Textual criticism of TBOTSS

Betty, Brian · 15 Jun 2001, 15:52 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: "Betty, Brian" <BBetty at foleyhoag.com>
Subject: (whorl) Textual criticism of TBOTSS
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 15:52:09
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0844 at digest.urth.net>
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Adam Stephanides wrote: "If my account is correct, then the "textual
problems" raised by TBOTSS are a less difficult than any of the Gospels
(though if you believe John is written by an eyewitness--a minority view, as
far as I can gather--you may disagree), and certainly much less difficult
than the Gospels taken collectively, or the Bible as a whole."

I definitely think it's easier than those, mostly because we have a single
author at the bottom, that being Wolfe. The Bible was clearly written by
many separate persons, and it's obvious from the seemingly limitless
conflicts among those claiming to be Biblical Literalists (even those who
are only Gospel literalists) that the Bible contains conflicting material.
The Gospels themselves are mysterious to us: Bishop Spong (considered by
many to be a 'heretic', which I think is a ridiculously anachronistic term)
of the Episcopal Church has managed to explain the first three Gospels in
terms of the traditional Jewish liturgical year without straining the text
(really!); whether he is right or not, it point out that what we understand
about them pales to what mystery the texts have for our understanding. (And
I'm not Christian!)

In comparison, we know that Wolfe, as talented as he is, remains a single
human being with - somewhere - a single writing goal, even if that/those
goal(s) is/are unclear to us.

Anna June
*****************
Surah 101: The Calamity (al-Qari'a)
The qari'a
What is the qari'a?
What can tell you of the qari'a?
A day humankind are like moths scattered
And mountains are like fluffs of wool
Whoever's scales weigh heavy
His is a life that is pleasing
His mother is Haayiyat
What can tell you what she is?
Raging fire

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