Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized Church & World – Part 3

Opening Prayer

In the beginning, O God, when the firm earth emerged from the waters of life, you saw that it was good. The fertile ground was moist, the seed was strong, and earth’s profusion of color and scent was born. Awaken my senses this day to the goodness that still stems from Eden. Awaken my senses to the goodness that can still spring forth in me and in all that has life.

• John Philip Newell, Celtic Benediction, p. 26.

Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized Church & World:

The Bible’s content in many ways engages its readers – puzzling, angering, challenging, and inspiring them. How has the Bible historically been used, including with the issue of slavery? Can readers navigate the use of biblical texts that are quoted across the political spectrum? What principles exist for interpreting these texts that support conflicting viewpoints? Together, we will explore a way forward: reading the Bible with each other, guided by the rule of love.

Questions & Answers

What is the JEDP Theory?

The JEDP Theory, also referred to as the Documentary Hypothesis, is an academic proposition that the Pentateuch (the first five book of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was composed from four distinct sources or documents-commonly labeled J, E, D, P – edited together over time. These hypothetical sources are named after key features in the text: J – (Yahwist) supposedly uses the divine name YHWH (rendered as LORD); E – (Elohist) supposedly refers to God primarily as “Elohim”; D- (Deuteronomist) is associated with much of Deuteronomy and a certain sermon-like style; P – (Priestly) is said to reflect ritual and priestly elements such as genealogies and detailed instructions for worship. The theory gained traction especially in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries, championed by German scholars, including Julius Wellhausen. Advocates of the hypothesis often argue it explains perceived stylistic differences in the text, repetitions of events, and shifts in divine names.

What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls?

The term Dead Sea Scrolls refers to about 930 fragmentary manuscripts discovered in caves of the Judean wilderness between 1947-1952. Written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, these texts were copies or crafted by a scribal community of the Jewish Essene movement who lived at the site of Qumran, just off the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from around 100 BC (BCE) to 68 AD (CE). This means the occupation of the site by this Jewish scribal community took place within the mid-to late-Second Temple period.

The scrolls contain a diversity of writings including our earliest original language copies of many works later received in the Old Testament, predating the major medieval codices (ancient manuscript texts in book form) of the Hebrew Scriptures (like the Leningrad or Aleppo Codices) by a millennium. The scrolls also include several writings, like the Community Rule, Hodayot, or War Scroll, that outline the “sectarian” identity, practices, structures, liturgies, beliefs, and expectations of the insider community of Qumran.

Using the Bible: Language, Content, and Context (cont’d)

“If location means everything in regard to real estate, it’s almost as important in understanding the written texts. When a portion of a written text is removed from its original context – its ‘neighborhood’ – a new context must be supplied. This is exactly what happens with the quotation from Shakespeare that my friend thought was from the Bible (‘This above all, to thine own self be true.’). Its original setting is Hamlet (Act 1, Scene 3) and is spoken by Polonius as he sends his son Laertes off to university. Context matters, because Shakespeare is here using this quotation specifically, ironically by placing them in the mouth of a man who is a foolish, prying busybody. By giving a stupid man a long speech on wisdom, Shakespeare could be making fun of Polonius. Or he could be pointing out how useless it is to memorize moral proverbs.”

“Taking a saying, story, rule (let’s just call all of these ‘texts’ for short) out of context and putting it into another changes its meaning, sometimes drastically. Notice that I didn’t say putting a text into a different context ‘misinterprets’ it. That’s a possibility, but it isn’t a necessary outcome. For now, I want to state that a text that is part of a culture’s collective wisdom is mobile. It moves from one context to another, often quite far from its ‘original’ context. Importantly, one part of context is the author, and so when a text is attributed to a different author (such as when a line from Shakespeare is believed to be from the Bible), that can change a text’s meaning, most often in regard to its authority. For Christians, the highest textual authority is, naturally, the Bible. Arguing from scripture is one of the public ways in which Christians test their moral judgments. Therefore, when Christians refer to a biblical text (or think they are) they broadcast the importance of the issue being discussed and the depth of their commitment to whatever side of that issue they are advocating for.”

(Thomas M. Bolin, An Inspired Word in Season – Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized World, 2025.)

For this week: For reflection: What is your concept of the authority of Scripture? What do you mean when you say “the Word of God”?

An invitation to our virtual participants: Discussion and comments are very much encouraged and welcomed. Online discussions can be held in the comments section in the upcoming post on Social Media for this week’s Deacon’s Reflection which is part of adult formation at St. Francis Episcopal Church.

Some Suggested Study Resources:

• The New Oxford Annotated Bible, NRSV, with the Apocrypha; 5 th edition.
• The Harper Collins Study Bible, NRSV, Fully Revised and Updated (Including Apocryphal Deuterocanonical Books); Society of Biblical Literature; (e-book).
• The Jewish Annotated New Testament, NRSV, 2 nd edition, Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler, editors; Oxford University Press.

Closing Prayer – Prayer of Blessing

I have tasted the fruit of the earth, O God. I have seen autumn trees hang heavily with heaven’s gifts. I have known people pregnant with your spirit of generosity. Let these be guides to me this day. And may Mary who knew her womb filled with your goodness teach me the wisdom that is born amidst pain. May I know that deeper than any fallowness in me is the seed planted in the womb of my soul. May I know that greater than any barrenness in the world is the harvest to be justly shared.
May the light of God illumine the heart of my soul.
May the flame of Christ kindle me to love.
May the fire of the Spirit free me to live this day, tonight, and forever. Amen.

• John Philip Newell, Celtic Benediction, p. 29.

“Reading the Bible Responsibly in a Polarized Church & World,” Deacon Joe Dzugan, St. Francis Episcopal Church,
2026.