Summary
Title: Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals
Author: John A. Buehrens.
Publisher: Beacon Press.
ISBN: 0807010537
Pro:
• Offers a much-needed antidote to the more vocal fundamentalist readings of the Bible
• May help many overcome prejudices against the Bible and arrive at a more balanced reading
Con:
• Does not explain why a progressive reading is more true to the Bible's "spirit" than any other
Description:
• Exploration of a progressive, theologically liberal reading of the Bible
• Argues that fundamentalists shouldn't be allowed to be the only ones to interpret the Bible for us
• Explains how themes of liberation, freedom, and justice play important roles throughout the text
Book Review
John A. Buehrens’ book Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals argues that the fundamentalists’ understanding of the Bible is definitely not the only one available. A former president of the Unitarian Universalist Association, Buehrens’ goal in this book is to provide a solid foundation for a more progressive and liberal understanding of biblical texts — partly because of their literary value, partly because of their role in modern cultural literacy, but mostly because a fundamentalist understanding of those same texts has come to so dominate people’s perspective that it has become difficult to imagine that anything else can exist.
Buehrens’ guiding principle in his reading is that “a look at any part of the scriptural tradition should be done in light of the spirit of the whole.” For him, that “spirit” can be found in the themes of liberation, justice, love, and peace. This Buehrens argues is the “true religious spirit” in the biblical texts that have themselves been “taken captive” and used to serve the cause of oppression — as we can see, Buehrens even uses the language of liberation to refer to his use of the text itself.
There’s just one problem with this: why believe that Buehrens’ ideas about what constitute the true “spirit” of the Bible are right? Granted, he doesn’t usually fall into the same trap as so many other religious liberals and argue that his progressive reading are true to the original intentions while other more conservative readings are not; nevertheless, we still need some reason to believe Buehrens’ interpretation is more appropriate.
It isn’t enough to simply observe that his interpretation leads to more appealing conclusions about the “meaning” of the Bible: just because we agree with his political and social beliefs shouldn’t cause us to unskeptically agree with his theology as well. Fundamentalists also claim to read the Bible in the “spirit” of the whole — but for them, that “spirit” is more about God’s righteousness, the depravity of human sin, and the constant need for God’s grace and Jesus’ love for us to eventually make it to heaven. That may not necessarily lead to the same appealing conclusions regarding the Bible, but fundamentalists find it acceptable and they aren’t necessarily wrong.
Or at least, they aren’t any more right or wrong than Buehrens. He can muster impressive arguments to support his case, but so can they. He can construct a reasonably coherent and consistent reading of the Bible, but so can they. Fundamentalists need to gloss over some sections and struggle with rather convoluted readings to force some portions into their general structure — but so does Buehrens.
