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    Bible in Captivity Modernity (Morrow) PDF

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    Monachus Ignotus

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    PRO CCLESIA @ |ABok Syrpotism on George Hung Th Echo and Eni Lt Us Keep te Fost Will Coen... The Thing afk An Orhan Reser Hunngar+ Not Se-High Sacral Tsay Mok A Mat, Chit the Ward Who Makes Us: Eucharist nd Creation orga Gara ward the Doy When We Wl Kop he Fos Togahar Rito Soorien Fre kor, onlhe Eucharist Some Questions fr George Hunsinger Gaon Hs Midering he Cc of Acapbe Divers: A Roly o My Esme Feds anricts j Joy Morn. The ible in Coptviy: Hobbes, Spinaza, andthe Plc of Dein alin Todd We, Theslegcol Exegesis Hoe Ur von Sathotar od the Figure Monet ale M,C... Cri the Spi, nd Vocation til Refectons ona Pans edeilgy REVIEWS VOLUME xix NUMBER 3 a 284 Goonge Hunsinger ‘many mistakes I would ask only that my more immediate audience, the Reformed churches, be remembered, since for thes even my propose shout “real presence” wil involve x major stretch, to sy nothing ebout 'my astonishing ssgestions regarding bishops ad the pope Bat hope it will also be remembered what sort of pope Ihave in sind THE BIBLE IN CAPTIVITY: HOBBES, SPINOZA, AND THE POLITICS OF DEFINING RELIGION Jeffrey L. Morrow “The term “religion” i 4 commonplace these days that one mvely ques: tions that simple definition exist: Each day our periodicals demonstrate ‘thease of using this word. The seemingly facile wage of religion,” how ever, obscures its orginal politcalistorcal context. In this atl, Till ‘complement the work of various scholars who argue thal the emergence Oofrelgion asa modern eategory denoting pevate beliefs was primarily 2 political construct that fciltated the removal ofthe newly Fodefined teligious from the public sphere. n adaiton to other historical acount that describe ths proces, Iwill add the consideration of bible intepre= tation, arguing that the raison dire of the histrial-eical method for studying the Bibl in th seventeenth century was precisely fo asst in the politica! tsk of transfonring the public sphere “The work of Wiliam Cavanaugh i particlanly helpful in considering ‘the angument at hand lv his cent 2009 book The Mth of Religious Vi ‘enc, his 2002 book Thea Imagination, and his 1995 article, A Fire Strong Enough to Consume the House’ The Wars of Religion and the Rise Of the Moder Stat" Cavanaugh convincingly argues that he word "re ligio’ has a complex past and that whe tational story ofthe "Wars of Religion” is problematic" Following Talal Asa’ description in his now Pro Jey L. Morr Assit Profesor, lemaculate Conception Seminary Schl of Teoiogy, Seton Hall Uncrsity, 400 Sout Orange Ae, Sut Onmnge N]O7073. Ema: jefe morose 1, Wag Cavnauh “AB rong Pouch n Gc i ce Tre War Iaigon and thee tS” on Pay G05 ae & Win Corea ‘ie Np eg Vergy nt af Mo Canoe wi ie eyo Rts cn pad Ordre Unrest Paes 209), espely apo 2 ands Alba's Fall Asa, 26 Jeffrey. Morrove famous 1968 book Genaligies of Religion, Cavanaugh notes that in the ‘eaival period, religion had todo with the practic ofthe vctas within the church’ ture life and also with rlgious onder it primacy te fecred to morasti life and discipline’ Inthe hiftoorth through egieenith centuries political theorists such as Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, Baruch Spinoza, ohn Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau redefined religion a Pertaining to private bliss, matter that didnot belong in the public phere: in other words, the newly defined secular rela” ‘Cavanaugh finds an early example of the redefinition of religion in the very idea thatthe wars of staenth- and sevententh-contury Europe ‘ware religious. The standard story i that ater the Reformation detrital dlispotes broke out al over Europe's divided Christendom and hese reli- 4glous disputes turned into Bloody battles; moder cetralizad sats then ‘emerged in onder to use thir justified monopoly onthe legitimate se of “iolence to bring peace to these ectarin conflicts" Cavanaugh objects to thison three counts Fis, state centralization was a mich longer process that reached back into history