| Professor Cohen's article has been awarded the Biblical
Heritage Recommended Reading Award for December 2000. The
professor tackles the thorny problem of the conflict between the
traditional beliefs about the biblical text and the discoveries of
modern science. Even though this article's focus is on
the Hebrew Bible (Christian Old Testament), it is very much related to
current issues regarding a scientific approach to the New
Testament. Below are a few introductory quotes from Dr. Cohen's
article (emphasis has been added).
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"The
discipline of textual criticism as developed over the last two centuries
has become one of the pillars of modern Bible research and
interpretation. In the field of scientific Bible study it is commonly
accepted that one of the first questions to be addressed before real
interpretation can be undertaken is the nature of the text itself and
what changes it has undergone during the long course of its
transmission. The assumption underlying this approach is, on the face of
it, seemingly simple: the Scriptural text is
an entity that has been handed down over the centuries and is therefore
subject to the same sort of errors as any other transmitted text.
. . .
"But,
due to the sanctity of the Holy Scriptures, the text-critical approach
was shunned by religious students of the Bible, and its use as a tool of
interpretation summarily dismissed. Even those scholars
who were willing to adopt some aspects and conclusions of scientific
Bible study stopped short of textual clarification in the scientific
manner.
"The strong opposition to textual criticism stems from the
feeling that such practice contradicts the accepted religious view of
the sanctity of the text, with no possibility of reconciliation. This
ideal, as rooted in popular perception, is generally given an historical
interpretation: the Bible text, down to the last of its letters, reached
us unchanged from the time of its authorship. This idea
gained currency through the generations, thanks to Halakhic and Aggadic
statements and writings in the area of Jewish thought. Therefore, any
method that casts doubt on the absolute reliability of the transmitted
text arouses instinctive rejection on the part of believing Jews.
"Even so, in an age where scientific awareness has become second
nature to many religious Jews and so many subjects are treated in light
of science and religion together, there is reason to bring up the issue
of textual criticism of the Bible for renewed discussion. From
both practical and educational standpoints, it is unhealthy for Judaism,
which has long recognized the value of scientific method and its ability
to provide answers in the empirical field, to place any empirical topic
beyond the pale for fear of confrontation with prevailing religious
views. In the natural sciences intelligent religious
Jewry has long ago overcome the barrier of confrontation between
scientific conclusions and accepted religious beliefs. Orthodox
scientists work with the assumption that binding religious authority
cannot be granted to traditions and statements in areas which are
subject to empirical scientific study. Does
it make sense to be exclude any empirical field from this rule?"
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We recommend that you print a
copy of the complete article to study and keep for your permanent
files.
Also, please make sure you read footnote 15.
Click Here For Complete Article |
