Biblical Texts from Different Perspectives - Coursework Example

Today many scientists investigate Biblical texts from different perspectives. This is essential to facilitate the understanding of God and help contemporary church create new approach to religion. The given paper will summarize eight articles written by different writers with the purpose to reveal the most important idea of each of them. Pentateuch/ The Torah 1. Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, and Letters: a New Name for the Old Book By Ronald J. Allen In the article Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, and Letters: a New Name for the Old Book the author Ronald J. Allen argues that the titles we meet in Bible, namely “Old Testament” and “New Testament”, can’t be considered to be original terminology of church as there is no anything in the history that forbids to call the parts of the Bible differently. Looking for the words to replace, people have already offered a great number of variants. However, the author admits that this replacement may also generate problems (Allen, 2007). The easiest variant to replace “Old” and “New” Testaments is to call them “First” and “Second”. These words cause less negative emotions. Both variants allow to understand Bible’s chronology, however the new variant shows this chronology in more positive and inspirational way. When the people see the worlds “First” and “Second”, they will understand that they should read first part and then move to the second. Taking into account that people prefer to refer not to Old or New Testaments but to certain sections or book of the Bible, the author offers the names for these parts: Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, and Letters. Such designations are really the most appropriate as they may help establish good relations with Israel (Allen, 2007). 2. “Reading the Seams” by Adriane Leveen In Reading the Seams Adriane Leveen implements a research of different critical responses to the interaction in the Torah between separate materials and the whole content. The analysis of various questions from the Torah shows surprising theme alterations, negation and/or elements of convention. Taking into account both the specificity of the composition records and the adaptation of the Torah, it is possible not only to learn these characteristics of the content, but to find out how they encourage the reader to understand them. The author states that interpreting Torah in parts and as one piece is useful and essential approach (Leveen, 2005). According to Leveen, while reading the Torah, it is impossible to ignore theme or language alterations in topic or language, the negations and sudden application of topics, which are really inappropriate. Nevertheless, by taking into account the specificity of the composition records and adaptation, a reader not only becomes familiar with the content, but can evaluate the ways the text encourages the reader to analyze the proposed material. Reading Torah, it is really impossible not to understand the value and richness of the composed text (Leveen, 2005). 3. ‘The Torah and the Unity of God’ by Frank Grusemann The author of The Torah and the Unity of God Frank Grusemann states that belief in only one God, referring to Old Testament represents the most significant and undisputed community in the communication between Jews and Christians. The Torah, on the contrary is considered to be the most disputed and it is easy to understand this dispute, taking into account the strict depreciation of the Torah in Christian religious studies (Grusemann, 2001). From historical viewpoint, the creation of the Torah, as complete set of works, can be compared to formulation of the unity of God, notwithstanding that this fact is controversial. The composition of Torah represents the foundation for Decalogue. There, nevertheless, the composition is considerably expanded, with new perception of the world through the belief in one God. The Torah links together the aspects of actuality, especially those connected with daily life. The forms of Gods identity and essence are undoubtedly discovered by this link. The author states that simultaneously it becomes quite understandable that every modern critic of this creation should realize that these texts are connected to the reality of the time, when they were created (Grusemann, 2001). 4. Friends with God? Moses and the Possibility of Covenanted Friendship by Jacqueline Lapsley Jacqueline Lapsley argues that the friendship between Moses and God represents a right pattern of belief than simple submission. The closeness of their relations proposed a different pattern for the relations of God and the church. The author calls it “a countercultural covenantal friendship”. (Lapsley, 2004) The absence of real friendship resulted in leaving God by Israeli for more “touchable” gods, and this issue is also related to our people, because we also can’t see what we expect from the God. The relation between Moses and God does not accept such position and offers the prospect of a covenantal relations in which sweet-talk and questions, sometimes in irritation, are allowed, communication with God that makes covenant believe achievable. According to the author, the expressiveness of Moses "depressing" feelings toward God creates a chance to build this friendship (Lapsley, 2004). A frank life full of feelings represents one of the main attributes absent in the God’s and people’s relation, and that worthlessness results in unavoidable defiance. It is necessary people should change their relations with God for Moses-like, instead of the fearful, indignant, or lethargic "respect" that is typical for the contemporary church. Submission without communication, interaction, self-assurance and real extensive emotions should be left in the past. 5. What Is Biblical Law? A Look at Pentateuchal Rules and Near Eastern Practice By Bruce Wells The author of the given article Bruce Wells admits that a number of attempts have been already taken to review the history of the pentateuchal texts. However, the opinions of the scientists appear to be