at last six undred years, well before the Reformation itl; the wars ware the final stages of state centralization? ‘eg Rie Die es of Pa Cty al in lie ‘ei Hopes every: Ph Tas bent gay rn Cate Pe ‘der On inferior 1, OS, ee Ha, “ea Rae me Ex Een ge Coen ih Rl is Cairn TS Engh” 0-4 ud Gee ign Son Sa: Non Say ee tat Spal vy tor igs war re oad ht te ona ‘sergeant ce an dor ‘Sst an lrg vows by mh ty ware spe fam oa ees ‘he Cre a Wing atc man il Csr gen wat ten ree ena ae wh al oc aS Tacggrin ELASSS wed RAT? Steer te reas 1 Ga tony devtaped win te cach corsmunal agi pte Sr 5 ‘Thomas Asus Samn esi Cami Ria 960 "Crema Pre Srong Eoeagh a Wd Cal Sih The Merged lf aoe Nee Yer Macs 196, 3-6 an Neve a, ae Ce rena nthe paring ofthe tlt wih te ees ee ‘hoof Cae and Weiio Rao Se Cavenugh, Mt apes Ve YO and (55 ra more compl ony ot Sage ib ps hi ned Scipio gin a ‘aml tomes ereny Say te ga ed pla ene el ‘Soke nay of esl ated vote enfin Soe rages SE nein rain he si ot th sce ‘Soy heute nap mst enn mand Camary ware Pro Eceuesth Vor. XIK, No.3 7 Second, these “religious” bates were not primarily between Catholics and Protestants, but between Cathalies and Catholics, and thus clary ‘ot over religious matters of doctrine and private belies. Protestants fought on other side, tearing up with Catholics n these battles Thin, 1o describe the wars as eigious snot only inaccurate, but anachronistic, since the definition of religion as private belies as being redefined a8 Such at pracy this tne. The purpose of such a redefinition sas to de- ‘nw the church's authority on politcal matters and to exorcise the pubic realm ofthe newly defined religious [rnow hope texpand upon Cavanaugh’s work by describing one way fn which politcal theorists aimed fo undermine the chure’s authority, ‘namely, By using the Bible for their own ends in competition with the a ae erie er pete cach rg rag EES eae Sil orogens ES See Ceca See Sree eee ee Satgoamacance escent Se Retake peer e sbivecs pecans rca acai cmentetaner, sa eetaie nacre etestaee camer eS eared eae eee Pr ie ee | Siu ha hievecrarenengcetrrsenterat Eoeaa cinigas alana taasasee tone cot Sea ieee lara naman aa at SR oecer as rite eee pena at Boo ieee da eoeeremters eatery Bperictentsaneeimntcaaees seme Bees wigte rimricvonnoeeae ees ence Rie cer irene Pep os imite ae rigsemnerarinowencmas Sse cadence ra cee Sees roan een reece areata IS eee vicmeas cm menonier er weet Sioa ict sey pe mr oc Cee unaa ciamalcemeaierman ears Se ieveiaere crane ree Sector Geren neg heen ko siti is aie climate tae Elmont koambanee tienen! SoS aay itera ey ema eSGieey esata lean mayne cp hgeerahe erat er tenes Iegieieetain, acewatte ahanooe SS occae a8 Ieffey L Morrow i AS Pe eet Pereenen tetera iors ee percent ey sca at my ete ee a ee a aes Seo eres teeta einer are igen ta Nt tr Sibooaly ony witepedeganeea Snr LTE OE ata aha Poche Mab ecptoness eames ae Sh heath baie ey 2S yn eter a at {igesney eect es dt Sears ment ceetteris pa enacts ag latent see pear bea tc guru non naemre Sea as aeatcloucattinkcnt sessed eb Sh gee [Syne ee erste Cr ent getter eerie cg Rata sat eu acct ns ene aes Sas ranean Mules bi ete a Sea et cots et ee ene SSR APE Rete earn Scat re ace aan recs Pa MRS ee aS a A heeate ik mea mate ee pele aeaife lentoeern es yr pea ae il Tae Pe dco a RECK cha t teacred ECAC ean aman te 7, Ra Be ic Ray oe pls aging i aos pales Oa gate ef aey uo Te Fla ce penis S Canna sim," New Blucyrias (forthcoming). we Pro Bectssia, Vor. XIX, No.3 239 LIVING WATERS FLOWING THROUGH DIVERSE TRIBUTARIES: ‘SCRIPTURES MANIFOLD FORMS IN MATERIAL, VISUAL, AND ‘AUDITORY CULTURE ‘Our contemporary experince ofthe Bible is that of a book, which ean be purchased in 2 mulitade of locations with various cover, n various ‘uanslaions and print sizes, according tothe preferences of the reader, Prior to the end of the fiteenth century, however, only the wealthy clits and monks, scribes, and others who spent Ume in Ubearies and feriptoria had easy acces #0 atl textual copies ofthe Bible afore we ‘an ascertain the change that occured regarding the way’ dhe Bible was ‘understood, we must fs consider how it was encountered prior to this “eration, Foe thooe who sought to aser the power of the state over the transnational church, concreting dhe Bible and lining its multifaceted Influence was of utmost importance. Pobical theorist recognized that Inorder fora sate to have authority over ts people who were balicving ‘Ghvstans, he sate would have to demonstrate that the Bible supped the state's claims to authority contra the church. One way this was done ‘was by privatizing the Bible and relegating it othe ream of “religion.” In ther words, Hebbes, Spinoza, and others sought to extract the Bible from the liturgical woeid of common worship and common, manifold {interpretations ‘Even thove like monks, als, bishops and others who had acces to the Bible as a extn in the forefront oF their thoughts andl habits of rede Ingthe terial cyl, rater than the order ofthe canon bourel as 2 book tind serving ae ahistorical arfaet Often thet reading ofthe sacred page ferved an explicit itargical purpose geared toward worship. At other ties when they sided the texts on their own, dhey made asocatons benween scriptural passages based upon the Iturpeal juxtaposition of text in the iturgical eles of reading, not to mention the fact tht many of those mansicrips were actistically illuminated and the writen text it ‘Sf was offen arial calligraphic’ The Bible asa Book was not simply SEES Gace ene seein abr nee recente See Sea atrcieerneeicpreceaer See lest bie aie occa, eee ree re Ee eichacee pack oe aicie Scio Secla Sivalouligoamne sal astamyhn Heer ay ees tigers easy 20 Jethey L Morrow letters fo be send, but rather an entry into the sublime, Hence the Beauty ofthe writing and the moticulousnes of the accompanying images were ‘as mucha part ofthe Bibleas the words contained therein. "umination” ‘meant precisely what itclaimed the pictures brought to ight the message ofthe text Scripture was use for meditation—Ior eto dinina—and it be- ame a living text to those who were immersed int Both the professed feligious and lity relied on Scripture as a way Yo interpret and ke ‘meaning in thet world For the vast majority of Jews and Christians the primary encounter ‘with Seripaare was not at all etal inthe sense of rading book. The Bible was embedded in material and visual culture, but not primarily in Doak form. Rather, the most common way in which Srptare as en ‘countered wasn turgical worship. In bulldings architecturally indebted tomages of the Bible, with mosaic and painted images reflecting biblical ‘scenes, racing and singing prayers tat were biblialy based, stoning to Senipture proclaimed, engaging in gestures inspired by biblical texts: thisconsttted the Masss visual, materal, and auditory encounter with the Bible” ‘The Bible was hence not primarily viewed a a book, and certainly not 1 personal Belonging tht could be carried around st lesure and weed in private. Books are tangible, thay are bound together, and their contents Bre typically arranged in a fixed order, moving from ont to back, left {o right or inthe ease of Jewish Hebrew Scriptures, right to left. Btn the liturgy, different texts fom various pats of the book aze read “out of ‘book onder” together at vacious imes, on the liturgy ofthe synagogue, ‘text from the fron of the book, inthe Torah, might be ead alongside 4 text from the middle of the book, inthe Prophets. At the Macs a Gospal from the New Testament, proportionately near the end of the Ble might be read after a reading from the Old Testament, cose to the beginning or middle ofthe Bible. During certain liturgical season, ike the en of Ordinary Time, the fis eading might come from a New Tes- ‘tament book found even closer than the Gospels tothe hack of the Bible, and the “order” might seom even more disorderly, 2 Toast as fr a8 how one typically reads books, 1. Foran oar dui oie ways nwhchewn msde Gus wo cae pre inthe rere anus seated Se [ns asin aye sa Dy Tue, ra Agu. Mate Bee fe Song 2 Sg alana Cho Por 95) een Ley O83, Tht ef erg De fo Ga A Sty of Mc Care, ae Cane Ma (Se fer Fotos Urey Po 98 [57 0, Cone hey, Bers Nom, 18 27, 28,50. 