January 28

In his work which stems from Augustine’s arguments, Wilken delves into a discussion of faith within Christianity and and within the world in general. He introduces his discussion on faith by establishing the idea that faith is an integral part of understanding any form of historical knowledge, let alone religious knowledge. Faith is unavoidable since, we are dependent on someone else’s word in order to believe what we believe, and we all have grown up learning things. This point ties into Wilken’s main argument that our beliefs (and therefore faith) are a direct result of the authority that we are exposed to. Specifically he claims, “historical knowledge requires witnesses, and witness invite faith in the word of the one who bears witness”(Wilken 170). Wilken goes on to explain that establishing this connection between the witness and faith in that witness is crucial to ensuring that things “remain stable in human society” (Wilken 170). Further, faith, in our world, is unavoidable because if we did not have any belief in what others are teaching us, then nothing would be learned. Wilken uses the example that people couldn’t learn a new language if there is no source of authority to believe in to teach the language. Additionally, faith is beneficial in the sense that it facilitates communion and connections among people. In a religious way, faith is what helps us to “see the word” that Christ has brought and without seeing there is no knowledge of God, therefore; faith is extremely beneficial in growing closer to God.

January 20

The narrative about Noah draws many parallels to the first sin that in seen in Genesis 3. Much like Adam betrays and disobeys God in the Garden of Eden by eating the Forbidden Fruit, Noah commits a sin by turning into a drunken state from the wine he made and was then seen naked by his sons. Adam and Noah were both, in a way, the first line of all men on Earth (considering Noah was the first generation that survived the flood), and both had been specifically chosen by God to be so. It is troublesome that they both committed sins due to this fact that they were either carefully selected by God or created by God, and still managed to sin in the eyes of God. After the initial sin, performed by Adam, God thought that the Flood would knock out the evil in the world that likely arose from a lack of respect for mortality, yet even the person he selected to start a new slate ended up sinning. This instance conveys the idea that sinning is nearly inevitable for humans, since even the most “Godly” of humans, at least in the eyes of God, have fallen into sin.  Just like Adam was literally created by God and was somehow feeble enough to succumb to evil, Noah’s sin also serves to diminish the hope of a perfectly “good” human. As it becomes clear that humans cannot be entirely good, there arises the need for a figure to save humans from their sins, which becomes found in the form of Jesus.

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January 14

The text in this introductory portion of the Bible, Genesis 1:1-2:4, reveals the creation of the world and all of its attributes, ranging from the stars that fill the sky to the animals that walk its surfaces and swim its waters. Day by day, the text details how God added new attributes to the world, and from this early point in time, establishes which attributes are good or evil. This process however, not entirely scientifically sound, is meant to convey the power and divinity of God, instead of giving a true detailed scientific explanation of the formation of Earth. Genesis 1:1-2:4 can be seen as a sort of metaphor. For example, the text, following a sort of poem pattern format includes “And there was evening and there was morning” after each newly created part of the world which does not make logical sense before the fourth day, because the lights that were meant to “separate the day from the night” were not created until the fourth day. Without a day and night there can technically be no evening and morning, which further supports the idea that the text is present for the purpose of conveying the power of God. The humans in this passage, are newly created and are watching over the other animals and plants of the land. Man is given a female counterpart that he is also meant to watch over. Because God is infinitely powerful, it is not exactly fitting to stop on the seventh in need of “rest”, for that reason, it likely means that God just meant to stop his work because he had created all that he needed to for the world. If God had desired to create more, he would be free and able to do more, yet it seems that he had already created an abundance of items for Earth and its inhabitants so his job for the time being was finished.

January 16

Genesis 2-3 centers around the creation of Man and his new companion, Woman and their first moments on Earth in the Garden of Eden. The chapters revolve around the overarching theme of knowledge, as God introduces them to the “tree in the middle of the garden” (of the knowledge of good and bad) and forbids that they eat from it. The account emphasizes this idea of knowledge because knowledge is very much a God-like trait to acquire and obtain. The possession of knowledge, specifically the differentiation between good and bad, was originally only had by God as in Genesis 1 while he created all of the parts of Earth and would analyze them and call them “good” if he was impressed. He, being the divine being, was the only one who had the power to differentiate and award things the “title” of good or bad, and for this reason the knowledge to differentiate between good or bad is characteristic of a more god-like being. Since by eating the fruit of the tree Adam and Eve acquired the knowledge of differentiating between good and bad, they consequently became more god-like. The act of “eating” is more impactful than touching or looking because apparently the act of  “eating” establishes a connection between the giver and the receiver; this is especially significant because the “giver” in this instance was the evil being in the form of the serpent. Like it was an act of disobedience by Adam and Eve, it was also also brought upon them a burden that they will have to live with and carry on with them and their offspring for years and years to come on Earth.

