I was raised with a fundamentalistic theological view of Revelation, where I was to study modern-day political events to try to find the clues to prove my particular prophetic interpretation of the book. It was therefore unconscionable for me to consider that the book of Revelation could be about anything but a future event. So much of the Bible interpretation I used was to present the events of the Bible as a prediction of what was to come in my lifetime. The Bible was effectively being written for Christians alive in my generation (even though generations past had been told much the same thing).
Scholars who are open to perusing other religious materials and historical documents of the time can offer a better perspective of the Bible and its stories. Instead of being bound by a need (or a requirement by some seminaries) to hold the Bible to a particular interpretation before studying it, some scholarship is open to considering many interpretations and sources to come to a conclusion. Additionally, what is refreshing about this more open kind of scholarship is the willingness to change interpretations when new evidence presents itself, such as when a new document or artifact is found or a new PhD graduate presents an iteration on a pre-existing historical position.
The Bible had long begun to feel disconnected from my personal life in the application-based mindset I had for many years. The stories in the Bible felt written as object lessons, closer to fables than anything related to history. The bits of advice or suggested actions almost seemed like magic spells I could cast to have an all-powerful deity be bound to do my bidding. I exaggerate, but I think you might understand my meaning: some people think certain prayers or certain ways of praying might lead to greater success; some think fasting will get God’s attention; some feel that suffering is the key to answered prayer. These all seem like superstitions, but they were part of my culture and I couldn’t make sense of them. I didn’t understand how this could apply to my modern life.
Scholarship has made the Bible exciting again, enriching it with life and historical foundations that I couldn’t find before. History is alive within the text in ways I never knew before. Long-confusing lines of text in the Old Testament finally makes sense in the context of other contemporary kingdoms and religions. Prophetic text that felt unmoored from reality became firmly grounded in a specific era and situation. And all of this has been thrilling to learn in ways I haven’t felt in a long time, perhaps ever.
This short video offers an example of the breadth of knowledge available online from critical scholarship. There is so much out there available for free in a way that feels unprecedented. The internet has plenty of problem areas and has done much to harm society, but at the same time good information has never been more available to the public.
Religion for Breakfast
Was Nero the Antichrist? (And Why Early Christians Thought He’d Rise Again)
Nero died in 68 CE—or did he? Meet the impostors, rumors, and apocalyptic traditions that convinced many he would return, shaping the meaning of 666 and the Beast in Revelation.