{"id":16898,"date":"2015-01-13T22:33:52","date_gmt":"2015-01-14T05:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/?p=16898"},"modified":"2015-01-13T23:33:38","modified_gmt":"2015-01-14T06:33:38","slug":"academic-and-devotional-approaches-to-scripture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/danpeterson\/2015\/01\/academic-and-devotional-approaches-to-scripture.html","title":{"rendered":"Academic and Devotional Approaches to Scripture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Got<\/a>
I have no problem with academic approaches to scripture and religion, which, being interpreted, means that I have no problem with academic approaches to scripture and religion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sigh. \u00a0David Bokovoy is again suggesting that I haven\u2019t grasped the utterly obvious and simple distinction between academic and devotional approaches to scripture.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He appears to estimate my IQ as somewhere in the range of 50-60.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I have absolutely no problem with academic approaches to scripture.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let me restate that, for clarity: \u00a0I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM WITH ACADEMIC APPROACHES TO SCRIPTURE.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t think of a time, since at least my high school days, when I haven\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

And I have absolutely no problem with academic approaches to scripture.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I think that academic readings of scripture can coexist with devotional readings of scripture. \u00a0They\u2019re suited to different audiences and different contexts, and there\u2019s no need for adherents of the one to seek to drive out or discredit the other. \u00a0I don\u2019t seek to eliminate academic approaches to scripture because \u2014 have I said this before? \u2014 I have absolutely no problem with them.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I think that \u201ccritical\u201d approaches to scripture can function alongside apologetic, theological, and other confessional approaches to scripture. \u00a0They, too, are suited to different audiences, different contexts, and different purposes. \u00a0I don\u2019t seek to marginalize or discredit \u201ccritical\u201d approaches to scripture. \u00a0I can see no legitimate reason why devotees of \u201ccritical\u201d approaches to scripture would seek to discredit or marginalize apologetic, theological, and confessional approaches.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve said this any number of times, on this blog and even in the very pages<\/a> of the repurposed Mormon Studies Review<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think that I\u2019m capable of being any clearer than that.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet there\u2019s been a flurry of posts, recently, taking aim at scripture-related apologetics. \u00a0I find this exceedingly strange. \u00a0If there\u2019s a war between \u201ccritical\u201d approaches or \u201cacademic\u201d approaches (or whatever one chooses to call them) and apologetic, theological, or confessional approaches, it\u2019s a war that I haven\u2019t sought, that I didn\u2019t begin, and that I\u2019m not interested in pursuing. \u00a0I would appreciate it if those who think they\u2019re defending academic studies of scripture against my nonexistent attacks would cease fire.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 \u00a0 Sigh. \u00a0David Bokovoy is again suggesting that I haven\u2019t grasped the utterly obvious and simple distinction between academic and devotional approaches to scripture. \u00a0 He appears to estimate my IQ as somewhere in the range of 50-60. \u00a0 I have absolutely no problem with academic approaches to scripture. \u00a0 Let me restate that, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nAcademic and Devotional Approaches to Scripture<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"    Sigh. \u00a0David Bokovoy is again suggesting that I haven't grasped the utterly obvious and simple distinction between academic and devotional\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, 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