Final Reflection This course has been interesting in offering new perspectives on the Bible, especially in the ways in which people’s interpretations of the Bible today are related to the ways and reasons why certain books of the Bible were written. It has also been interesting seeing how Western society and history is very much dependent upon the Bible, and entire eras of history are separated by the ways people began to think and interpret the Bible. Another aspect of this class that was particularly intriguing was The motif of this class, that different people read the Bible different ways for different reasons, is interesting in the way that it allows for a greater acceptance for the many ways in which people read and interpret the
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The West has always been defined by the separation of church and state, yet the Bible has still had an immense effect on Western society. This not only includes both subtle and purposeful Biblical tropes in movies, books, and arts, but includes major institutions. The Bible has become such an intrinsic part of Western culture that Moses is featured on the Supreme Court of the United States. Though through the law, church and state may be separated, this is not the case in reality. Many of the ideas of righteousness and goodness are rooted in the Bible, leading to its importance in understanding everyday life in Western society. As Riches argues in the first chapter of his book, the Bible is the most important book in the modern Western world due to both its modern-day and historical implications. One of the first topics that was discussed in this class was the different types of thinking that have defined periods in history, and these have tended to be methods of thinking with regard to the Bible. This is indicative of the power and influence that the Bible has had on society; the Bible is so intrinsic to society that entire periods are divided based on society’s critical thought of the …show more content…
One example of this that appeared in class many times that was fascinating was that of the connection of the story of the Exodus to the people of the United States. During and immediately following the American Revolution, those that fought for independence from Britain believed that they were like the Israelites escaping from the Pharaoh in that they were claiming their independence, autonomy, and identity. This analogy was so powerful that one early proposal for the American seal was a depiction of the independence fighters as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, with the British depicted as the Egyptians. What becomes particularly interesting about this example is the repurposing of the story of Exodus at another point in American history. During the Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans viewed themselves as the Israelites in the story, with those that attempted to reject their rights as the Egyptians. However, those that originally wrote the Constitution, a document that originally denied African-Americans citizenship, would be considered to be like the Egyptians in this interpretation. This creates an interesting dichotomy through different groups needing to see themselves as the “good guys” in a story. This has occurred throughout history with many Bible narratives, but none has been so prevalent as the Exodus
The West has always been defined by the separation of church and state, yet the Bible has still had an immense effect on Western society. This not only includes both subtle and purposeful Biblical tropes in movies, books, and arts, but includes major institutions. The Bible has become such an intrinsic part of Western culture that Moses is featured on the Supreme Court of the United States. Though through the law, church and state may be separated, this is not the case in reality. Many of the ideas of righteousness and goodness are rooted in the Bible, leading to its importance in understanding everyday life in Western society. As Riches argues in the first chapter of his book, the Bible is the most important book in the modern Western world due to both its modern-day and historical implications. One of the first topics that was discussed in this class was the different types of thinking that have defined periods in history, and these have tended to be methods of thinking with regard to the Bible. This is indicative of the power and influence that the Bible has had on society; the Bible is so intrinsic to society that entire periods are divided based on society’s critical thought of the …show more content…
One example of this that appeared in class many times that was fascinating was that of the connection of the story of the Exodus to the people of the United States. During and immediately following the American Revolution, those that fought for independence from Britain believed that they were like the Israelites escaping from the Pharaoh in that they were claiming their independence, autonomy, and identity. This analogy was so powerful that one early proposal for the American seal was a depiction of the independence fighters as the Israelites crossing the Red Sea, with the British depicted as the Egyptians. What becomes particularly interesting about this example is the repurposing of the story of Exodus at another point in American history. During the Civil Rights Movement, African-Americans viewed themselves as the Israelites in the story, with those that attempted to reject their rights as the Egyptians. However, those that originally wrote the Constitution, a document that originally denied African-Americans citizenship, would be considered to be like the Egyptians in this interpretation. This creates an interesting dichotomy through different groups needing to see themselves as the “good guys” in a story. This has occurred throughout history with many Bible narratives, but none has been so prevalent as the Exodus