14AR19-28

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Apologia Report 19:28 (1,211)

August 27, 2014

Subject: Questioning the limits of religious tolerance in Israel

In this issue:

BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION - a confusing response to the idea of understanding authorial intent in biblical exegesis

BRUCE, F.F. - first full-length biography may fall short

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE - challenging the argument that same-sex marriage threatens the welfare of children

TOLERANCE - "no intrinsic liberal argument can justify certain cases of religious tolerance"?

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BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

"Is It Possible to Discover 'The One' Intended Meaning of the Biblical Authors?" by C. Jason White (McMaster Divinity College) -- the abstract reads: "A major pursuit of biblical studies, especially since the dawn of the Enlightenment, has been to discover *the one, intended, objective,* meaning of the various biblical texts. ... Although the results of all [our effort] have positively contributed to our knowledge of scripture in profound ways, the problem is this: *none can claim that they have actually discovered this one objective meaning.* ... One purpose of this article, then, will be to explore why it is not possible to find the one intended meaning of scripture, by defining some key concepts (e.g., tradition and presupposition) in the work of [one person], who is one of the most influential names in the history of philosophical hermeneutics of the twentieth century, as interpreted by [another person].

"Some scriptural interpreters, especially evangelicals, are frightened by the idea that biblical meaning is relative because such a pluralistic approach can lead quickly to the demise of biblical infallibility and authority. A second major purpose of this article will be to help ease such fear by offering a biblically grounded theological justification for the interpretative plurality of scripture by looking at the relativity of meaning through the lens of the doctrine of the Trinity. This justification will suggest that the more we rely upon the Holy Spirit and act out our faith in God through Jesus Christ in and outside of the church, the better our interpretation of scripture will become." Scottish Journal of Theology, 67:2 - 2014, pp178-194.

I (RP) substituted the "one person" and "another person" above to emphasize the operative words between the substitutions: "as interpreted by." Doesn't it make you want to ask: "I wonder what he really meant by that?"

And then there is White's last line about wanting to "rely upon the Holy Spirit" for interpretation. Consider an imaginary conversation between Victor Paul Wierwille and William Marrion Branham on that subject.

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BRUCE, F.F.

F.F. Bruce: A Life, by Tim Grass (Spurgeon's College, London) [1] -- reviewer Carson Reed (Abilene Christian University) agrees with this "first full-length biography" that Bruce was one of the twentieth century's most noted biblical scholars. "Grass's sympathetic exploration of both his professional and his personal and congregational life offers a window into the intricate way in which scholars practice faith and scholarship. ...

"In the 1950s and 1960s, Bruce made it clear that a person could be respected in the academy and still be a believer.

"For students of evangelicalism, Grass's biography of Bruce sheds light on the emergence of evangelicalism in Britain and helps distinguish the more open British forms from the more pronounced American forms that emerged in the mid-twentieth century. ...

"Bruce's work was to report what he discovered in the study of texts. By his own repeated admission he was not a theologian, and he kept an arm's length from those who engaged in theological debate." Restoration Quarterly, 56:2 - 2014, pp125-6.

In stark contrast to that last line is the substantial positive influence that Bruce had in the field of apologetics. Oddly, Reed makes no mention of any connection between Bruce and apologetics in this review.

"Bruce was a powerful apologist, substantiating the historicity of the Gospels in the face of 20th century liberalism. To top it off, F.F. Bruce was a capable theologian as well as a New Testament exegete (a rare combination)." <www.ow.ly/AEiIc>

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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE

"Sacred Institutions and Secular Law: The Faltering Voice of Religion in the Courtroom Debate over Same-Sex Marriage" by Jenna Reinbold (Colgate University), who describes Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals "as he articulated the court's narrow holding" on California's Proposition 8: "Reinhardt was forced within the first pages of the Brown opinion to reckon with a broad claim, endemic to the national debate over marriage reform, that same-sex marriage in some way threatens the welfare of children. This claim, which lurks elusively within terms like 'biological parents,' 'adverse social consequences,' and 'irresponsible procreation,' has commanded remarkable traction within the debate over same-sex marriage; it continues to raise its head even in the wake of overwhelming counterevidence and a series of significant courtroom setbacks. In this article, I will explore the genesis of this claim and its persistence within the discourse of so-called traditional marriage advocacy." Journal of Church and State, 56:2 - 2014, pp248-268.

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TOLERANCE

"The Limits of Liberal Toleration: The Case of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel" by Nahshon Perez (Boston University) -- opens: "Religious toleration has been accepted as one of the most important liberal virtues going back to John Locke and has been discussed and defended by many liberal scholars since. Toleration, however, does not trump all other considerations, nor does it justify an expansive list of costly policies. Various liberal thinkers have argued that toleration vis-à-vis minority religious groups should not be extended in certain cases. ... Many liberal theorists agree that toleration can justify a policy of noninterference; some theorists allow a modest amount of actual support for liberal minority groups perhaps, but the argument does not extend further than that. This article examines how the idea of liberal toleration applies to one controversial contemporary case: that of the legal arrangements in contemporary Israel toward the Ultra-Orthodox community.

"The claim of this article is that the arguments supporting liberal toleration toward minority religious groups cannot justify many of the arrangements enjoyed by the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel."

Perez provides helpful background work in defining "liberal toleration." This is followed by a succinct overview of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel.

"The main argument of this article is that no intrinsic liberal argument, whether from toleration or the rule-and-exemption method, can justify the current arrangement between the state of Israel and the Ultra-Orthodox, with an emphasis on the central exemptions from core curricular studies in Ultra-Orthodox schools and the deferral that becomes permanent from IDF [Israel Defense Force] service. This leaves only pragmatic and prudential reasons as available justifications. ... The dire economic situation of the Ultra-Orthodox is also important as a catalyst for changes in this community. Perhaps the old arrangements have indeed run their course." Journal of Church and State, 56:2 - 2014, pp223-247.

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - F.F. Bruce: A Life, by Tim Grass (Eerdmans, 2012, paperback, 283 pages) <www.ow.ly/AEjrB>

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