The Bible as Literature

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Albert Labriola (Duquesne University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. WORLD HISTORY AND IDEAS: A CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUME.

Domains

Literature Topic

Dates

Date of occurrence -400-400

Places

Genres and Modes

Religion and Spirituality (any)
- Religious writing

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THE BIBLE AS LITERATURE

The Bible in the West includes the Hebraic and Christian scriptures, respectively the Old and New Testaments. Whereas Jews accept the Old Testament as biblical, Christians broaden that outlook to include both the Old and New Testaments. Accepting the scriptures as the revealed word of the Lord is a matter of faith, and systematic analysis of the scriptures is theological interpretation, which results in a code of beliefs called religion. Adherents to a particular religion generally assemble in a place of worship and participate in liturgies. Although religious readers perceive the scriptures as the revealed word of the Lord, many others view the Bible solely as literature and as a wellspring of myths and fables. But religious readers often examine the literary

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3853 words

Citation: Labriola, Albert. "The Bible as Literature". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 June 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1283, accessed 25 November 2024.]