Great Controversies of the Bible

Religions based on the Bible have to decide upon a method to interpret it and to disseminate criteria and rules of the game. Jews, Christians, and Protestants have to adopt a definitive hermeneutic course, whether the straight-line method or the symbolical-metaphorical method, but they cannot simply mix the two at whim. The literal approach, as already stressed in the present book, is far too weak, and also confusing, whereas the use of symbolism is far too open-ended. At Christmas 2007, Pope Benedict XVI forbad Catholics to include in their Christmas nativity scenes animals and shepherds because, according to the gospels, they were not truly witnesses to the birth of Jesus in the manger. That was very bad business for the Pope that year, because his religion depends far too much on precisely those traditions and symbols, including pagan ones such as the Christmas tree, and liturgy that have embodied the signs of faith and have become confused with them. Monsignor Bougaud stated that “popes are clearly and luminously aware of the full powers they have been entrusted with. They use them with discretion and delicately; they do not intervene unless it’s absolutely necessary.” But this is not the case of Pope Benedict XVI, who went out of his way to forbid the full representation of the birth of Jesus, with figures, images and idols in accordance with the eleventh commandment given to Moses by the Lord and that the Catholic Church had decided to ignore. The Vatican’s concern undercuts the vast scope of the magnificent essays written by the current Catholic Pope on the symbolical and philosophical interpretation of Scripture, with its metaphors and parables. Our present world culture, which is universalistic and encyclopedic in its all-embracing scope, requires a theological, scientific, and historical vision of greater reach and depth, one that is truly ecumenical, where the vision can be modernized, where symbols can once again be manifested, where faith can be rebuilt in an effort of authentic syncretism, where the use of reason and intelligence, as we mentioned on this book’s first pages, is no longer the only motivation for being excommunicated or burnt at the stake. And that is where there is the biggest challenge, whether or not Moses actually wrote the Ten Commandments or whether Mary is a virgin or not.