Thursday, July 10, 2008
WHY IS RATIONAL STUDY OF THE GOSPELS LIKE SURFING?
Because it is an utterly beautiful thing to do and completely pointless. Pointless because no one cares. What matters for most, including scholars, are ideas and beliefs about Jesus, not evidence, and then to give just a semblance of rationality to these ideas and beliefs. A real rational interest based on a strong pattern of evidence is besides the point for all concerned.
When ideas and beliefs matter more than the evidence, you know that reason is dead and gone. But reason is so beautiful? Why are people so intent on killing it? Ah, maybe because it is so beautiful.
So is rational study of the Gospels a meaningful to do (regardless of its beauty), if no one wants it? Or is this a waste of time? I wish I had been in the audience at the Tonight Show a few weels ago when Bette Midler sang "When A Man Loves A Woman". What a thrill. To have been part of that would have been incredibly meaningful. She puts all this love into the song and the audience puts all this love into listening to it. Where is there any love in historical Jesus studies? There isn't any. Why am I doing this? Is there a point?
Because it is an utterly beautiful thing to do and completely pointless. Pointless because no one cares. What matters for most, including scholars, are ideas and beliefs about Jesus, not evidence, and then to give just a semblance of rationality to these ideas and beliefs. A real rational interest based on a strong pattern of evidence is besides the point for all concerned.
When ideas and beliefs matter more than the evidence, you know that reason is dead and gone. But reason is so beautiful? Why are people so intent on killing it? Ah, maybe because it is so beautiful.
So is rational study of the Gospels a meaningful to do (regardless of its beauty), if no one wants it? Or is this a waste of time? I wish I had been in the audience at the Tonight Show a few weels ago when Bette Midler sang "When A Man Loves A Woman". What a thrill. To have been part of that would have been incredibly meaningful. She puts all this love into the song and the audience puts all this love into listening to it. Where is there any love in historical Jesus studies? There isn't any. Why am I doing this? Is there a point?
