Before I tell you what I heard, a couple things:
1) Bigotry is always unholy, no matter where or who it comes from. This first post is about what I heard during a sermon on a Bible app.
2) The hateful thing involved higher biblical criticism. So let’s define that.
Encyclopedia Britannica says: ” biblical criticism, a discipline that studies textual, compositional, and historical questions surrounding the Old and New Testaments.” This article goes on to define the four main types of Biblical criticism. It’s an interesting low barrier starting point.
But you know me. I went and asked ChatGPT. 🙂 and got this:
“Biblical higher criticism is a method of analyzing and interpreting the Bible that emerged in the late 19th century. It is also known as historical criticism, and it seeks to understand the origins and development of the biblical texts by examining their literary, historical, and cultural contexts.
This approach assumes that the Bible is a collection of human documents, shaped by the social and historical conditions in which they were written. Thus, it aims to identify the various sources, authors, and redactors of the biblical texts and to understand how they were edited and compiled over time.
Biblical higher criticism involves examining the language, style, and themes of the biblical texts, as well as their historical and cultural contexts. It also considers archaeological and other extrabiblical evidence to shed light on the historical accuracy and reliability of the biblical accounts.
This method has been controversial among some religious groups because it challenges traditional beliefs about the authorship and authority of the Bible. However, it has been widely accepted among scholars and has contributed to a deeper understanding of the biblical texts and their historical contexts.”
Okay, on to what I heard this morning. I was listening to the Thru the Bible app while I showered. They were replaying an old sermon. The topic seemed to be the Bible and how countries who held to it were great, and they died when they let go of it. I rolled my eyes, but whatever. There are a lot of things on Thru the Bible that make me roll my eyes. I try to let most of them go.
As a trans person who’s been trying to cobble together my own Bible education from bits and pieces over the years, sometimes it’s a case of separating wheat from chaff.
But this went beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. I deleted the app today.
When talking about the British empire’s history, apparently colonialism was among the things that made them “great”. WTF.
Then it got worse.
The pastor went on to say that the development of higher biblical criticism in Germany was, and I quote, “what led them to trade the Bible for Mein Kampf“. (emphasis mine).
If all I typed for the rest of this article were cusswords, it could never convey how I feel right now. How dare he. Enslaving and subjugating people with your military and culture is part of what makes you “great” as long as it’s wrapped in the Bible??? But looking more closely at the historical location, text types and ages, or literature styles of the Bible led DIRECTLY TO F*&*&%ING HITLER!!! I could keep cussing. Instead, I’ll just leave this here:
I needed to know more. So I asked ChatGPT another question:
“Why are people afraid of biblical higher criticism?”
Here’s what Chat told me:
“Some people may be afraid of biblical higher criticism because they believe that it challenges the authority and reliability of the Bible as a divine and infallible document. This approach suggests that the Bible is a human creation that reflects the cultural and historical context in which it was written, and that its accuracy and reliability can be evaluated based on historical and literary analysis.
For some believers, this can be seen as a threat to their faith and their understanding of the Bible as a sacred text. They may feel that questioning the authorship or historical accuracy of the Bible undermines the divine inspiration and authority of its teachings.
Additionally, some people may view biblical higher criticism as an attack on their religious traditions and beliefs, and may see it as a threat to the cultural and social values that they associate with their faith.
However, it is important to note that biblical higher criticism is a scholarly method of analysis and interpretation that seeks to deepen our understanding of the Bible and its historical context. It does not necessarily invalidate or challenge the spiritual and religious meaning that individuals may find in the Bible, but rather seeks to understand the complex and multifaceted nature of this important text.”
And then my final question:
“This morning I heard a pastor say specifically that biblical higher criticism in Germany was directly responsible for the rise of Hitler. Why would someone say that?” (Bigotry, yes. But I was also looking for other reasons.)
Chat came back with this:
“The claim that biblical higher criticism in Germany was directly responsible for the rise of Hitler is a controversial and unsupported assertion. There is no evidence to suggest that the academic study of the Bible or historical criticism had any significant influence on the rise of Nazism in Germany.
