Saturday, December 29, 2007

Hobbins on inerrancy

John Hobbins has written a terrific response to my post on 'Fundamentalism, inerrancy and Jim West' here. It appears that he wants to affirm inerrancy because of its rich tradition in church tradition, because superlative descriptions of scripture should not be hindered by certain ‘imperfections’ in the text.

Just a few points before it gets too late here in England. First, let us not forget what Goldingay has called ‘the nineteenth-century elaboration’ of inerrancy. Today’s versions are equivalent, but not the same. I would add, in the same breath, that these modern varieties certainly are a matter of deductive logic (cf. Warfield, Geisler, Grudem etc.).

In an interesting section Hobbins writes:
“There is nothing innovative at all about speaking of scripture in language that overlooks its imperfections (‘let it pass,’ says Luther, rightly) and concentrates, in superlative terms, on its perfections. Those who wish to praise Scripture with triter language – (moderately) useful; (all other things being equal) profitable; teachable (so long as it is transposed into the categories of later tradition or the latest ideology) – have nothing in common with Gregory of Nyssa or Martin Luther”
A terrific point, and one those of us who critique inerrancy would do well to remember. I hope I take it to heart. But six responses: 1) Today, should we be happy with these ‘superlative’ inerrancy terms when they are laden with deductively prescribed and exact statements, as in the Chicago Statement – something that was not clearly on the horizon of Gregory of Nyssa, Luther etc.? 2) The ‘triter language’, as he puts it, would certainly have plenty in common with one of the most famous biblical witnesses to the nature of scripture’s inspiration, namely that in 2 Tim 3:16 (‘All scripture is inspired by God and is useful ...’). 3) My own language concerning scripture in the so-called ‘Tilling Statement’, I suggest, is appropriately and deeply superlative, yet is not formulated in such a way that contradicts bare fact. 4) In light of modern formulations, such as the Chicago Statement that further define what one must consider historical (e.g. the flood), this tradition needs reformation (semper reformandum), and for the sake of the churches witness, the nature of truth in relation to scripture needs to be re-formulated. At least, I would argue so! Love always rejoices in the truth, after all. 5) The Chicago Statement, for example, has little to do with doxology, and more to do with precise definitions. I hope that my own statement, proffered on my blog a while ago, recaptures the superlative aspect Hobbins so rightly draws attention to, while avoiding the promotion of belief in a, for want of a more pertinent word, lie. My own understanding of scripture, which rejects inerrancy, does so precisely to provoke doxology (it was penned for confession by the gathered church, in worship), and not to succumb to the restraints of logical propositions. It is the modern formulation of inerrancy that is weighed down by a deductively logical weariness, not the freedom that only comes via truth. 6) Hobbins mentions ‘imperfections’. But let us be honest what they are, though. Errors. Thanks, Lord, for an inerrant text, despite these errors? Unless we today reframe these ‘truth’ matters, as I have suggested elsewhere, we will get some rather bewildered ‘Amens’!

A little later he adds:
‘“Scripture is without error in all that it affirms” (Lausanne Covenant), well, you don’t say? I can’t find “God in three persons, blessed Trinity” in the Bible either’
As noted in the comments by Drew, a fundamental difference between the Lausanne Covenant claim and the ‘God in three persons’ claim, is that the Lausanne statement is factually false. ‘Blessed Trinity’ is to be gladly worshipped as Truth.

He writes:
“Should someone object that the verses cited do not in the first instance refer to the inscripturated word of God, but to some unknown subset thereof, or to an ephemeral word of which we now have nothing: know this: you have the entire interpretive tradition of synagogue and church against you. The great tradition applied these verses to the entire sweep of scripture”
This is precisely what I have attempted to do in my own formulation (which I now consider best to concern the trustworthiness of scripture), but certainly not in the service of modern formulations of inerrancy. I think I'll re-post my now re-worked formulation here when I return to Germany.

Finally, he writes: “It’s time to engage in multi-tiered thinking, like this: the Bible affirms that God leads into error (1 Kings 22; Isa 6 [and NT actualizations thereof]; 63:17), and at the same time, that God did not err in so doing”. I applaud John’s spirit here. However, I don’t think he goes far enough. This faint strand is not enough on which to hang the nature of scripture in relation to truth. Rather than let such inerrancy concerns win such a small square of theological rational, why not recover all the masses of scriptures gathered in my own formulation, and reframe them in light of a more biblical understanding of truth?

Do give Hobbins' articulate and helpful response a read.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Is the ‘Tilling Statement’ really a statement about inerrancy?

Thank you to you all for your feedback and help as I think through these matters. Once again I am confronted by the limitations of religious language and of my intellect, the difficult art of theological thinking, and the need for critical feedback! And apologies for the hubris in the title of the statement. If anyone has a good idea as to how I could rename it ... but this is what this post is all about.

So why have I called this statement one specifically about inerrancy?

  1. I suggest that all titles, whichever one is used, are limited in their ability to appropriately describe the varied phenomenon of scripture in its diversity. In other words, I need to use something, but none can possibly 'name' scripture doctrinally. I admit that it was a bit provocative calling my statement one about inerrancy, and perhaps I should have called it a statement about the trustworthiness of Scripture, but see the next point...
  2. While I am aware that the word 'inerrancy' may not be the oldest, as well as that it may be weighed down with unhelpful connotations, my statement is at least an attempt to redeem this word as I not only respect the valuable tradition of inerrancy – in that it has encouraged many to approach the scriptures with expectancy and trust, but also because statements like the Chicago version need to be challenged on their own grounds, in my view. Besides, while the word 'inerrancy' may not be the oldest, the idea most certainly is. Clement, a first century Bishop of Rome, held that in 'the Holy Scriptures which are given through the Holy Spirit ... nothing iniquitous or falsified is written'. Augustine claimed 'none of these (canonical) authors has erred in any respect of writing'.
  3. Admittedly, my statement assumes a slightly subversive (but healthily so!) point of departure, one I didn't make explicit in the statement itself. Namely, I assume that a doctrine of inerrancy need only be a statement about the truthfulness of scripture. I am trying to understand it positively, a move justified, I believe, by the nature of the confessions one can find in scripture. For example, it doesn't claim that all scripture is not rather lamely uninspired, or that the words of the LORD are not flawed; the author of Hebrews didn't write that the word of God is not dead and not passive, not as blunt as any two-edged blunt thing!
  4. Furthermore, I am attempting to define the truth less in terms of the standalone existence of the biblical texts, and more in terms of the relation between believers and text. Truth (negatively understood as the absence of error), is to be found and defined in terms of the dynamic of the believer's confessions, practices and postures to the scripture. I have thus attempted to redraw the lines around what counts as descriptive of the truth of scripture.
  5. However, I haven't merely suggested a boring pragmatic approach; I believe that propositional statements are important (I discussed propositional revelation here and here). However, in drawing the confessions directly from the bible – for ecumenical reasons mainly – I note the limitations of religious language, the limitations of the confessions in their historical scriptural contexts, and the inability of such confessions to be stretched so as to include all of the books in the Christian canons. I do this in order to emphasise that the confessions provide a trajectory of orientation towards the significance of the Christian canons. To claim inerrancy is a sign pointing in the right direction, but Derrida's différence pushes the 'presence' of the statement not only into practices and postures, but also into the eschaton. The statement of 'inerrancy' thus doesn't attempt to describe scripture alone, but to provide a trajectory of meaning which supports healthy practice and posture. Indeed, put like this I suggest that my statement should encourage a higher view of scripture than the Chicago version, for example.

In other words, I am attempting in this statement on inerrancy, to first positively define inerrancy as the truth of scripture, then I attempt to redefine what constitutes as a statement about the truth of scripture.

Convinced? Or should I make it a statement about something else?!

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Friday, June 15, 2007

A new statement of biblical inerrancy – part 2

As I mentioned, I would love to hear any thoughts about this approach - it's only my first draft but you'll get the general idea of what I want to do. And very important, this statement must be read in light of the first post, or misunderstandings will inevitably result.

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This statement of biblical inerrancy is a faith confession not simply about the precise nature of God’s inspiration of the scriptures (and even less when squeezed through a deductive logical wringer, through which the stricter versions are forced), but also a statement about our daily practices and posture as we read and study scripture.

The confessions below are not to be understood as statements about the entire canon all of the time (to confess something about the prophets doesn’t necessarily include all of the Proverbs, or Ecclesiastes, for example). The confessions in their original contexts did not refer to the different Christian canons as we now know them. However, these confessions provide an orientation (or trajectory) in our confession and provoke the practices and posture aimed at in the second part of the statement.

Until I’ve thought of a better name ... here is The Tilling Statement of Inerrancy!

Part 1.
I believe
that all scripture[1] is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.[2]
I believe that the prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and Spoke from God.
I believe that God speaks in many and various ways,[3] and most definitively he speaks about God’s Son.[4]
I believe that as we read scripture, we are invited to approach Christ,[5] and hear the final and definitive Word God speak to us in his Son.[6]
I believe that as we read and study scripture seeking Christ, we are addressed by God, that through scripture God speaks to us.
I believe the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.[7]
I believe that humans do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.[8]
I believe that the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.[9]
I believe scripture is trustworthy and precious, deserving of my study, love, time and energy.

A bridge to part 2.
I believe scripture is true.
What do you mean ‘scripture is true’?
This question cannot always be precisely answered at a propositional level. But we rejoice in the truth,[10] the gospel,[11] and the truth of scripture will be honoured in our practices and posture towards scripture. I seek to explain what I mean by inerrancy through my daily practices and inner and communal posture towards scripture.

