tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237022755882574439.post668874961879245378..comments2023-06-06T10:02:21.561-05:00Comments on Weightier Matters of the Law: Holy scripture, holy myth (part I)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16544954353921319940noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237022755882574439.post-77317106543540305712008-03-02T23:06:00.000-06:002008-03-02T23:06:00.000-06:00Todd,I may have stated my argument too strongly. ...Todd,<BR/><BR/>I may have stated my argument too strongly. Instead of saying that the patriarchs did not literally exist, what I meant is that the entire narrative of their lives would not be accepted as literal. For specific theologians I would point you to Origen and Ambrose, who take it from Philo, who is admittedly not a Christian but a Jew. Nevertheless his ideas were widely accepted by those early Christians. For specifics, I would say that the matriarchal figures (Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel) are heavily allegorized by theologians focused on asceticism so that it would not appear that the patriarchs were actually engaged in sexual relations with women, but rather were engaged with or married to "virtues" (in the Platonic sense).<BR/><BR/>From a certain post-modern point of view, to say that the Abraham of the Bible may have historically existed but that his biography is something less historical than what the Bible contains could mean that we are talking about two Abrahams and that the Abraham of the Bible is indeed a "myth."<BR/><BR/>Also note that I am probably far outside the mainstream of LDS thought on the Bible in this area.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16544954353921319940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237022755882574439.post-71657953940413980812008-02-21T22:48:00.000-06:002008-02-21T22:48:00.000-06:00Which early Christian theologians did not believe ...Which early Christian theologians did not believe in a literal Abraham?<BR/><BR/>I am familiar with allegorical hermeneutics, but to say the stories are myth? hmmm<BR/><BR/>I am interested in the source quotes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8237022755882574439.post-12753371076634599272008-02-21T14:22:00.000-06:002008-02-21T14:22:00.000-06:00I took a class at BYU called "The Bible as Literat...I took a class at BYU called "The Bible as Literature" from Steven Walker. (It was my [and many others'] favorite class at BYU.) I remember Dr. Walker saying the story of Jonah could be myth, but that, like you said, it didn't really matter. It still taught us lessons and was still hilarious (see "Humor in the Bible" http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/MajorForums/2003_07_17_Walker.htm). <BR/><BR/>I tend to lean toward believing the stories are true; although, if some are myth, they're still relevant, interesting, and essential.Beckyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15230858105751743756noreply@blogger.com