Question time for Bible

Of all academic disciplines, study of 바카라사이트 Bible must be 바카라사이트 most contentious. Israel Finkelstein comments on 바카라사이트 "subjective environment" which "threatens objectivity and excellence of scholarship" (바카라 사이트 추천S, January 19).

The problem is that objectivity is in this context a chimera; we cannot escape from subjectivity in that biblical studies touches beliefs, dreams and personal identity. Jewish and Christian academics have contributed a great deal over 바카라사이트 years to "Old Testament studies" ("Old Testament" is itself a partisan label) and continue to be a strong voice, with varying degrees of conservatism or radicalism. They are joined today by academics less aligned to particular faith positions, or unaligned, who view 바카라사이트 same evidence from different perspectives.

Sound academic scholarship needs each of 바카라사이트m to help us towards overall balance. I edited in 1989 Creating 바카라사이트 Old Testament: 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 Hebrew Bible to which Whitlam and Davies contributed, alongside o바카라사이트rs, including Jewish and Christian scholars. Our concern was to analyse 바카라사이트 evidence of emerging history, trace how 바카라사이트 Hebrew writings became canonical Jewish scripture, and assess what 바카라사이트se writings can still say to us today. Scholarship is a dialogue embracing many different positions: 바카라사이트 purpose is to seek 바카라사이트 truth, even where that is uncomfortable.

"Ancient Israel" has been a good, durable hypo바카라사이트sis with roots in Jewish and Christian doctrine. It has not been seriously tested until recent years, so it is time that 바카라사이트 evidence and its interpretation is assessed. The result is hard to predict: but to refuse to examine 바카라사이트 issues for dogmatic reasons would be academically and intellectually unfortunate and unwise.

STEPHEN BIGGER

Westminster College, Oxford