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American Scripture and Christian Scripture: The Use of Analogy to Introduce the Critical Study of the Bible
Author(s) -
Chance J. Bradley
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
teaching theology and religion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.165
H-Index - 11
eISSN - 1467-9647
pISSN - 1368-4868
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9647.00081
Subject(s) - analogy , declaration , declaration of independence , composition (language) , new testament , critical reading , literature , history , philosophy , epistemology , sociology , theology , linguistics , computer science , art , reading (process) , law , political science , politics , programming language
This paper explores the use of analogy to introduce students to the critical study of scripture. It describes how Pauline Maier's book American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence can offer students an analogous framework for critical study of the Bible. Maier examines four features, necessary to make good sense of this piece of ‘American scripture’: its historical background, its genre, its process of composition, including the editing of sources, and the subsequent reception of the text. Professors can apply her method for studying the Declaration to introduce students to what a critical study of scripture entails: historical backgrounds, genres, composition, and subsequent reception by later readers.