Academic and Devotional Approaches to Scripture

Sigh.  David Bokovoy is again suggesting that I haven’t grasped the utterly obvious and simple distinction between academic and devotional approaches to scripture.

He appears to estimate my IQ as somewhere in the range of 50-60.

I have absolutely no problem with academic approaches to scripture.

Let me restate that, for clarity:  I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH ACADEMIC APPROACHES TO SCRIPTURE.

I can’t think of a time, since at least my high school days, when I haven’t understood the distinction between academic approaches to scripture and religion, on the one hand, and, on the other, confessional or devotional approaches to scripture and religion.

And I have absolutely no problem with academic approaches to scripture.

I think that academic readings of scripture can coexist with devotional readings of scripture.  They’re suited to different audiences and different contexts, and there’s no need for adherents of the one to seek to drive out or discredit the other.  I don’t seek to eliminate academic approaches to scripture because — have I said this before? — I have absolutely no problem with them.

I think that “critical” approaches to scripture can function alongside apologetic, theological, and other confessional approaches to scripture.  They, too, are suited to different audiences, different contexts, and different purposes.  I don’t seek to marginalize or discredit “critical” approaches to scripture.  I can see no legitimate reason why devotees of “critical” approaches to scripture would seek to discredit or marginalize apologetic, theological, and confessional approaches.

I’ve said this any number of times, on this blog and even in the very pages of the repurposed Mormon Studies Review.

I don’t think that I’m capable of being any clearer than that.

Yet there’s been a flurry of posts, recently, taking aim at scripture-related apologetics.  I find this exceedingly strange.  If there’s a war between “critical” approaches or “academic” approaches (or whatever one chooses to call them) and apologetic, theological, or confessional approaches, it’s a war that I haven’t sought, that I didn’t begin, and that I’m not interested in pursuing.  I would appreciate it if those who think they’re defending academic studies of scripture against my nonexistent attacks would cease fire.