So I am leading my first Echoes of Faith session-which is a catechesis program for school teachers and first time catechists. It's on Scripture. To help them, I came up with this.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Handy-Dandy Method to Reading and Understanding Scripture
By Tae Kang
Article 1: Is Scripture meant to be read and understood solely literally?
Objection 1: It seems that Scripture is meant to be read completely as a literal translation. It is, after all, the Holy Book that all should follow down to the last comma and period.
Objection 2: God inspired the authors of the Bible with His Spirit. God does not make mistakes with His intentions, so thus the Scriptures are meant to be read literally as to grasp God’s intentions.
Objection 3: If I do not read and believe everything in the Bible literally, I will lose my faith for how will I know what to believe?
Objection 4: Sarah Palin understands the Bible literally. Shouldn’t I? (not trying to make a political statement here-solely a statement of fact)
On the Contrary: The Holy Scriptures are not meant to be solely read and understood in the literal translation. To read it only literally loses the great, deep treasures that Scripture has to offer.
I answer that: There is more than one way to read Scripture.
1. Literal
2. Allegorical
3. Moral
4. Eschatological/Anagogical
(Yes it spells out LAME)
For example, read Gospel of Matthew 25: 33-Separating the Sheep from the Goats
I do not have time nor care to reply to the objections stated above.
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2 comments:
looks good, but would you really want to make the Palin reference in the city where Biden lives? People could take it the wrong way, even if you say you're not trying to make a political statement. Maybe it's only my opinion, but I'd stay away from political references when talking about faith.
Working with an idea of the Bible as spiritual food, you could rearrange your acronym to read "MEAL". It's cheesy, but it's not [as] lame ;o)
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