It is important to note that many scholars who engaged in biblical higher criticism were themselves German and were not necessarily sympathetic to the Nazi regime. In fact, many of these scholars were persecuted and even killed by the Nazis for their opposition to the regime.
The idea that biblical higher criticism played a role in the rise of Hitler may be based on a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of history. It is possible that the pastor in question may have been trying to draw a connection between the secularization of German society and the weakening of traditional religious values, which some people believe contributed to the rise of Nazi ideology. However, it is important to approach such claims with a critical and discerning eye, and to carefully evaluate the evidence and historical context before accepting them as true.”
(In case you’re wondering, these chat engines are designed to provide responses with as neutral wording as possible. So they even have to give the rantings of racist N**i enablers the benefit of the doubt.)
Writing this brought up one more question:
“Chat, are Jewish scholars threatened by higher biblical criticism?”
“The relationship between Jewish scholars and higher biblical criticism is complex and varies among different Jewish communities and individuals. Some Jewish scholars and movements have embraced higher biblical criticism as a tool for understanding the historical context and development of the Bible, while others reject it as a threat to traditional beliefs and the authority of scripture.
In general, Orthodox Jews tend to be more skeptical of higher criticism and emphasize the divine authorship and inspiration of the Bible. They may view critical approaches as undermining the traditional understanding of the Bible as a direct revelation from God. However, some Orthodox scholars have also engaged with higher criticism while maintaining their commitment to traditional beliefs.
In contrast, Reform and Conservative Jewish movements have been more open to critical scholarship and have incorporated it into their approach to scripture. They view the Bible as a product of human authors and editors, shaped by historical and cultural factors, and subject to interpretation and reinterpretation over time. Overall, it is important to recognize that there is a diversity of views among Jewish scholars regarding higher biblical criticism, and any generalization should be made with caution.”
I don’t even know how to wrap this up, except to say that Thru the Bible Ministries should be ashamed of themselves for not screening through these sermons and weeding out things like this. Unless they agree with it. In which case, it can’t be called a ministry and they ought to pull the plug on the whole thing.
Here are some sources for you to do further reading on the topics of biblical criticism; the Bible, Christianity and the rise of the Nazis; and random things I thought might help. Plus a link to the sermon itself. I did it as a youtube video so that TTB doesn’t get the traffic for it.
Here you go:
1) Oxford Bibliographies has a good starter bibliography of things to read on biblical criticism. You can find it here. They also have a bibliography about “minorities” (you know, the rest of the world) and New Testament criticism. That’s here.
2) This link at Blue Letter Bible is an overview of the three stages of the historical criticism movement. It’s part of the Fundamentals series and is a reprint from R.A. Torrey. There are some weird things said about the scholars who’ve done the work. But overall, give it a go. I’m going to.
3) Here’s one more overview of biblical criticism from theopedia.
4) For those of you from a Catholic background, this article from Catholic Culture seems to do a decent job of treading in the middle while still explaining the concepts. (This is the first I’ve heard of this site. If they’re about anything dangerous, please let me know.)
On to Nazi Germany and the Bible specifically:
5) The Holocaust Museum has a bibliography about Christianity and the Holocaust to start with.
6) Here’s a small part of the Holocaust Museum’s collection on American Christianity, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust.
7) Facing History has a video featuring Dr. Victoria Barnett. She speaks about the Confessing Church. They were an uprising against the Nazification of the German Protestant church.
8) Which brings us to the Barmen Declaration. Written in 1934, it’s written in opposition to using the church to further the Nazi regime.
9) But not so fast! This article points out some misinterpretations the confessing church got caught up in. And how they missed the mark in a few ways. Slight spoiler: I don’t think the one is specifically Lutheran. It’s very worth reading.
And, if you want to read one of the earliest and most foundational texts in historical criticism for yourself, it’s right here at internet archive!
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