Let's talk about univocality, bitches

Author: Castin

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#1
Castin
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AND A THIRD THREAD.

Univocality is the idea that the Bible speaks with a single, consistent voice. It says there are no contradictions or disagreements between books or authors in the Bible.

It's worth noting that univocality is rejected by basically every critical scholar and historian in the academic field of biblical studies. The idea that these different authors, writing from different periods, in different languages, for different reasons and to different audiences, all shared some unified perspective or hive mind, is not an argument that has any traction among critical experts. The biblical authors wrote largely in ignorance of one another, and often in ignorance of one another's works, and had no inkling that their books would one day be gathered into this specific collection that we now know as the Bible.

So I'll extend the question: why should we believe the Bible is univocal? Why should it be read that way? We can get a better understanding of the Bible by treating it as multivocal. Change my mind.



#2
Savant
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@Castin
univocality is rejected by basically every critical scholar and historian in the academic field of biblical studies
A claim like this really needs a source. But if it's true, I assume it's because assume most scholars aren't fundamentalist Christians and thus don't hold fundamentalist Christian beliefs. I don't think most Christians are even fundamentalists.
#3
WyIted
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@Castin
I think most serious Christians think it's kinda both, but I don't know the strict definition.

It's like the holy Spirit is giving the writers the impression. Of what to write but the human is still there so he will use what is most comfortable to him. 

So if God gave me and some British person the same impression I might say

"The cop beat the shit out of that nigger"

The British person might say

"The Bobby unjustly assaulted an up and coming civil engineer"

We both are describing the same exact thing God gave us but through different filters. 
#4
zedvictor4
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@Castin
Yo bitch.

The Bible is an inanimate lump of ex-trees, that sit's lonely and unspeaking on the top shelf covered in dust and cobwebs.

Plagiarism was rife.


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Shila
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@Castin
So I'll extend the question: why should we believe the Bible is univocal? Why should it be read that way? We can get a better understanding of the Bible by treating it as multivocal. Change my mind.
Hard to see the Bible as univocal when it is made up of 66 books written by different authors spread over a period of time.