sacred literature
The Bible is sacred, holy, and perfect. The Bible is also literature.
It doesn’t seem like those two words {sacred & literature} go together, does it? We tend to keep the Bible in a special “other” category - and that’s good! It IS distinct! But it’s also a beautiful piece of literature.
The great news about the Bible as sacred literature is that we already have the skills to read it. Many of us learned basic literary skills in high school English class. And if, um, maybe some of us slept through those classes (*raises hand*), we likely picked up those same skills by watching an excellent Netflix series (*raises hand*).
Take the skill of spotting themes or repeated phrasing. For instance, in The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald uses yellow and green colors to symbolize money and wealth. Within the Bible, the book of Judges says, “they did what was right in their own eyes” repeatedly as the story spirals downward. In Star Wars, the theme music of Darth Vader alerts you to his presence before he even comes on the scene. In the Bible, Mary’s song in the book of Luke looks a lot like Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel.
Just as there are different genres in literature, The Bible has many genres within it. Genres like history, poetry, prose, letters, and prophecy (or to carry the Netflix summer-school theme are rom-coms, docuseries, and reality shows). A historical story about His might reads differently than a poem about His might. One helps you understand it another enables you to feel it. You instinctively read each genre differently when you pick up other books; it’s ok to do the same with the Bible. If you put on your “literature” glasses when reading the Bible, you get to see all the cool literary devices.
How fun that God uses different kinds of gifted authors to convey the truth of God’s character! We get to be pissed with Amos and sad with Jeremiah. We get to feel frustrated with the disciples in Mark and gobsmacked at God’s plan with Paul. We felt hope with the author of 1 Kings and awed with Genesis. These authors use different literary devices that are as distinct as Bonhoeffer and Lewis, or JJ Abrams and Ken Burns.
When we read the Bible, we get to enter a book with landscape and dimensions … it’s not flat Iowa, friends. So put on your literary glasses when you open the pages of Scripture. Let the authors tell you about God using the gifts God gave them.
Further Resources: