There will always be competing claims concerning what the Bible says, what it means, and how it should be applied to current circumstances. There is no useful maneuvering around this tension; no useful way to argue for one way to be Christian and one way to shape that Christian life in light of one correct read of the Bible. However, it is helpful is to recognize the tension; to acknowledge the ways in which the biblical text can be made to address virtually any issue from any perspective, and to make certain the way in which we read scripture assumes a fundamental interest in healthy life options for all. If we are bound to bring something of ourselves -- of our world and times -- to the biblical text, why not bring a concern with justice and peace?
This article was first published by Religion Dispatches, a Patheos Partner, and is reprinted with permission.
Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University. Pinn is the author/editor of fifteen books, including The Black Church in the Post-Civil Rights Era (Orbis, 2002).
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