How Bible Was Written
~ Donald L. O’Dell
How did the Bible become the Bible? How did the historical context and purpose of the emerging authors who produced most of the text we know as the Scriptures evolve into the Bible – both the Old and New Testaments?
The writers of our Biblical texts were people in that time period, attempting to verbalize their spiritual journey.
Using incidents from my own personal experience and a down-to-earth approach to history, my summary of biblical history will make these people “come alive."
Reading my book, my hope is that you will be in a better position to use the Bible as a spiritual, albeit non-literal, reference.
The Bible: A Tool To Control Or Illuminate Your Heart And Mind
From Temple Abuses To Modern Pulpits: The Bibles Legacy Of Control
I have made a case that human nature has always had a strong desire for simplistic biblical beliefs and practices. We know this is a desire to feel in control of the knowledge of good and evil and therefore to be certain about what it is God wants from us. It’s a desire to believe that you’re right, which quells doubts and, as such, is fear-based. This inclination had its beginnings in the Old Testament, led to abuses in Israel’s Temple-State system, and influenced what was included and excluded from the New Testament. These are the same fear-based “religious” forces that dominate today's fundamentalist and evangelical churches, leading them to misuse the Bible.
I’ve noticed that when someone in the room quotes or "spouts" biblical messages, everyone else gets quiet. Sometimes the outburst embarrasses us. Sometimes it scares us a little. Other times we’re afraid to say something, lest we reveal our ignorance. Mostly, we don’t say anything because it’s been ingrained in us that religion is a private thing, not something to be discussed in public. We all remember the sage advice to avoid discussing politics and religion. That, however, has changed.
Whatever the reason, for the last twenty or so years, while those of us who don’t normally go around spouting biblical quotes have been quiet, the Protestant fundamentalist and evangelical denominations have seen enormous increases in attendance. So has the literal Opus Dei organization of the Roman Catholic Church. These groups have spawned an assortment of conservative religious groups that have become more and more active in our communities and nations. Currently, it has been the continual “marriage” between political interests and conservative versions of biblical understandings that has spawned the resurgence of white Christian Nationalism. Left unchecked, this “marriage” belittles both Christianity as well as the underlying principles of our democratic republic. The resulting polarizing divisiveness has never been healthy and right now, with radical, militant Islamists, Palestinian-hating Jewish extremists, and conservative biblical fundamentalists/politicians all running around proclaiming their rights, well, it can be downright scary.
The longer we stay quiet, the louder their voices seem.
Silencing Doubt: How Fear Wrote, and Rewrote Scripture
Because most of us don’t trust our knowledge of the Bible, we’ve stayed quiet and let the conservative biblical fundamentalists go unchecked. But they misuse the Bible to exclude others, to build fortresses against “evil” (as they perceive it), to develop a national moral consensus for targeted behaviors, and to condemn or attack anyone who disagrees with them.
Their misguided use feeds their confidence in the rightness of their interpretation of Scripture because they use other Bible texts to authenticate that very same text. “If it’s in the Bible, then it’s absolutely true.” This literal misuse of the Bible supports their fundamental views on society and, together with political interests, those forces have become loud and repetitive: anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-immigrant, anti-Middle Eastern, anti-alternative lifestyles, anti-non-evangelical religion, anti-sex, and anti-stem cell research. People are listening! White Christian Nationalism is growing!
Their behavior contributes a lot to the sense of divisiveness or polarization we feel all around us. On matters of belief, we are seeing more books, radio or TV talk shows, letters to newspapers or magazine articles that seem to be saying, regardless of the topic, “I’m right!” or “It’s my way or the highway!” Every issue is a very big deal. Every issue is cast in terms of black or white, right or wrong, good or bad. The Bible is either accurate or it isn’t. There seems to be no middle ground. That’s an indication people are misreading the Bible. That’s an indication that people have begun to idolize the Bible. I call it bibliolatry, and people traditionally fight to protect that which they worship and adore.
Spiritual Scripture: The Awakening Power Of Biblical Certainty
The Religious Right, the Christian Coalition, or any other evangelical group, in conjunction with conservative politicians, is attempting to place limits and strict legalistic parameters on the definition of being a true believer and patriot—and they are trying to codify their views in state and federal legislation. This is the same mistake the priestly class made during the prophetic times in the Old Testament. During the centuries immediately following Jesus of Nazareth's life and death, this is also the same mistake the emerging Church made while solidifying the contents of the New Testament.
As white Christian Nationalism is growing, main-line Christianity is waning. But there is a growing sense of “Spiritual Christianity,” which is not focused on doctrine, dogma or creeds. It is focused on cultivating and celebrating the growth of open and inclusive spiritual communities that support moral development. This is what excites me. My book celebrates this.
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