77 74, stv and is Gon Deno, Thay ie Pa Sue Cay Aaya Noe (Ch cw 05, 11, 120, an 1 lh, oe Ving Seater Ong) The Pann fh Wor i io Rape Hsu on Hae Uae Univer rs 87 29 Seno tay he espn lente nhs ioc ath Chas ft Pao Bocuesta Vor. XIX, No.3 21 In such a liturgical context its easy to ste how Scripture functioned polymorphically for the majority of people I Was not taken home ahd ead at any time. Rather, certain portions were listened to in community and were juxtaposed with other portions. In Christan contexts, Ot Tes lament passages wore read in ight af New Testament passages, and vice versa. Certain passages were farther mediated upon in other prayerful conten such a the rosary and stations of the cross. Other senses than Ihering were also involves in experiencing Serpture. In Chistian com texts thee wes the smell of incense, while in Jewish Havdlah liturgies ‘there was the smell of spices. For both celigus traditions the taste of wine and bread was sometimes involved. Music artwork, and gestures ike kneeling, siting, standing, beating the breast, bending the knee, bowing atthe waist, and others al ofthese affected how Scripture was “understood and experienced” "This mullifaceted experience of Scripture extended beyond the normal ‘oem of the liturgy 2s well. Whether in the shape of passion plays, Cor ‘ps Christi processions, ected prayers, artwork displayed inthe home, Jewelry, clothing, Passover Seder at home, or simular other instances, Seriptive was brought toe ond made a part ofthe everyday werld and Imagination ofboth Jows and Christians." This was a world where there ‘was no secular hermetically sealed off fom divine work; “religion” had ‘ot yet come to denatea privatized set of bali, There were diverse ways fof encountering and responding to Scripture, ad there were aay f= Sues to debata, but the debate that would develop which envisioned the church and state vying for power had not yet retched its most vigorous phase, HOW THE BIBLE BECAME A BOOK: ‘THE ROLE OF HOBBES AND SPINOZA, In contrast to this manifold experience of Scripture, the Bible began to bbe encountered as a book—peimarily an object of print cultzevith the advent of the printing press” Common people were now able # Th Gan, Ty, ak ada San 12, Foraenclet denen fhe s'il pc ati a and satay cre so Katee wig ren, Te Bsn fe Man Pring a ‘ur et sr otra ge ftom NF Piton Uncesty rs 200) id Jirwen en tha of May gen Sundin sermon atm Fee fesse enn rare initia ‘iy aon th tobi ta Bn Tek ir ed a i 74767010 an 1 ron Duty, Tr Sri ft Alor Frail Rn Egon te 38 Zo Rw Hater CE Van Unvesy Pn 192), 350 Peck, A or Jeftey L Morrow ‘own and rend heir own personal o fil copes ofthe Ble in printed form In Reformation England, parishioners supported the Reformation by bringing thie personal copies of printed Bibles in English to Mass and reading aloud from them in order to interrapt the commit’ itargical ‘wlebration.” “The Reformation also brought with it» certain level of distrust in creative allegorical interpretations of Scripture. When the fll panoply erent of what has coe tbe alle! the quadrplr sess of Sept Mech more wes ccuring in llegorcal api bibl nexpretation| than typology, topology and anogoay™ Inthe CResan Word reat Interpreters such at Pope St Gregory the Gret and St Thomas Ais Set out guelins for Row one was to engage in spiral interpretation, tnd thee always appeued some cations abou using ary a every lego reading Protestant Reforsers, however, were nonethaess Sneay with the eres of ste torpretation In ts move they joined tkinkors such s Will of Gehry, who also ready attacked allege Tes important one, however that despite hs estas of he a- lego te Protestant formers were ule lea about he cently of rendng the Bible theology hey sw tak pertaining to God er how torelae with God. The concem were for Cristian sul, an thoy exer the Bible's teal nerpotation 5s ethering tis helo goal lence ‘a, oe ay, ray oe TRO On Ord Ue Pr tn) seo ntl oC ne Pe Egy ah I tinny of ae Pre 9, ae AGF sens tr fray ok ek ‘arom san pte fr mata al creed fs don ‘wayne Calcn Meas min of be Dbl Ameria oes ray in 5 cet coy mae Se er at tony Rt an our Care ‘Segre war aprsend mean re rp me dee ye Pro ping pean the con Boel pr pra {Eoin met ht ren wt ping pein etre ety Ber tel poy eps ro ay 9 om. Sw Pra aoa, “eres he Rep Oe Mts th Aion” Ly i ae ‘uo ca Barge and Ax Hold fen, Dat Leven Une sre on ees 5 2. "eS a, I