So What's with All the Bible Stuff?

 

As someone who writes frequently about biblical themes, I am often asked, "So what's with all the Bible stuff?" The truth is, although I am not a Christian, I grew up in a Christian environment and experienced some religious trauma in my youth. As a result, exploring the Bible and putting it into its historical context has helped me reconcile with Christianity in a meaningful way.

One of the reasons I write about biblical history is that I believe people who remove the Bible from its historical context and accept it as the literal word of God, without examination, are doing a disservice to the many writers of the Bible. It is essential to remember that the Bible is a collection of books written by different people, in different times and places, with their own unique perspectives and biases. Understanding the historical context in which these texts were written can provide valuable insights into their intended meaning and help us avoid simplistic and inaccurate interpretations.

Moreover, by gaining a sense of who the writers were and what they were like, I find that biblical history helps me understand the many contradictions in the Bible. For example, the Bible contains various accounts of creation, each with its unique features and symbolism. Understanding the cultural and historical context of these texts allows us to appreciate the differences in interpretation and significance, rather than trying to reconcile them into a single, homogenous narrative.

Studying religious history has also allowed me to understand how Christianity developed over the years and how the Christians of today would not even recognize the earliest Christian sects. Learning about the socio-political reasons that a great many important books were omitted from the Bible, as well as the content of those books, has been eye-opening. I am now able to seek knowledge and inspiration not just from the Bible but from apocryphal, pseudopigraphal, and gnostic texts. These texts offer unique perspectives and insights that enrich my understanding of religious history and practice.

In my exploration of religious history, I have also come to the realization that gospels should have never ceased being written. People of today are just as capable of divine inspiration and prophecy as the ancient writers of religious texts. By depending on the Bible as literal, we are depriving ourselves of the ability to seek personal divine guidance more suited to our modern world.

In conclusion, writing about biblical themes allows me to engage with Christianity in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and personally meaningful. By putting the Bible into its historical context, I can appreciate the complexity and diversity of religious thought and practice throughout history. I encourage others to explore religious history and literature to gain a broader understanding of faith and spirituality, and to find their own paths towards divine inspiration and guidance.

Art by Che