by VorJack
Hemant points to an article over at the NYT:
Craft Shop Family Buys Up Ancient Bibles for Museum
[...]
With a goal of establishing a national Bible museum of great depth and size, the evangelical Christian family behind the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores has been spending heavily to amass a collection that has set dealers buzzing in the staid world of rare books.
First off, what is it about the founders of big box stores that makes them want to open museums? Alice Walton is building an art museum in Arkansas – and swiping Hudson Valley art in the process. *grumble*
Second, this is something that could be done very well, or very, very poorly. Many Americans are woefully ignorant about the history of the book itself. A museum about the collection, transmission and translation of the bible could be a real educational asset, or just another Creation Museum.
Even if the museum has a clear Evangelical bias, I think it might still be worth it. If nothing else, there are enough good Evangelical scholars that I think would give the exhibits a very balanced tone. The patrons might not hear the theories of the Dutch Radicals, but I can live with that.
Plus, there’s a lot of potential to tell engaging stories that bring people in, while also leaving them with a sense of how complex the book and its history really are. How about the stories of some of the great translators like John Wycliffe? The politics and personalities involved in the creation of the KJV? The controversy around Erasmus and the Comma Johanneum?
Or how about stories from the formation of the canon? Granted, there would be a challenge there, since it’s a long, drawn-out and frequently unsatisfying story. But it’s got shocking twists (the first canon was probably established by the arch-heretic Marcion), heroes (Eusebius recording the names of the fallen before undertaking one of the great feats of scholarship in the ancient world), and lots of funny names (“Polycarp of Smyrna”? C’mon, you just made that up.)
But I’m afraid that it’s going to turn out to be a one-dimensional presentation of some canned stories without any scholarly underpinnings. I’m afraid, given some of the quotes in the article, that it will just be seen as another tool for evangelism, like the Creation Museum.
A lot depends of the adviser, Dr. Scott Carroll, who is unfamiliar to me. Anybody know his background?
It would be more helpful if they opened a museum to dishonesty and propaganda and used the Bible as the ultimate case study.
I don’t know if you’re ever been in a Hobby Lobby, but I can’t imagine the people behind that monument to Christian kitsch doing an honest, scholarly assessment of the history of the Bible. Although there are plenty of useful art supplies, it’s also the place you want to go if you’re whipping up a good Vacation Bible School or planning on putting some Jesus-related front yard decorations out to impress the neighbors. Also, as I recall, they aren’t open on Sunday, y’know, so everyone can go to church and whatnot…
Yes, and if I remember correctly, they used to have displays of the latest Josh McDowell book on sale for a buck. You’re right, it’s not promising.
It would be really neat if they presented all of this information on biblical history in an unbiased manner. My biblical knowledge is pretty much limited to just the bible itself. I realise though, that this is likely a wasted hope. Either way it will be interesting/entertaining.
(I STILL want to see that Creationist Museum in person; they have one scary Moses!)
I went to the Holy Land experience in Orlando Florida the other year and they had a Bible museum. They told you not to take pictures but I intently took a picture of every single page of every single bible they had there, and there were so many! Its the one exibit there that I was really interested in because they had books(bibles) that were in all sorts of languages, including braile
It was actually pretty cool because they went over some history of how the bible was illigal to print and there were little ninja print presses pushing out secret copies of the book. I actually learned something there even though I went as a joke
They also had this cool elaborate mock-up of jerulalum and bethlahem. There was a lot of creationalist stuff but there was also some learning too. I recommend going if you want a good laugh (especially at the crusification play, there were so many old people crying it was halarious!)
I thought Hobby Lobby was about destroying American industry by buying fake flowers and ready made crafts from Non-Christian China. The hypocrisy is immense. “We’re making money by pretending to be Christian” and supporting a sort of communist country.
The store is a joke. Just about everything there is made in China or India. The actual “hobby” part where you might buy something and turn it into something else is miniscule.
Did they pick which bible was “inerrant” yet. All I heard was that they keep churning out new versions.
“Did they pick which bible was “inerrant” yet?”
The Son of God, the Word made flesh, (Jn 1:14). That is the only inerrant One.
KJV only! The version authorized by a pederast to overcome the anti-royalist commentary contained in the Geneva and other earlier versions.
Unfortunately, you seem to be the only one on this forum privy to that one.
Or have the rest of us not opened our hearts enough yet?
Only one verse in the bible is inerrant according John C.
Will this “museum” include “the Book of Moron”?…….you know, the one J Smith “wrote” while looking through his top hat at ancient stones found in his backyard in up-state New York. Whoa, that’s sounds like the story of finding ancient copies of the bible! There’s really no point of asking the Vatican for some ancient copies of the bible, even though they are probably the ones withholding them, as all they would receive would be back issues of “boys illustrated”.