St nn gh Da,“ of Bia Teno Bp satin HysopapnyRowritn bt Ppa earn, GE DS AT eats ced sd rl ai Ps St of Agery i WO snot iat nl vn ith Rea Re a put Ego, sty no ere Dcrn Meni, ar ‘ale an Fa Gong xtorOned veryPee 500) 2-06 a ‘evan Pe bie Pan on a of Rol San age Cae Tica to Pro Fecussia Vou. XIX, No.3 233 the Reformers may have attempted to read the Bible more iterlly than allegorical, but the focas wae sll primarily theological. On the other than it was not long before this supposed tera interpretation came #0 provide the thologieal underpinnings for political theories in opposition {othe transnational church. Luther’ "two kingdoms” is perhaps the most noteworthy applistion, or it was out of concem for people’ sul that Lather propose this sharp dichotomy. As such st provides the recur ort Cavanaugh’ description ofthe mode understanding of religion: “The concept of religion being born here is one of domesticated Belief systems which are, insofar sits possible, tobe manipulated by the sov- reign forthe benoit ofthe State. Keligioa sno longer a matter of certain bodily practices within the Boy of Christ, but i limited to the realm of the soul and the body is handed over othe State" ‘With politcal theorists the focus narrowed from the theological to the historical. While it may be ane that Hobbes and Spinora retained their own theological concerns, thee arguments regarding the Ble did rot stom primal fom ansety for salvation They were concerned with ‘tate control of people's bodies more s0 than the good of souls, now Telegata tothe private realm, thanks in part tothe trajectory se by he Protestant Reformers. Biblical interpretation turned ava from primrdie ally unified supernatural and natural concert foes on the natural and historical alone. There had alzeady been a precedent for thie particular ‘among Renaissance thinkers and even eae, including the modiev figures William of Ockharn and Marais of Padua, the Renaissance luminary Nicold Machiavelli the Protestant Reformers Martin Lather and Joha Calvin as well as Hobbes's and Spinoza’ seventcenth-cetary ‘contemporaries tac La Foysire ard Richard Simon. Hobbes and espe- lly Spineza went much furche tn thee predecessors however, and ln their works we may see the begining stages of what came tobe called the historial-criial method of bial studies ss a 2S ie eects core terme Soe an mee nee Boge ta gence Greiner oe eee ‘REE ccc ata een ee chinecmannmercsgencen ont ot aunt iciaearrecaercs eats i eamenereecnmenne Btaeeunnrerm crea pore meee rms sy Stereos ote eget Sookie imekhoumeerste ‘Nalis (Dordrecht: D, Reidel, 1986) 171-8, Nene co Jeffey L Moxrow Relying upon the works of others (probably La Peyrtce and Max cuvell foe Hobbes and, in adation to ll three ofthese individuals Ibn ‘az for Spinaza), Hobbes ard Spinoza began to foc onthe historical background to the Bible toa degree that had never before been attempted with such forcefulness” Although both ostensibly allowed fr theological ‘eadings of Scripture, the very methodological guidelines of thee pro- {gam indicate thats theological reading ofthe Bible is vray mpes- ible. In outhan for example Hobbes argued tat biblical interpretation ‘ewe to follow the dictates of reason, which are opposed to tool He explained: Fortis not he bare Wor but he Scope of the wit that get the tue Ugh by which any wating to beinterpresd an they htt apo ste ests witht conadering the main Design can derive no ng {com ther chery but ther eating stoma Serpe, dit before srs eye tk eveything more abscare han tian ordinary fice thon tat eck the ath ut een aang Inthe end, however, Hobbes claimed, based upon the Bible of course, {Gat the temporal ruler ofeach state was responsible for religion within her realm Without the Leviathan state, We pose a morta threat 0 Seas Sl ire a Aas aap alae ‘aera Be Joga Ove he eno w us Hates a Jima Ltt ay 3728 ol sew Gry Ra Risen MD ownan se A are ‘Ton Seo esto: Hao ger al Pas rig: Canc Un ‘ay em te bw ne, nr Lata To son he Pals {Lats Tampa cn R Pen Caer Pree ape Comb, °S at Mt of a ere a sso Ply ny ‘gay Eas fr Gv Cage Cr Coots Oey oe Ee 6, 7 od Syn fap Fon a Teo es, rs ‘iat ere ro ein Mache wo wc {bth a Sora ype mele ne tnt ete ‘Soon So wan Crop “ing epee Congr Wye ‘Stee he Roper of Coon ike ‘Granpaw nog" au ko Pai oan of Se: ‘emo of Tro fe Lm a 5600 (antes Cots ‘sehr onyanSier Pm fn Pang ‘rhe Tee 2 limos usu 2 Habe vena stra toa at areas ti wba Cod wihr ip he ado er ny wh ton at Tae ‘Enorcn rman ober acura 209) hare werd iit er bl, Wu we oe one eel ie, ay hut trae esl ste oy sun conand? fron wine beret (Sle ng anno meneny er pure why niger cera ‘eran he haa, ding rey in hea he ut ofc ss ey hhh oper Ms ale! Naan ia ening 2 e208 ecg akman bow wn ee es Ron Pro BOCLESIA Vor. XIK,No.3 Ds exch other, a5 Flebbes puttin his oft quoted remark, “uring the time smen lve without a common Power to keep ther all in awe, they are it ‘tht condition which ie called Ware; nd sich a ear, a8 is of every ‘man, against every man™ Thus the state rer alone, or te ofa she appointed, was abe to prove offical interpretations ofthe Bible. Such programmatic arguments are not, however, where we find Hoblss'sim- portance fr the liter historial-ctcal method. Rather, the way in which lobes read the Biblewhen he made his arguments highlights his tar to ‘he histori in bole interpretation, ‘One example of this comes in hs exclusion ofthe supernatural from the meaningof the texts Notonly did Hobbes deny therole of the supernatural in he authorship ofthe tex, he also chove to sgnore the supematral ast tees in the stories. When he came to passages refering to God's Spat, for instance, Hobbes interpreted the Spirit naturalstcally, for example, 25 wind Likewise, Hobbes interpreted concepts Uke heaven and hill 855 merely temporal This latter propesity was especally important for Hobbes because his poltieal vsian rele so heavly on the fear of death. For the citizen, nothing ust be more thvatening than physial death; ‘heaven and hell would be ietrpected accordingly in order thet the state filer who hele the power to execute orto pardon wold be theultimate source of authority. achatlogical teachings threatened the authority ofthe state because tho sate’ jrsdiction did not extend to the realm aftr death. In order to make the most of sate contol of i citzen lives om earth, “lobes haa to argu that nothing eke mattered beyond Hfeon ear Hobos’ quest for the history behind the text was clearly Hed to his political program. Hobbes's concern was forthe English sate; the above ‘examples of his scriptural interpretation buoyed the power ofthat stat. [Hobbes wished to provide theoretical defence ofthe statue qu, where ‘the king ruled both chazch and sate and was the ultimate interpreter ofthe Fible, Hobbes wrote his famous politcal tome Leoiation (1651) primal in France while in ele during the English ci war. Upon his zetur t© England, after the politcal limate change inthe wake of the civil war, he did nt ind a warm weleome™ ate Lt 25 Hobos mat 17 Sens Hates erp Spt of Cos ae a leptin iin pt one ae SB Spit Ge a Sa ae se iapretnh y cr tat ‘tea Spe (8) "A Hob ati $5 ad 2-3 2 e Mois pe pene» Commonweal shai tard, where sy ‘er ten the Sora hath poet ping gener rear an Lit nda nai ‘Prepon un Dent “a ian rare ten opp me withers oth ay ty sling users ey sed yo ae in aan nae 236 Jefiey Morrow Hobbes naturalistic and historical reading ofthe Bible necessitated the understanding of Scripture as a txt siilae to other Ristorieal texts ‘While he continsed to acknowledge the importance ofthe Bible as an authority te Christians, hs methodological approach to reading the Bible represen’ & fundamentally different way of encountering Scripture than Inthe past Hobbes claimed that he was using “slence” snd “reason” ih ‘examining the Bible, yo all of his exegesis merely supported his already texting poliical convictions, especialy the conviction thatthe state sw ‘reign had absolute atharity over all his citizens. By employing biblical Interpretation In ths Way Hobbes furthered the concept ofthe Bible as 8 book te be examined 25 ahistorical artifact. In short, Habbes's dsingent- cut exegesis was polically motivated: supporsed the athony ofthe Spinoza went even farther than Hobs and infact stout detailed methodological program fo biblical ny many Pons of which survived into contemporary histricel

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