Ronald Hendel, professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California – Berkeley, recently blogged about why people should still be reading the Bible. While many today opt for extreme positions – ignoring it or interpreting it in a very literal manner – he proposes an alternative: a respectful approach that emphasizes the impact of rather than the historicity of the stories contained within its pages. He writes:
. . . it is a book that lies at the heart of western culture, and it still has a claim on us, whether we believe in it or not. We still define ourselves and our world in relation to it. Even if we reject it, we are taking a stand and acknowledging its presence. It’s like the 800 pound gorilla in the middle of the room. You can try to ignore it, but you still have to walk around it.
So What?
Hendel ends his post with a plea that we should “reclaim this book as a cultural icon that belongs to all of us.” How are and how will you strive to be a part of moving toward that goal?