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January 23

In Genesis 22 Abraham was commanded by God to burn his son on the alter as a sacrifice in his name. Without hesitation, Abraham travelled up to the mountain with his son and all the materials needed for the sacrifice, leaving no doubt that he would perform the act. After completing the preparation of the alter, right as Abraham goes to strike his son with the knife, God calls him off and praises him. He is praised because he agreed to God’s request without thinking twice, which showed his complete loyalty to the Lord. This lack of doubt illustrated his full confidence and trust in God, as he was willing to sacrifice the son he loved most in the world just to please God. In 22:5-8, Abraham technically does not lie in regards to claiming that God will bring the lamb because it stems back to the idea that the “lamb” is a kind of metaphor for a follower of God which refers to Issac. This metaphor of a lamb also foreshadows the idea of a human-figure being a “lamb”; much like God was willing sacrificed his own son, Christ, for the good of others. God’s intention of making Abraham go through this ordeal was likely to test his loyalty and trust towards him as Abraham put God above all others, especially his family. Because he followed God without doubt, Abraham was praiseworthy and proved that he was worthy of the Lord’s plentiful good future plans for him and his children. God is praiseworthy because he always has the good of his people at heart.

January 30

The question “What is religion?” is an extremely broad question that honestly does not have an exact answer. According to Marty, scholars will never agree on the definition of religion because of its extensive nature. Martin Marty delves into discussion on religion as he analyzes the connection between religion and violence in the context of political endeavors in his book, Politics, Religion, and the Common Good. As he explains religion’s tendency towards violence he goes on to depict religion as “irrational, absolute and divisive” and through these attributes, it becomes a force that divides people. Specifically, this force of religion tends to divide people and diminishes pluralism within a community, country and around the world. The very nature of a religion demands overriding commitment to other groups and in that way establishes exclusive loyalty. As the analysis goes on, Marty focuses in on the five main attributes of religion that are also seen in political groupings. Religion is a consequence of attempting to define our “ultimate concern” (for example what we are willing to die for). Secondly, religion is a pathway to build community through emphasis on justice and equity. Next, it often utilizes symbolism/myths to entertain its followers along with rites and ceremonies. Lastly, a given religion demands certain behaviors of its followers which likely is what draws them together as a unified group, that separated them from others and facilitates exclusivity. Further, it becomes apparent that although it cannot be explicitly defined, their are defining aspect of religion that bring people to “know it when we see it”, as expressed by Charles Kimball in his own book When Religion Becomes Evil.

February 4

Jacob’s story is commonly contrasted with that of Cain and Abel, in regards to his familial relationship with his brother. Both sets of brothers are turned against each other, yet in the version of Cain and Abel, Cain kills Abel, while Jacob and Esau find themselves in a reunion of peace. This peaceful encounter may be due to the interaction that Jacob had with a mystery antagonist, likely God, the night before he was to encounter his brother. He and God had wrestled all night long, which means that the two were evenly matched. While once the morning came and Jacob did not necessarily “lose” the battle, he certainly walks away injured. The injury was to his thigh, causing him to limp, and consequently, this injury had repercussions for the rest of his descendants. The rest of his people, the “Children of Israel”, would not be allowed to eat the ‘sinew of the thigh vein” which parallels the command of circumcision to the Jews. Because they aren’t to eat that part of the animal, they will again be reminded of God’s superiority, but this time much more frequently (because you have to eat everyday and are therefore reminded of God’s command each day). In this way, it is really God who won the wrestling match that night, as he reminded his people of his supremacy.  In a more direct way, one could say that Jacob wins, since when he goes to face his brother the next day, Esau is peaceful and Jacob then earns his place as patriarch.

February 6

The story of Joseph is one of jealousy, and later, compassion and forgiveness that follows the main themes of previous stories of Genesis in which there is competition to be the “elected”. Joseph is one of many sons of Jacob, a group in which he is the singular favorite. He could otherwise be known as “elected” son (following a common theme of Genesis thus far), but he was given away into Egyptian slavery by his brothers. After working up the ranks, Joseph is in a position to threaten his brothers when they come to Egypt to beg for food. Because he angry to have been sold away, he takes Benjamin ( he is the other son of his father’s favorite wife Rachel) and Joseph decides to hold him hostage and frame him for stealing the divine cup. By framing him, Joseph can keep Benjamin hostage and take away his father’s next most beloved son. Once Judah offers to replace Benjamin, Joseph’s eyes are opened to the compassion of his brothers and decides to free them all and return home to see his father. This act of forgiveness consequently brings Joseph home to see his father who is overwhelmed with joy that he is alive. This joy extends so far as to award Joseph with basically the renewed status of beloved son, as Jacob dies and decides to award Joseph with “double inheritance”. Therefore, as Joseph’s attempt to “take” the one with the status of “beloved son” failed, his compassionate actions resulted in him receiving that favorite status without seeking it out. This theme of taking versus receiving arises yet again in Genesis.

