I started this series on Lois Tverberg's Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus talking about the idea of how it's easy for a reader to view Scripture through the lens of the 21st Century—and even a Western perspective.
On page 18, she quotes New Testament Scholar Kenneth E. Bailey, where he writes:
"The Bible is an Eastern book. We see it through the colored glasses of Western culture. Much is lost. We miss the subtleties of humor and many of the underlying assumptions. We do not understand the ingrained attitudes that illuminate a story or illustration... what likes between the lines, what is felt and not spoken, is of deepest significance..... It is my perception that for us as Westerners, the cultural distance "over" to the Middle East is greater than the distance 'back' to the first century. The cultural gulf between the West and the East is deeper and wider than the gulf between the first century (in the Middle East) and the contemporary conservative Middle Eastern village."
What does this mean for the modern, Western reader who wishes to follow Christ and live according to His Word? How can we learn the Jewish perspective and read with Eastern eyes?
Do you agree with this statement—that it is harder bridge to understanding the cultural differences between the East and West than to the mindset of someone 2000 years ago?
It's because of this that I've been embarking on this study. As a Western female in 2018, I do not want to miss even one drop of truth from the Bible because I don't understand a cultural nuance—even though I know that I have. I know I have these filters, so I am asking God to help me read with Eastern eyes.
On page 18, she quotes New Testament Scholar Kenneth E. Bailey, where he writes:
"The Bible is an Eastern book. We see it through the colored glasses of Western culture. Much is lost. We miss the subtleties of humor and many of the underlying assumptions. We do not understand the ingrained attitudes that illuminate a story or illustration... what likes between the lines, what is felt and not spoken, is of deepest significance..... It is my perception that for us as Westerners, the cultural distance "over" to the Middle East is greater than the distance 'back' to the first century. The cultural gulf between the West and the East is deeper and wider than the gulf between the first century (in the Middle East) and the contemporary conservative Middle Eastern village."
What does this mean for the modern, Western reader who wishes to follow Christ and live according to His Word? How can we learn the Jewish perspective and read with Eastern eyes?
Do you agree with this statement—that it is harder bridge to understanding the cultural differences between the East and West than to the mindset of someone 2000 years ago?
It's because of this that I've been embarking on this study. As a Western female in 2018, I do not want to miss even one drop of truth from the Bible because I don't understand a cultural nuance—even though I know that I have. I know I have these filters, so I am asking God to help me read with Eastern eyes.
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