Literary Techniques and Approaches Used in the Bible

Etiology:

Etiology (alternately aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation.

Derived from the Greek αιτιολογία, "giving a reason for" (αἰτία "cause"
+ -logy).[1]

The word is most commonly used in medical and philosophical theories,

where it refers to the study of why things occur and the reasons behind
the way that things act. It is also used in philosophy, physics,
psychology, government, medicine, and biology in reference to the
causes of various phenomena.

In a religious context, an etiological myth is an effort to explain a name

or create a mythic history for a place or family. The Oxford English
Dictionary defines myth as "A traditional story, typically involving
supernatural beings or forces or creatures, which embodies and provides
an explanation, etiology, or justification for something such as the early
history of a society, a religious belief or ritual, or a natural
phenomenon."[2]

Humanity often searches for meaning in science, religion, or philosophy

through a quest for the origins of things. Yet, many religious traditions
teach that a preoccupation with etiology distracts one from the
importance of daily life, living in the current moment, and seeking to
improve the world's conditions.

Inerrancy:

There are many different definitions for inerrancy; however for the
purpose of this course we will use the following:
It is acknowledged that there several mistakes in the Bible,
historically, geographically, etc. However, when it comes to
the notion of Religious Truths there are NO mistakes.

Symbolic Numbers:

Symbolic numbers are numbers that appear in scripture frequently and

are not to be taken literally; they are code to represent specific persons
and/or events.

666: During the reign of Caesar Nero (54-68 CE) the Christians were
persecuted viciously. John the Elder, who is credited with writing the
Book of Revelations, was forced to write in code to prevent being
hunted down by the Romans. He refers to Rome as the New Babylon
which pleased the Romans as they hated Babylon. He could not come
out openly and say that Nero is a monster as it would have meant open
war on all Christians. What the early Christians practiced at this time
was the idea of numerology. Each letter in a person’s name is given a
numerical value. When you add up the numbers in Caesar Nero you get
666. So the beast in Revelations is Nero, not the devil, sorry.

40: This number is to represent a long time. The Israelites wander in

the desert for 40 years. It rained for 40 days and nights. Jesus fasted in
the desert of 40 days. 40 means nothing more than a long time.

7: Seven means perfection. i.e.

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins

against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven
times?"Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-
seven times."  Matthew 18:21-35 (NAB)
There are seven sacraments; the 7th day is God’s day, for God rested on
this day as should we.
Old age was a sign of goodness and being in God’s favour. So if
someone was said to be several hundred years old it means they were a
good person. A person who dies young means either that person or their
parents are being punished for some sin.
Approaches to the Bible:
Scientific Approach: In this approach to the Bible the reader tries to
apply scientific principles to the events in the readings. So when the Old
Testament talks about God separating light from darkness etc. those who
follow this approach refer to the big bang noting that this was a cosmic
not a theological event.
Literal Approach: In this approach the reader says that every word in
the Bible is correct and as such is above reproach. These readers doubt
the age of the earth as the age does not add up to the years suggested in
the Bible, they feel the earth is much younger. Fossilized remains are
false as these animals were not on Noah’s Ark.
Concordist Approach: Just as Concordia University is a blend of
Loyola College and Sir George Williams University and the Concord
was a joint effort of Air France and British Airways, so the Concordist
approach is a blend of both the Scientific and Literal Approaches. The
concordist would say that the earth was made in six (6) days but that
these days might have been thousands of years long, fossils were just not
found yet by the authors of the Old Testament.

All three of these approaches are wrong and should not be followed.
The approach that should be followed is the Critical Approach.

Critical Approach: In this approach we MUST take the Bible on its

terms not ours. In other words we need to know something of the time
 so as to make a good judgment. For example, a person 500 years from
now reading an article about the Humboldt Bus crash of April 6, 2018
would have no idea what the Humboldt crash is about, unless they
researched the topic. We cannot impose our standards of humanity or
the value of people onto the people of that time. Take this passage, what
do you think it means:
Genesis 19: 5-8

5
Calling out to Lot they said, 'Where are the men who came to you
tonight? Send them out to us so that we can have intercourse with them.'
6
Lot came out to them at the door and, having shut the door behind him,
7
said, 'Please, brothers, do not be wicked.
8
Look, I have two daughters who are virgins. I am ready to send them
out to you, for you to treat as you please, but do nothing to these men
since they are now under the protection of my roof.'

So, in short we must try to figure out the main message that the author is
trying to convey, WITHOUT our biases. We may find a passage
difficult to understand, but we must not apply our understanding and our
sensitivities to this passage. We must try and figure out the context.
This takes works but it is what the Church says is the way we must
approach the Bible.
 Authorship of the Bible

You may find that your students will notice some conflict in the
passages of the Bible. There is a passage in Genesis 18 where Abraham
is talking face to face with God yet earlier in Genesis it is said that to see
the face of God is to die. Here is an activity that they can do (you will
do it first) that will help them understand. There were several different
writers of the Bible each writing from a different point of view. We will
look at three of them, they are:

1. Yahwehistic: The Yahwehistic writer writes from the point of view

of Yahweh (God). This their main message. God is all powerful,
all knowing etc.

2. Priestly: The priestly writer writes from the point of the priest.
Putting God’s laws into effect, doing what needs to be done for
society to run smoothly.

3. Historical: The historical writer puts the events into context,

giving the reader a base to start from. Therefore in our example of
the Critical Approach the writer writing about the Humboldt crash
would begin by stating the where and when the story started.

You will be placed in groups of four or five. Each group will be given 9
readings, three for each authorship. You will need to complete the
attached chart, by placing the correct readings into the correct sections.
 Authorship of the Bible

READINGS
AUTHOR

Yahwehistic

Priestly

Historical