Dec
18
Blogging the Bible
Filed Under Apologetics, Evangelism, Reading
Slate.com deputy editor David Plotz has recently begun a project called Blogging the Bible: What Happens When an Ignoramus Reads the Good Book. Plotz, who calls himself ‘a proud Jew, but never a terribly observant one,’ came upon the idea while bored to tears at a synagogue during his cousin’s bat mitzvah. In despair he picked the Torah on the pew rack and began reading in Genesis and became fascinated at what he thought he knew and what he had never been told. He is now reading through the entire Old Testament and blogging about it as he goes along.
Plotz is no biblical scholar, and his wit borders on irreverence at times, but I find it strangely compelling to read how he reacts to the Old Testament texts. He reads not to point out inconsistencies or prove/disprove a system of belief; rather, in his words,
My goal is pretty simple. I want to find out what happens when an ignorant person actually reads the book on which his religion is based. I think I’m in the same position as many other lazy but faithful people (Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus). I love Judaism; I love (most of) the lessons it has taught me about how to live in the world; and yet I realized I am fundamentally ignorant about its foundation, its essential document. So, what will happen if I approach my Bible empty, unmediated by teachers or rabbis or parents? What will delight and horrify me? How will the Bible relate to the religion I practice, and the lessons I thought I learned in synagogue and Hebrew School?
Plotz interacts with readers, Jewish, Christian, and others. It merits checking with from time to time. I’ve known people who have done this sort of thing and found themselves transformed in the process. Reading the Scriptures, even the Old Testament, is like letting a lion out of his cage for a while. You just don’t know what will happen next. When anything really interesting happens, I’ll update you.
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