Part 2.
Because of the above confessions of faith, and to make this confession meaningful, I purpose my heart for the following:
I purpose to call out to God’s Spirit for insight and understanding as I seek to understand the words of scripture.
I purpose to look for wisdom therein as one would for that which is the most precious, as a poor man would for hidden treasure
I purpose to apply various creative means of impressing scripture to my heart[12]
I purpose to regularly meditate upon and memorise scripture,[13] and hide God’s word in my heart,[14] expectant that God will speak a gracious word to me.
I purpose to divide scripture wisely, and to seek to understand scripture in its variety of levels of reference.
I purpose to be a discerning doer of God’s word, not just a hearer.[15]
To do this I purpose to seek the help of others in every way possible, and I pledge all of my intellectual, creative, emotional and physical faculties to the process, and offer them today to God’s sanctifying Spirit.[16] Amen.

[1] Again, these confessions do not specify the extent of the canon. [2] 2 Tim 3:16-17
[3] Heb 1:1 [4] John 5:39
[5] John 5:40 [6] Heb 1:2
[7] Heb 4:12 [8] Matt 4:4
[9] Psalm 12:6 [10] 1 Cor 13:6
[11] Col 1:5 [12] Deut 6:6-9
[13] Josh 1:8; Ps 1:2; 77:12; 119:15 [14] Ps 119:11
[15] Jam 1:22 [16] Prov 2:1-4

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A new statement of biblical inerrancy – part 1

At the risk of more personal abuse from certain conservative quarters, in two posts I want to suggest a new statement of inerrancy. I am thinking of writing an essay about this, actually, and would appreciate your feedback as I test my thoughts here. In this post I will give my introductory blurb and reasoning. In the second post, things will get really interesting! This first post is a little negative, I admit, but the second is so positive that I'm sure I'll be forgiven. Besides, it's a first draft ...


The following statement assumes that the church has a long tradition of affirming inerrancy, and that it is a valuable tradition. However, it also asserts that modern – and especially stricter – formulations are either misleading, ineffective or both. Furthermore, one model for scripture, one title, whether it be 'Word of God', 'Witness', 'Inerrant', 'Infallible', or whatever, cannot capture or adequately signify the variety and importance of God's gift of scripture to us. It is beyond any simple definition, and must be titled by the churches practices, posture, and through a variety of different faith confessions. By inerrancy we mean to say something about scripture itself, but at the moment it simply identifies a high view of scripture, one that is manifested in healthy practices and an expectant faith-filled posture towards scripture.


Why a new statement?

  1. Stricter formulations of inerrancy do not necessarily foster appropriate and healthy practices and an expectant posture towards scripture.
    • Believing the flood 'actually happened', for example, as posited in the Chicago Statement, doesn't guarantee orthodoxy, or an appropriate posture towards scripture, nor healthy scripture reading habits. Believing that inerrancy simply affirms all in scripture necessary for salvation is without error also doesn't guarantee orthodoxy, or an appropriate posture towards scripture, nor healthy scripture reading habits.
    • The proclamation of a strict definition of inerrancy – such as the Chicago Statement – is meaningless if one does not live life in such a way that reflects a high view of scripture, by which it is meant that one doesn't maintain and pursue certain practices, nor come with expectancy and faith that God will speak in scripture.
    • If you confess the Chicago Statement of inerrancy, this is no promise that you actually have a high view of scripture. It may simply mean that one is wallowing in self-righteous anti-intellectualism, and loveless, close-minded, aggressive, needlessly defensive dogmatism. It must not mean this at all, and doesn't for the majority that confess the Chicago Statement (I hope), but the point is that such a definition doesn't affirm the important and the worthwhile, that which inerrancy does at its best, namely encouraging a daily practice and an internal and communal posture that treats scripture as if God speaks through it.
    • What is lacking in many doctrinal formulations of scripture, as well as in the various formulations of inerrancy, is a practical fostering of meaningful practices and faith-filled expectancy in one's posture as scripture is read.

  2. Stricter formulations of inerrancy tend not to acknowledge the limitations of naked propositional formulations.
    • While propositional statements are important, an obsession with precise and strict formulations of inerrancy can simply foster the playing of meaningless metaphysical word games. One can no more define, for example, 'childhood' in a proposition than 'inerrancy'; it needs to be lived and experienced or it is meaningless. Inerrancy cannot be boiled down to propositional truth claims without violence being done.
    • Propositional statements are important and should be formulated so as to 1) facilitate the establishing of concrete meaning in one's practices and posture towards scripture, 2) correspond to witness of scripture, and resists the temptation to employ a deductive wringer.
  3. Stricter formulations of inerrancy do not necessarily facilitate healthy interpretation. It is a hermeneutical stance without facilitating a hermeneutical skill and healthy hermeneutical habit. It may even hinder healthy, responsible interpretation with its harmonisation tendencies.

  4. Stricter formulations of inerrancy do not correspond with reality and are demonstratably false on the basis of nothing but scripture.

  5. Stricter formulations of inerrancy go beyond scriptures witness
    • The stricter versions of inerrancy take the worthwhile and valuable tradition of inerrancy formulations beyond scripture's own witness.
    • For more on this cf. my earlier series.

What is needed is a statement of inerrancy that makes clear propositional statements (that nevertheless avoids deductive logical wringers) to provide an orientation for appropriate church practices and posture towards scripture. It the following post it will thus be formulated as a varied faith confession (in part 1), and a statement of purpose (in part 2).

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