The Meaning of History

In one of my classes today, we touched on the issue of the Bible’s historicity.  Namely, what do Christians believe (or what should they believe) concerning the historical nature of the Bible.  Should we believe that every word is historically accurate, even in the face of dissenting scientific/archaeological/common sense evidence?  Is the belief in the historical accuracy necessary for a rightly oriented faith?  The class ended, for the most part, on questions like these, although the conversation continued with a few of my classmates.

Shortly after I began my religious studies major at SMU, I took the first class that really challenged my faith.  Throughout high school and most of college, I maintained a fairly conservative, fundamentalist stance towards the Bible and Christianity in general.  If the Bible said it, we had no right to question it.  If the Bible didn’t say it, we probably shouldn’t worry about it.  My Hebrew Bible class changed all of this, however.  As most Hebrew Bible classes do, we began with an analysis of Genesis.  Our professor made a point to show us that there were, in fact, two different creation stories and that they didn’t agree with each other.  He then moved on to say that neither of them was meant to be read as a historical account of the earth’s formation.  Needless to say, my conservative sensibilities were a bit shaken.

Towards the middle of the class, I found that we had covered a lot of ground.  Abraham may or may not have existed; there was never a worldwide flood; Moses probably didn’t exist; there is no evidence to support the wilderness wanderings of the Israelites; the first person in the Old Testament who is supported by outside evidence is David, and he is only mentioned once.  I had almost reached the point where I was going to dismiss my professor as a hack.  He was clearly a dirty atheist and didn’t know what he was talking about.  Then, for a reason still unknown to me, I decided to try and take him seriously and see where it got me.

Throughout that semester, I continued to wrestle with what he taught, and the questions kept piling up in my head.  Toward the end of the class, I found myself surprisingly comfortable with questioning the historicity of the Bible.  Perhaps I just discovered that I am a cynical person by nature, but the main reason for my comfort came from a reorienting of my faith and a redefinition of what I meant when I said “history” with regard to Christianity.

All religions have stories of origin, there are no exceptions.  It is, after all, important to know where you come from.  Most of these stories, however, are mythic in character and do not present themselves as what historians would call “good history.”  Christianity is no exception to the rule.  However, it would be wrong to simply dismiss these stories as “false” or “misleading.”  They are not intended to give an accurate portrayal of history (as if there is such a thing), they are intended to give an accurate portrayal of history as it pertains to the faith.

The stories that we find in the Old and New Testaments paint a vivid picture of God’s work in the world, they do not provide a wonderful means of reconstructing the past.  They are stories that are told from the memories of the faithful, memories that are shaped and fueled by experiences of God and a love for God.  We all tell stories, and even our stories change as time goes on.  This is especially true when our stories are about someone or something that we remember or think of fondly.  The stories I tell of my grandfather, for example, are drastically different now than when he was alive.  I have not altered them on purpose, but I am aware that they have changed because my memory of him has changed.  This is a characteristic of memory…it changes with time and emphasizes certain things while ignoring others.

So, in this regard, the question is not “Is the Bible historically accurate?”  Rather, our question should be, “What do we mean by historically accurate?”  If by historically accurate we mean that the Bible should be read like a history textbook then I would have to say that no, the Bible is not historically accurate.  If it is to be read as a history textbook, then it is a bad history textbook.  However, if by historically accurate we mean that the Bible is an accurate source of information that tells the story of our faith, then I would have to say that yes, the Bible is historically accurate.  Just because it isn’t factual doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

The Frailty and Promise of Grace

In the first creation account of Genesis (1:1-2:4a), we read:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.”

We then move on to read in Genesis 1:6-9

“And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.”

What strikes me as odd about these two passages is the fact that water seems to be the only thing in this account that is not created by God. God creates the heavens and the earth, as well as the firmament, but water takes on an almost pre-existent quality in this story. It is not created by God, but rather tamed or controlled by God. The firmament that God creates, while acting as the sky in ancient theology, was primarily created to hold back the waters of chaos.

Later, in Genesis 6, we find the familiar story of Noah and his sons. Out of the entire population of the earth, they were the only ones who found favor in God’s eyes. Because of this favor, God decides that they should be spared from what is about to take place. The waters of chaos are about to be released so that they can consume the earth. Noah and his family build an ark, which acts as a sort of temporary creation, its hull and roof serving as the firmament which holds back the waters from destroying them along with the rest of the earth.

The end of this story is also a familiar one…the waters recede and God promises never to allow the waters to come up and destroy the earth again. This story is not as much about destruction and wickedness as it is about Grace. The creation that surrounds us is a product of God’s grace. It was and is created not out of obligation or boredom, but out of the grace that defines the creator. We are not here because of any effort that we have put forth, but because God’s grace sustains us.

Just as Noah and his family, we are surrounded by chaotic waters. Whatever form these waters take, they are constantly there, swirling and threatening to undo our very existence. We sometimes catch glimpses of these waters as they seep slowly through the cracks in our hull. We experience these leaks in many ways, from financial difficulties to relationship troubles. Whatever form the leak takes, the promise of God remains.

God’s promise is not that our hull will not have leaks and that we will never experience anything negative. God’s promise is that the waters of chaos will never again be allowed to overtake and destroy us. This is a promise made by a God who is bound by nothing and responsible to no one. Grace is given as a gift and one that, because of God’s freedom, can be taken back at any time. This freedom, however, is overshadowed by the love that God has shown to us and to those who have come before.

Grace is a promise we can count on, not because God is obligated to give it, but because God wills to give it.