Can the Bible Be Equated with the Word of God? Theologians in LWF Study Program Debate Contextual Realities of Biblical Authority
WARSAW, Poland/GENEVA, 17 February 2006 (LWI) * Can the Bible be equated with the Word of God? A group of Lutheran theologians focused on this critical question at their second meeting within the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) study program "The Authority of the Bible in the Life of the Church," February 1*6, in Warsaw, Poland.
The seven theologians had identified crucial topics such as unity and diversity within the Bible, the biblical canon, and methods of interpreting the Bible, to form the basis for individual articles from a contextual perspective, at their first meeting in September 2004. They come from LWF member churches in Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Malaysia, the Russian Federation, South Africa and the United States of America.
Prof. Diane Jacobson, Old Testament lecturer, Luther Seminary, St Paul, Minnesota, USA, expressed appreciation for "tensions and contradictions in the Bible because they invite you to probe ever anew the depth and richness of the gospel." Rev. Dr Elelwani Farisani, teaching Old Testament Studies at the University of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, said in his country one could not "read the Bible without taking into consideration the [extent] to which [it] has been misused for the interests of the powerful."
Dr Marta Cserharti from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary cautioned, "It is the obligation of trained theologians to unmask interpretations of the Bible [that] support dangerous tendencies such as anti-Judaism." Argentinean theologian, Rev. Dr Mercedes Garcia Bachmann, dean and Old Testament Studies' lecturer at the Buenos Aires-based ISEDET (ecumenical theological school) observed, especially from an outside perspective, that "the credibility and authority of the Bible can be eclipsed by the way churches operate and Christians live out their faith." Prof. Guenter Thomas teaching Systematic Theology at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany suggested, "It is vital to understand the Bible as a decisive knot that God has woven into the history of [God's] communication with humankind rather than isolating it as 'the' Word of God which is above history."
The group's contributions will be compiled in "Witnessing to God's Faithfulness: Issues in Biblical Authority," a title in the LWF Studies series to be published later this year.
LWF Department for Theology and Studies Director and Study Secretary for the Church and Social Issues, Rev. Dr Karen Bloomquist, noted that the issue on the authority of the Bible had been prominent in debates and controversies within the LWF and beyond. She said she hoped the planned publication would be an important resource in assisting the LWF "member churches to listen to the gospel creatively and responsively in the midst of burning issues of faith and life."
DTS Study Secretary for Theology and the Church, Rev. Dr Reinhard Boettcher, responsible for the program said, "Given the vast spiritual and theological diversity within the LWF, this resource will certainly not 'cut the Gordian knot' but is expected to contribute to a crucial debate within the whole ecumenical movement from a distinctly Lutheran perspective."
He cited the significance of the study process in relation to a call by the LWF Council, at its September 2005 meeting, that Christian world communions convene a symposium on interpreting the Bible in light of fundamentalist tendencies. (547 words)
(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 66.2 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)
[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]
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