagination and some good detective work.
In our biblestudy, we like to read the Bible like people read most books. In English classes or book clubs, people are used to asking about context and background, foreshadowing, writing structure, the author’s tone etc., but for some reason when people read the Bible they narrow their focus to “What does this mean for my life?” or “How can I get the little nuggets of truth from this book?” I Corinthians is great because Paul’s rebuking the church for being so small-minded when it comes to the Gospel (eventhough the Corinthians think they’re so wise) and his tone switches back and forth from mocking and sincere. I really believe that Paul’s views on women in the church would be clearer if people paid more attention to Paul’s tone when he’s giving instructions about women’s roles. In 1 Corinthians, Paul appears to be reluctant and somewhat snide when he is forced to tell the Corinthians what to do with their women and the Communion ceremony etc.

As I was reading my own post, It just struck me again that tone is something that has gotten a bit lost in our content-focused, doctrine-heavy tradition. People obsess over the words in Scripture but “Listen sister, the words ain’t all that’s coming off the page!” There’s music in the language and that’s important too. It means a spitload(sp?) of difference whether something is said in sarcasm or sincerity. Have we dehumanized Jesus so much as to think his red read words cancel out his (no doubt) excellent musical skills as an orator?

I wonder if our Protestant stress on written words has become something of an idolatry every bit as dangerous as the worship of icons. Such an idolatry pushes music (along with images) to the margins of the Christian life (songs and banners only “support” the preaching of the Word). The feelings and messages shared, projected and communicated in images and music seems somehow less significant than the dialogue or lyrics that are, let’s face it, God’s true agents of truth.

ps. I don’t have a sister. I do know how to spell “spitload”. And I do think words are God’s only agents of truth—“psyche”!…as Jesus used to say.

…which is why we need to really lift up music and visual arts in the Protestant community. We seem to have a pretty good literary tradition, but words aren’t everything. Ok, I’ll stop now.

Grant, you are having such a great conversation with yourself…I hate to interrupt.

I agree that a lot more than raw words is going on in Scripture. I’ve heard some people talk about the intentionality of words. Like you said, is it meant sarcastically or sincerely, etc?

I’ve also heard some people (Horton, Van Hoozer) put speech act theory to great use. We tend to think of words as inanimate objects. But words have actions as well. Good poetry moves the emotions in profound ways. Even ideas strike one speechless in adoration. That’s one reason I think “dead orthodoxy” is a misnomer. People are bored with orthodoxy, the orthodoxy is awesome! In the midst of our washed out, bite-a-minute, 15-seconds of fame, and what’s new? who cares? culture, ancient history begins to carry a strong voice.

The idea of speech act theory is that words have actions. They promise, warn, threaten, demand change (or else!), comfort, cause pain, heal, etc. Thus, words don’t sit idle. They are really powerful. They change the world. They are also put into the use of their authors to communicate, and in this sense, the Word, as God’s Word, will have the most profound and the widest possible significance for everyone in the world.

so maybe teaching music skills in the Christian community is the best thing we can do to insure better reading and interpretation of the Bible. I wonder if some of our bad interprations of Scripture come from hearing it read out of the mouths of pastors who have little to no musical skills whatsoever. I know many pastors seem to think “grave deadpan sobriety” is the very voice inflection of God Himself.