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Faculty |
By Sheila Poole
The Bible is one of the most talked about, studied and dissected books in history.
Yet, argues Columbia Theological Seminary professor Dr. William P. Brown, if read dialogically, “it will always surprise you.”
Brown, the Seminary’s William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, believes the Bible should spark dialogue and conversation and not be seen as a monolithic text.
“The Bible is more a library or anthology than a single text,” he said. “I still get surprised about the Bible when I’m in conversation with other readers such as in the classroom or in a Sunday school group in which we are reading the same text.”
In his latest book, “Sacred Tension: Embracing Dissonance and Dialogue in the Old Testament,” Brown, who is an ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), suggests a deeper dive into the Bible and its 66 books builds mutual understanding and greater respect among readers.
“Genuine dialogue is a high value in the Bible, but it may not lead to consensus,” said Brown. “If consensus is the primary goal of dialogue, it can cut off, rather than promote, conversation. But if we enter into dialogue to better understand each other better, then it can lead to transformation.”
He said such conversations are critical in an increasing polarized church and in society. Christian nationalists have wielded the Bible to justify white supremacy and authoritarianism and to reject the value of diversity. The Bible, he said, is its own e pluribus unum.
Christian nationalism, he added, is antithetical to the very foundation of Christian faith to love and welcome all.
“The wonderful and strange thing about the Bible is that it is untamable,” says Brown. “It will always surprise you and challenge you, even the most familiar passages like Psalms 23 or Genesis 1. It you read it more deeply and dialogically, there will always be something new and fresh to discover.”
Brown, author of several books and essays on theology and biblical interpretation, concedes “Sacred Tension” is perhaps the most non-academic book he’s ever written and that’s exactly the point.
It was written in consultation with his spouse Gail, who for years encouraged him to write a book that would appeals to non-academicians, pastors and church folks, as well as to anyone interested in learning more about the Bible.
The 239-page book, published by Upper Room Books, is intended for Bible study groups and book clubs. Each chapter contains discussion questions such as “Is cultivating a “critical consciousness” important for people of faith? Should it be?
In writing the book, Brown says he found inspiration in the writings of professor, historian and Baptist minister Allen Dwight Callahan, who has written extensively about Christianity including “The Talking Book: African Americans and the Bible.”
African Americans experienced firsthand how the Bible could be weaponized to enslave and oppress them, but they also found the message of liberation and freedom in its pages, says Brown.
For Brown, reading dialogically means reading critically in a way that guards against using the Bible to harm others. Reading dialogically recognizes that the Bible “critiques itself.”
His book shows how the Bibles does just that.
He was raised in the Presbyterian church; his father was a university professor and church elder and his mother a visual artist. Brown’s journey through the pages of the Bible began in confirmation class when he was given his first Bible, “Good News for Modern Man,” which he read voraciously, marveling at how the four gospels presented Jesus in different ways.
Throughout his years of seminary teaching, Brown has gained his greatest insights about the Bible and dialogue with others who read the texts differently from him.
“Sacred Tension” is the fruit of such conversations, and it is Brown’s hope that his book will encourage more conversations.
As he likes to say:
“Let the dialogues begin!”