too different and it seems that there is not hope of consensus. Therefore, in the given article Wells reconsiders this question. His primary goal is to find the relation between parts of the Pentateuch and regulation implementation in the ancient Near East. Moreover, he wants to discuss the more exact and more complicated issue concerning any link between that Bible and its law and the lawful structure functioning in olden Israel and Judah (Wells, 2008). Really, biblical laws and olden Near Eastern papers disclose some similarities for example concerning the law of the punishment for cattle theft. Moreover, Neo-Babylonian documents can tell us that some rules of the Mesopotamian court are similar to those found in Deuteronomy 19. After analyzing several texts, the author states that the confirmation found in official papers of olden Near Eastern communities allows to make the conclusion that some Biblical rules really reveal olden Near Eastern lawful structure. Several laws really have analogous lawful issues and interpretation (Wells, 2008). 6. Plant and Animal Rights - an Absurd Idea or Ecological Necessity· Perspectives from the Hebrew Torah by Günther Wittenberg Today a lot of debates take place around the question if animals and plants should be considered as beings, which should have certain rights. In the given work Günther Wittenberg discusses the Hebrew Torah laws. Some writing, for example the Book of the Covenant and the Holiness Code explains that humans are not the only who should have rights. Gods also created animals and plants, which should possess the same rights. The author argues that it is essential for the world ecology to provide plants and animals with rights first of all because this will protect them from extinction (Wittenberg, 1995). Having investigated the Hebrew Torah, Wittenberg found it offering a real perspective. The author came to the appropriate conclusion that is proved in the real life. People are inclined to think that only they should have rights because, according to John Locke, they are property owners. However, it is not right, because biblical laws state that there can be no property, because God is a possessor of the whole Universe. Animals and plants are creatures under the God, so they should have certain rights and property must not be considered as reference point, because those who have no property also have their dignity (Wittenberg, 1995). 7. Didacticism in Exodus? Elements of Didactic Genre in Exodus 1-15 by Kåre Berge In the work Didacticism in Exodus? Elements of Didactic Genre in Exodus 1-15 Kåre Berge discusses the existence of “torah didacticism” in the Exodus account, particularly in the story about pestilence. The author states that “torah didacticism” is most noticeable in Exod 15, 22-26, described by the author as real biblical variant of the narration(Berge, 2008). Berge also found “torah didacticism”, affected by knowledge, in the late stories about the migration in the Psalms. The author states: “A study of Exod 1-15 reveals genre elements of sapiential didactic tales, which indicate a didactic pragmatic momentum, force, or impetus in the story. This conclusion is confirmed through a comparison between the Exodus story (as presented in the non-P parts) and the so-called prophetic didactic or ethical legenda as described by A. Rofé” (Berge, 2008). The informative characteristic can be easily found in some narrative aspects that defined by the scientists as late additions. The author of the articles also investigated the narrations for its rationality. Berge makes a conclusion that his investigation showed that from the point of view of torah didacticism, further redactions made additions to the narration, like to any other stories that go through redaction and change their content during it (Berge, 2008). 8. The Grace of Torah: the Mosaic prescriptions for life (Deut 4:1-8; 6:20-25) by Daniel I. Block The authority of God’s declarations can be revealed in the Old Testament. The first utterance essential to consider is calling the world into being. The second word is that sets that way of our history. The third is the Lord’s word about life and death. These utterances show the oral authority of God. The main goal of Daniel Block in the given work is to illustrate the power focuses on the power of God’s written declarations. The author took as an example not well-known writings found in Moses address to his people. The author explains his approach stating that analyzing a biblical writing it is necessary to look for its main idea in the direct literary background and the texts should be analyzed taking into account the cultural context they come from (Block, 2005). The author came to the conclusion that Deuteronomy is valuable for modern people, first of all because it explains the significance of purposeful ways for transmitting the belief. The moral code of Israel arouses the deserved interest and Moses tells us about the way to remember the God’s saving actions and transfer this knowledge to the next generations (Block, 2005). Works Cited Allen, Ronald J. (2007). Torah, Prophets, Writings, Gospels, and Letters: a New Name for the Old Book. Encounter 68.2; Leveen, Adriane. (2005). Reading the Seams. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 29.3; Grusemann, Frank. (2001). The Torah and the Unity of God’ Word & World Volume XXI, Number 3; Lapsley, Jacqueline. Friends with God?(2004) . Moses and the Possibility of Covenanted Friendship. Interpretation; Wells, Bruce. (2008). What Is Biblical Law? A Look at Pentateuchal Rules and Near Eastern Practice. The catholic biblical quarterly, 70; Wittenberg, Günther.(1995). Plant and Animal Rights - an Absurd Idea or Ecological Necessity· Perspectives from the Hebrew Torah. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress; Berge, Kåre. (2008). Didacticism in Exodus? Elements of Didactic Genre in Exodus 1-15. Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament, Vol. 22, No.1, 3-28; Block, Daniel I. (2005).The Grace of Torah: the Mosaic prescriptions for life (Deut 4:1-8; 6:20-25), Bibliotheca Sacra, 162: 3-22. Read More