End of Biblical Studies

Inbunden, Engelska, 2007

489 kr

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In this radical critique of his own academic specialty, biblical scholar Hector Avalos calls for an end to biblical studies. He outlines two main arguments for this surprising conclusion. First, academic biblical scholarship has clearly succeeded in showing that the ancient civilization that produced the Bible held beliefs about the origin, nature, and purpose of the world and humanity that are fundamentally opposed to the views of modern society. The Bible is thus largely irrelevant to the needs and concerns of contemporary human beings. Second, Avalos criticizes his colleagues for applying a variety of flawed and specious techniques aimed at maintaining the illusion that the Bible is still relevant in today's world. In effect, he accuses his profession of being more concerned about its self-preservation than about giving an honest account of its own findings to the general public and faith communities. In a controversial conclusion, Avalos argues that our world is best served by leaving the Bible as a relic of an ancient civilization instead of the "living" document most religionist scholars believe it should be. He urges his colleagues to concentrate on educating the broader society to recognize the irrelevance and even violent effects of the Bible in modern life.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2007-07-01
Mått152 x 229 x 23 mm
Vikt730 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor400
FörlagPrometheus Books
ISBN9781591025368

Tillhör följande kategorier

Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Kristendom inom Filosofi och religion

"Avalos does deserve credit for not only mentioning the fact that there are plenty of well-respected biblical scholars who defend the general reliability of the bible, but also interacting with their arguments. Other writers who argue against the Bible's reliability usually do not even acknowledge the existence of such individuals. Traditional Christians should return the favor and acknowledge that there are intelligent participants on both sides of the debate." --Restoration Quarterly, 2008 "[Avalos] scores many palpable hits, and should be read by every biblical scholar." --Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Vol. 32.5, June 2008 "The author suggests that biblical studies should end, and be replaced by a purely secular equivalent. Avalos, whose critique of biblical scholarship parallels that of G. Ludemann, Robert Price and Burton Mack, does have a point." -- International Review of Biblical Studies, Vol. 54, 2007-08