In The Beginning Was The Word ...
In two different threads below, interlocutors take Peter Robinson to task for reading the New York Times. Peter responded to one by saying:
It's important to read the Times, I think, if only to keep up with the latest liberal pathologies.
I'm a media critic so I'm required to read the New York Times as part of my job. I'm pretty used to seeing overt bias, agenda-pushing and basic errors of fact. But what I read there yesterday shocked me.
In an essay written by an actual Humanities professor and edited by the prestigious folks at the Times, the following paragraph was included:
After all, the relationship between human reader and “animated” book has been forged over centuries. The Bible, perhaps the first book to be characterized in these terms, was thought to be the material embodiment of Jesus Christ, “a living and breathing likeness of Him” in the words of Erasmus. Since Christ was understood to be the carnal manifestation of the Scriptures — the Word made flesh, according to the literary scholar James Kearney — the Bible was reflexively endowed with human properties.
According to the New York Times, the famous Gospel of John was apparently authored by literary scholar James Kearney.
The things you learn by reading the Times, elite and prestigious paper of record!
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Comments:
Apr '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
That's a twofer, a misunderstanding of the incarnation of "The Word," and a complete goof on what should be a commonly understood phrase from the New Testament. More evidence that more folks buy (or are given) bibles than read them.
Evidence also that the "Gray Lady" is clearly run by folks who are more green than gray.
Nov '10
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I agree it’s important to know what’s being written in the NYT, and most of the time it’s also amusing. However, the only reasonable way to do this is if you can afford to pay someone to read it for you and give you a synopsis of it. Whatever that costs will be worth every penny.
For most of us we can just rely on other people to tell us for free of the latest tom foolery in the NYT.
Mar '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I think that "according to James Kearney" was referencing the interpretation of John 1. And it does seem a rather unique interpretation. The 'Word' is logos, not graphe. Jesus is the Word in the same way that God is the word. But the graphe (scripture) is not the logos. hmm. Oh, I think I get it. Is the writer is making a post modern argument that the meaning of the text is provided by the audience, not the author? Is that it? I guess I should go read the whole article.
Jun '12
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I'd like to be there when these people meet the real Jesus.
"You thought the Word was what?"
Jan '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I knew it! That explains a lot, actually.
Apr '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I'm always happy to read the NYT editorial page. A compass that points south is still perfectly usable.
Sep '10
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
Isn't it more like a compass that always points left no matter which way you're facing? That seems less useful.
Jun '12
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
drlorentz
Isn't it more like a compass that always points left no matter which way you're facing? That seems less useful. · 1 minute ago
In Terry Pratchett's Discworld, one of the non-human species (I think it was the Trolls) had a similar compass. It had two directions: North and Not-North. Everything that wasn't North was Not-North, which made navigation somewhat difficult.
It's the same for most lefties. It's either Left or Not-Left.
Mar '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
I read the Times daily for, well, news. Despite the obvious leanings (which are fairly easy to spot and ignore), it tells me facts about events around the country, and overseas.
I've been reading morning papers for 40 years, I cannot stop now. With most local papers turning sadly into "Savvy Shoppers", I enjoy the Times for reporting elections, projects, progress, etc.
[I read on the Kindle- I only get through Front Page, International, and National before my lunch break is usually over...so I rarely get to the Editorials and Opinions, lucky me]
Apr '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
This. Depressingly, this literary scholar appears to be familiar with neither classical literature (eg. the Bible) nor modern literary theory (eg. Derridda). Either one would have alerted him to his ethnocentric goof. I believe that the Times has also referenced the idea that Easter's date was based on the English Goddess Eostre's festival, a similarly "well of course the Church Fathers spoke English!" error, similarly compounded by fundamental biblical illiteracy.
Jun '12
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
James Of England
I believe that the Times has also referenced the idea that Easter's date was based on the English Goddess Eostre's festival, a similarly "well of coursethe Church Fathers spoke English!" error, similarly compounded by fundamental biblical illiteracy. · 1 minute ago
There was a similar thing happening during the (now quiescent) KJV-only controversy in Christian circles that erupted about the time the NIV started to become popular (if memory serves).
The concept was that Jesus had used a King James Bible, despite the fact that (a) the New Testament hadn't been written when Jesus walked the earth and (b) Jesus likely would have spoken Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic, and certainly not English, not even the English of the 1600s. However, there were many people I ran into during that time period who asserted in all seriousness that of course Jesus had used a King James Bible, how dare I suggest otherwise?
For the record, when I preached, I generally studied the NIV and preached out of the NKJV, making sure that I had taken both translations into account.
Edited on August 13, 2012 at 6:51pmMar '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
The Church was teaching it for 2000 years, but thank the Lord that James Kearney came around just in time to confirm it. Additionally, our all knowing Humanities oracle appears to believe that Mr. Kearney (Prof? Dr? Oaf?) appears to be as much an authority as Erasmus.....
What would we do without these literary critics?
Feb '12
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
ConservativeWanderer
drlorentz
Isn't it more like a compass that always points left no matter which way you're facing? That seems less useful. · 1 minute ago
In Terry Pratchett's Discworld, one of the non-human species (I think it was the Trolls) had a similar compass. It had two directions: North and Not-North. Everything that wasn't North was Not-North, which made navigation somewhat difficult.
It's the same for most lefties. It's either Left or Not-Left. · 43 minutes ago
Um ... you must be remembering wrong ... Discworld is a disc, so the directions are hubward, rimward, turnwise, and widdershins. :D
Jun '12
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
Amy Schley
ConservativeWanderer
drlorentz
Isn't it more like a compass that always points left no matter which way you're facing? That seems less useful. · 1 minute ago
In Terry Pratchett's Discworld, one of the non-human species (I think it was the Trolls) had a similar compass. It had two directions: North and Not-North. Everything that wasn't North was Not-North, which made navigation somewhat difficult.
It's the same for most lefties. It's either Left or Not-Left. · 43 minutes ago
Um ... you must be remembering wrong ... Discworld is a disc, so the directions are hubward, rimward, turnwise, and widdershins. :D · 3 minutes ago
Musta been Hubward and Not-Hubward.
Or else it was another fantasy series I was reading... which is possible, I read a lot.
Apr '11
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
Aye carumba.
May '10
Re: In The Beginning Was The Word ...
Peter does it so we don't have to. Athough personally I wouldn't use the NYT to paper train a dog so I wouldn't anyway.