February 11

People have attempted to define and understand the concept of our God for around two thousand years, especially since the first emergence of the use of the phrase “I am” in Exodus 3 that provoked uncertainty in the character of the Divine Being. This use of the “I am who I am” is soon followed by many more broad statements that lead people no closer to knowing exactly who/what the Being was. However, once God names himself to the people of Earth, it helps Him to become incorporated into the social relations of his creations. He becomes the Being that, through his handing over of his name, hands over himself to the men (his creations) so that he may be called upon by them and is there for them. Not only is He there for them when they need Him, but God is with everyone at all times; He’s not God of one place in particular. This proximity of God is fascinating, because he is infinitely close to and makes personal connections with all humans, while at the same time this intimate personal connection is fostered by his incredible, almost unfathomable limitless power that would make Him seem impersonal in a way. Additionally, He is the divine power that is the highest God of all; not just in that he is more powerful than other Gods, but that His power embraces and encompasses all other powers. Lastly, through God’s limitless power to establish connections with his creations, he serves to bring hope for the future since it is an inevitable path but can be terrifying.

February 18

There are some who have come to see the laws of Purity simply as a driving force towards a more clean environment that facilitated a healthy society. However, this argument is revoked by the fact that the pork was not a dangerous meat to eat and would not cause illness, and so the Mosaic diety law against consuming pork does not make for a “healthier” environment. Instead, the idea of purity is one that is more so a vessel that re-orders the environment in hopes of making it “conform to an idea”. In this way, by enforcing the need for purity, God can facilitate the making of an orderly community of followers. Interestingly,  we see this theme of order arise as a continuation of the underlying theme derived from genesis as God would Create, Name and Order in a cycle. In order to continue this cycle, the matter that is “out of place” must be approached through order to ensure that the pattern is maintained and through that the culture created and desired by God is maintained for his community of creation. The very idea of order implies a sort of restriction, while disorder is unlimited; the duality is seen in the beginning of creation as God brought order into the cosmos out of the chaotic waters. Impurity itself is a state of being in which you are defiled in some way and must be brought back into a state of purity through re-establishing order. The state of purity that you are brought back into is really just a form of mapping out the values and structure of the community at hand. The laws related to purity are ones that all together seem to facilitate a more literally clean environment, including the washing of hands, the impurity of saliva and bodily fluids. Yet, it can be argued that these laws are meant to combat the dirt that is inevitably created as a by-product of the system, because for there to be dirt there must be a system. In that way, the laws of purity arose simply due to the emergence and presence of the system. 

February 20

Our readings from the chapters from numbers all centered around the disobedience of the Isrealites towards commands of God. Throughout the book, the Isrealites revealed their impatience about not being led to the promised land ceaselessly. At any inconvenience, they would quickly turn to complain about how they “never should have left Egypt” and continuously doubted the plan of God. After  all of their disobeying and doubt, God displays his disliking and sends plagues upon the Israelites. This condemnation was overall a result of the wilderness generation’s lack of faith in God. Had they continued to trust in God’s plan, that he would eventually bring them prosperity, they would have pleased God and been led to the Promised Land. I believe that they closed the Pentateuch with the death of Moses because of the unmatched prominence and power that Moses possessed in the human world. He was so powerful that none after him would have the same connection with God; he would be the only Isrealite to see God face to face, and for this reason, his death in the eyes of the Jews is of prime relevance. In the final passage of Deuteronomy 34 highlights the idea that the power of Moses will never be matched by another, however, God does exalt and command Joshua in the same way he did Moses. And Joshua was looked upon “in awe” by his people.

March 3

The chapters of Luke 1, and Mathew 1 both introduce the idea of “fulfillment”. In Luke 1, it is Mary who speaks of this concept as she has an exchange with the angel and then Elizabeth goes on to talk of the Lord fulfilling his promises (once she realizes she is pregnant). Looking deeper into the text, throughout Mathew, the reader comes to see Jesus as the “fulfillment” because it is he who realizes “in himself the whole of God’s work in Israel” (Scribes of the Kingdom 1). This becomes apparent in the fact that Jesus, like Israel, is the “son” of God, and in both instances, God had to “bring his son out of Egypt”. God lead the Israelites out of Egypt during the Exodus, and he similarly brought Jesus out of Egypt after he was done hiding from Herod. In this way, God’s promise  his “son”, who is both Jesus and Israel (its inhabitants) was fulfilled, and therefore, through his new son Jesus Christ, he fulfills the promises he made to his other son. It seems that “to fulfill” means to complete the promises of God. For instance, in Mathew is quotes Jesus in saying, “ I’ve not come to abolish, but to fulfill” and because Jesus is the son of God sent to carry out God’s will on earth, then if Jesus says that he has come to fulfill, what he is fulfilling must be the work that God promised would be done. Last class we spoke about that some specific elements of the Old Testament narrative are ones which recognize the past as a template for the future. This stems from the faith that God had directed us then and will act for us “now” too. In Luke 1, God tells Mary something almost unbelievable (that she, a virgin, will have a son), but she has faith in God, and sure enough he is correct. This same faith is seen when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, but Abraham has faith in God and is fulling willing to go through with it and Abraham benefits from the experience. The instance with Mary in Luke 1, reflects the same faith that is present in the people of God and illustrates that he has acted for us, and will continue to act for us.