Perspective

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Let me introduce Bible Review by making a confession surprising for the editor of a new magazine. I have difficulty describing what kinds of articles this new magazine will contain. I find that I must describe the contents either very generally or very specifically. On the one hand, I can say that Bible Review will bring to the layperson first-rate scholarship in biblical studies, written with clarity by the scholars themselves (strangely enough, no nondenominational magazine now does this). Or I can describe the specific articles, for example, the ones in this issue.

But nothing in between. When I try, what comes out sounds boring and technical. I simply refuse to say that Bible Review will cover literary criticism, structural analysis, problems of interpretation, philological studies, etc. That is not what we will be doing. Our articles will be fresh and exciting, they will throw new light on the text, they will take the reader inside the Bible in novel ways. Look at the articles in this issue and see for yourself.

One reason it is so hard to describe the contents of this magazine is that there are simply so many different ways of appreciating the book we will be exploring together that they can’t easily be categorized. Again, the articles and reviews in this issue illustrate what I am saying. It is not easy to put these articles and reviews into descriptive niches or categories. And future issues will emphasize this point.

Not that this inability to describe our contents is a bad thing. On the contrary, it means that the journey we are embarking on together will provide unexpected vistas at every turn. As new manuscripts pour in, I am amazed at the seemingly unlimited variations in approaching and understanding the biblical text. People continually look at the Bible in different ways—through different prisms, as it were.

The Bible as a book also means different things to different people. Indeed, to some extent it is a different book for different people. For Jews, the Bible does not include the New Testament. For Protestants and Jews, the Bible does not include books like Judith, the Book of Wisdom and Eccleiasticus, which are included in the Catholic Bible.

But the Bible is a different book for different people in other ways too. For some, it is a book of comfort and inspiration, For others, it is a book of instruction, a guide in how to solve our problems. For others, it is the word of God. For still others, it is a book of history. And for others, it is a collection of ancient documents that reveal the culture out of which our own culture grew; it reveals our roots, both cultural and personal.

We will not be examining the Bible in all these aspects. To this extent, our purview will be circumscribed. We will not be looking at the Bible as a source of moral instruction in how to solve today’s problems. We will not be looking at the Bible as a source of inspiration and comfort, or as the basis of a particular theology. We do not denigrate these aspects of Bible study. But we do believe they are better studied in a denominational setting.

The insights we will present in Bible Review may well be relevant to these other aspects of Bible study. But the use each reader makes of what he or she learns from Bible Review is a strictly personal matter.

Faiths differ. But we have in common a sacred book. We can look at it together—objectively, as a collection of ancient documents—quite apart from our differing faith commitments. And we can learn together, always recognizing that our other relations to the Bible may differ, and having respect for these differences.

Bible Review is nondenominational and nonsectarian. We will emphasize what we share, not what divides us. But that does not mean the magazine will be devoid of controversy. Even within the limited purview we have set for ourselves, there will be much to debate. To this extent, our pages will be open to a full range of opinion, both those we agree with and those we disagree with. And any honest question is legitimate. So let us hear from you.

This is a narrow line we have set for our selves, we shell do our level best to walk it. It is likely we will make mistakes, occasionally falling on one side or the other. But it is certain we will learn from, enjoy and be stimulated by our journey together.

Let me introduce Bible Review by making a confession surprising for the editor of a new magazine. I have difficulty describing what kinds of articles this new magazine will contain. I find that I must describe the contents either very generally or very specifically. On the one hand, I can say that Bible Review will bring to the layperson first-rate scholarship in biblical studies, written with clarity by the scholars themselves (strangely enough, no nondenominational magazine now does this). Or I can describe the specific articles, for example, the ones in this issue. But nothing in between. When I […]