First, the Bible is not a single book, but a large number of books composed over a thousand-year period. The various books were written in a variety of different social settings addressing a variety of different issues. Consequently, parts of the Bible are contradictory. Second, persons often misread the Bible because they do not understand the historical context and miss the real message. More important, however, is that persons usually read the Bible to support their beliefs rather than learning from Scripture itself. The Bible says nothing directly about abortion, nor does it speak directly to issues such as stem cell research or cloning. Yet, persons turn to Scripture and claim support from various verses.

Is the Bible a literal translation of the "Word of God"?

One of the more modern interpretations of the Bible is the notion that it is the literal "Word of God." Throughout most of Christian history, however, persons did not view the Bible in this way. Theologians such as Augustine understood that the Bible had many types of material – some historical, some poetic, some moral, some allegorical. Martin Luther, a major figure of the Protestant Reformation, was quite clear that God’s Word encounters us in our reading the Scripture, but he was aware that the Bible was not the literal Word of God.

The difficulty with claiming the Bible as the "literal Word of God" is that there have been numerous translations of the Bible throughout history. For hundreds of years there was debate over which books should be included in the Bible, an issue finally settled by a Church council.

Additionally, the Bible is full of contradictions. Thus, the literalist interpretation is not supportable and leads many others who are exposed to the claim that the Bible is the literal Word of God to shy away from reading it. This reaction is compounded by the fact that those who claim to believe in "a literalist interpretation of the Bible" finally do not really believe that all parts are God’s literal Word. They end up picking and choosing. So literalism for most means that evolution is not possible, it seems to contradict a literal reading of the Bible. Yet, few literalists seem to take literally Jesus’ claims that we must "sell all we have and give it to the poor," or, in light of September 11, that we should, "when struck on one cheek, turn the other." Literalism, then, avoids the harder question of being honest about why some parts of the Bible are given authority and others are not.

What is the most efficient way to read the Bible?

The Bible is best read with the help of Biblical commentaries and dictionaries. It should also be read in coherent pieces. For instance, one of Paul’s letters should be read in its entirety to get a sense of the full context. One should also decide why one is reading the Bible at a particular time; this may determine what one may want to read. If one is looking for comfort, one may want to read the Psalms. If one is looking for moral guidance, one might want to read the legal codes in the Old Testament or some of Jesus’ parables or sermons.

Ideally, one should attempt to read the Bible the way one would read the sacred text of a tradition with which one was not familiar. That is, one should try to free oneself of presuppositions and should not bring answers and opinions to the text for which one is seeking support.

How does the Bible compare to the holy texts of other religions?/b>

The Christian Bible, of course, contains much of Jewish Scripture (what Christians call the Old Testament). The Bible is also accepted as a "holy book" by Muslims and many characters and stories from the Bible are referred to in the Koran. Perhaps the distinguishing characteristic of the Bible is the variety of types of literature it includes. Many sacred texts are largely stories and myths. Others contain wisdom literature, advice for daily living. Still other religious texts are largely philosophical reflection or spiritual meditation. The Bible contains all of these in addition to a historical record of the early Jewish and Christian peoples.

How relevant is the Bible in today's world?

The Bible has been profoundly influential in Western culture. Much of our art and literature draws its themes and subject matter from the Bible. Additionally, much of our morality and legal system is built around aspects of Biblical law and morality. In the contemporary world, unfortunately, the Bible is often not read, or is read as a simplistic guidebook for human life. The Bible, like much popular Eastern religious literature, is a rich text, full of profound insights into human psychology. Moreover, the Bible has a vision of what we can be as persons and as societies. It sketches a vision of persons capable of acts of self-sacrificial love and altruism. The Bible provides models for human relationships of all sorts that are rich and full. Significantly, it presents a vision of a society in which all are fed, housed, and given medical care. The Bible envisions a world where "swords are beat into plow shares" and people "practice war no more." In a world of poverty and violence, in a world where persons and nations too easily and regularly seek personal wealth and not social justice, the Bible has a profound relevance for human affairs.

Should one use the Bible as a guide for daily living?

If one assumes that the Bible is an answer book that gives immediate answers to any and all of the moral problems we face or direct immediate guidance for all the decisions we must make, then the Bible is not very useful as a guide. If, however, our goal is to understand ourselves more fully, to come to appreciate the deep mystery of life in which we are imbedded, to come to understand the inter-relatedness of all persons (we are, indeed, all brothers and sisters), then the Bible is a tremendous resource as a guidebook for our lives.