Book Summary - The Bible among the myths: Unique revelation or just ancient literature?
The Bible among the myths: Unique revelation or just ancient literature?
By
Gregory L. Montague
November 10, 2013
Outline
i. Introduction ii. Chapter one: The Bible in Its World iii. Chapter Two: The Bible and Myth: A Problem of Definition iv. Chapter Three: Continuity: The Basis of Mythical Thinking
v. Chapter Four: Transcendence: Basis of Biblical Thinking vi. Chapter Five : The Bible versus Myth vii. Chapter Six: The Bible and History: A Problem of Definition viii. Chapter Seven: Is the Bible Truly Historical? The Problem of History (1) ix. Chapter Eight: Does It Matter Whether the Bible Is Historical? The Problem of History (2)
x. Chapter Nine: Origins of the Biblical Worldview: Alternatives xi. Chapter Ten: Conclusions
Introduction
The Bible among Myths by John N. Oswalt is among the best apologetics of the recent times. The book seeks to debunk the ideas, which secular scholars have been propagating in the recent years, that the Old Testament chapters of the bible are part of the Ancient Near East Mythology. In essence, what Oswalt does in this book is to show that any arguments linking the Old Testament with the Ancient Near East Mythology are misguided. In so doing, Oswalt endeavors to make it plain to readers that literature from such scholars is misleading. In a bid to achieve this goal, Oswalt chooses to approach the book from a polemical viewpoint to convey his point. His introductory argument anchors on the assertion that in the last five decades much has not changed insofar as the content of the Old Testament is concerned, yet the perception of scholars has radically changed in the same duration (Oswalt 2009, 11-12). Currently, most scholars have lost esteem for the Old Testament, and to them, it is just another Ancient Near East myth. Some scholars consider the Old Testament as ‘remarkably similar’ to Ancient Near East mythical literature associated with other Semitic religions that
By
Gregory L. Montague
November 10, 2013
Outline
i. Introduction ii. Chapter one: The Bible in Its World iii. Chapter Two: The Bible and Myth: A Problem of Definition iv. Chapter Three: Continuity: The Basis of Mythical Thinking
v. Chapter Four: Transcendence: Basis of Biblical Thinking vi. Chapter Five : The Bible versus Myth vii. Chapter Six: The Bible and History: A Problem of Definition viii. Chapter Seven: Is the Bible Truly Historical? The Problem of History (1) ix. Chapter Eight: Does It Matter Whether the Bible Is Historical? The Problem of History (2)
x. Chapter Nine: Origins of the Biblical Worldview: Alternatives xi. Chapter Ten: Conclusions
Introduction
The Bible among Myths by John N. Oswalt is among the best apologetics of the recent times. The book seeks to debunk the ideas, which secular scholars have been propagating in the recent years, that the Old Testament chapters of the bible are part of the Ancient Near East Mythology. In essence, what Oswalt does in this book is to show that any arguments linking the Old Testament with the Ancient Near East Mythology are misguided. In so doing, Oswalt endeavors to make it plain to readers that literature from such scholars is misleading. In a bid to achieve this goal, Oswalt chooses to approach the book from a polemical viewpoint to convey his point. His introductory argument anchors on the assertion that in the last five decades much has not changed insofar as the content of the Old Testament is concerned, yet the perception of scholars has radically changed in the same duration (Oswalt 2009, 11-12). Currently, most scholars have lost esteem for the Old Testament, and to them, it is just another Ancient Near East myth. Some scholars consider the Old Testament as ‘remarkably similar’ to Ancient Near East mythical literature associated with other Semitic religions that