Apr
28
2009
Sweeping Genrelisations
or How Modern Conservative Theologians Unwittingly Use Literary Genres to Mask Their Unbelief
One of the big problems with modern theology is its habit of categorising parts of the Bible into literary genres. For sure, the Bible contains historical prose, visions, poetry and songs. But many passages won’t actually fit into these neat little pigeon holes without hamstringing their intended purpose. And as it turns out, these “genre-lisations” are excuses to compromise with humanistic pop-philosophy and pop-history.
The three main gripes I have are misuses of the genres poetry, polemic and apocalyptic.
