| Jason Interview (2) | | Date Created: Oct 18, 2006, 06:38 AM |
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[If you know me or have seen me speak, you've probably heard my take on this subject and along these lines before, but... well... here it is again.]
JASON: Do you think Christians today have unconsciously picked up society's attitude that the Bible isn't relevant to today's world, that it's based on myth and legend? Have we lost confidence in its story?
Yes, I think we have lost confidence in the Bible and, yes, part of our problem is the worry that the Bible doesn't appear relevant. I've certainly been told that by Evangelical Church leaders since the 60s: "If only we could show people how the Bible is relevant, they'd read it." But I don't think that we've been told that by society. Or if we have been told that by society then I'm not sure that society really understands its own problems with the BIble.
Society frown on stuff that isn't relevant? Or on stuff that's based on myth and legend? That wasn't true in the 60s and the 70s and it's not true now. Think about it for a second. What were the biggest books -- publishing and reading phenomena -- then and now? Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Dan Brown. Any of them relevant? Any of them eschew myth, legend and airy ideals (however misguided in Brown's case)?
I've often wondered how some evangelicals might have advised Rowling with the first Potter book -- "you want school kids to buy it, but none of them will be able to relate to a wizard's school with potions classes -- make it an ordinary school and chemistry class and it will be more relevant and therefore more sell-able."
So yes, Christians have lost confidence in the Bible and we express that loss by trying to make it more relevant, to change it from the glorious adventure which people long for, a long luxuriant letter from someone who loves you and turned it into everyone's least favourite kind of book: a users' instruction manual -- the kind everyone has but nobody reads unless they have to. Relevant; whoopie. |
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