The folks at Zondervan figured out nearly twenty years ago that their market audience is interested in hearing more than one side of a particular theological debate. Recognizing that Generation X, and now Millennials are less than satisfied with black-and-white answers to rainbow-prism questions, the Counterpoints series provides interpretive options for (predominantly) evangelical readers looking to make up their own minds on a host of topics.
On one hand, the success of the series demonstrates that today's evangelicals may be more eager to engage in dialogue over controversial matters than their forerunners. On the other hand, I have to wonder whether the readers are looking to explore new evidence, or hoping to bolster preconceived notions by situating their pet doctrine alongside a verified scholar.
The latest addition to the Counterpoints collection is a topic I am especially interested in. What makes Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? even more appealing is that the General Editor is my good friend, and fellow Hebrew Union College alumnus, Charles Halton. Charles is assistant professor of theology at Houston Baptist University (but resides in the beautiful Bluegrass State). He has contributed to the IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets and Reading Akkadian Prayers and Hymns: An Introduction. Frankly, he's got too much going on to list here, so just Google his name if you want to know more.
Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? is scheduled to release on May 12. As a run-up to its publication, I intend to provide a chapter-by-chapter review, culminating with an interview with Charles on May 12. So, let's get started.
To set the tone for the book, Halton draws his readers' attention to the issue of genre. He notes that "competent readers" "calibrate their expectations regarding the range of meanings of words based upon the type of text being read" (p. 16). But, competent readers need help from "competent writers" who "signal the type, or genre, of the texts they pen by adopting commonly accepted forms" (p. 16). Halton points to the example of the phrase, "Once upon a time," which readily alerts its readers that what's about to follow should not be taken as a historical reconstruction of past events.
Halton moves from the abstract to the concrete, or at least the general to the specific, when he poses the question, "But what happens when we leave our culture and inhabit a different one, a culture that may or may not have the same rules and expectations that govern its genres, and may even have entirely different genres than those we are familiar with?" (p. 17). The question is pivotal for the study of Genesis 1-11. The Bible is composed in a wide range of genres, and if we fail to recognize a genre shift it doesn't matter whether we know the meanings of all the words and phrases. We'll miss the meaning of the passage altogether. Halton asks us, "Is Genesis 1-11 similar to the genres of our culture? If so, what genre is it? Is it factual history, fictional fable, or somewhere in between? And how does its overall genre affect our interpretation of individual passages?" (pp. 19-20).
The implications are rather clear. If we don't concern ourselves with the issue of genre, we will read the entire Bible exactly the same. Jesus' parables are no different than Jeremiah's prophecies. Solomon's proverbs are no different than Paul's proclamations. Micaiah's satire is indistinguishable from Matthew's sermons. As Halton concludes, "Unless we know what we want from the Bible, we cannot begin to understand its authors" (p. 21)
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