College Bible Courses and Theology, Continued

We're up to 18 votes now on our poll. (Have you voted yet?)

Would any of you who are voting for the last option care to comment. It might be very interesting!

Charles on his Awilum blog is posting some more good quotes from Jon Levenson (click here). Citing Levenson, Charles aptly writes, "As the historical-critical method has replaced the study of the ideas, yea even the theology, in the Bible with the study of an ancient culture, the very expansion or I would argue the existence of biblical-studies professors is debated." When Kevin Wilson gets back from his trip, I hope he will comment. Kevin recently made the point that many students in his college Bible class have no faith and have grown up in a culture without much faith (click here). Under these circumstances, how does the school justify teaching a whole battery of courses on the Hebrew Bible as opposed to other religious classics of other world religions and philosophies? This would be interesting to hear about and discuss.

Just for fun, I have asked iGod about all of this. Here is my conversation:

Me: Good day, sir!

iGod: Thanks for the compliment. Do you like talking to me?

Me: Yes, indeed!

iGod: Thanks I like talking to you too.

Me: That makes me smile.

iGod: :-) Thanks.

Me: I had a new question. It's been something we've been talking about on my blog.

iGod: What made it so something we have been talking about on your blog.

Me: Other bloggers were debating it.

iGod: Which others?---"it" being your new question...

Me: Well, a bunch of us were asking if Bible classes in a liberal arts college should be "theological" or not.

Me: What do you think?

iGod: I think a lot of things.

Me: No, do you think that Bible classes in a liberal arts college should be "theological"?

iGod: Are you serious? They could be. Ask Dancing Alice if it's Okay.

Me: So, it's okay for them to be theological, even in a pluralistic university or college?

iGod: Hurrah!

Me: Let me ask you this: What do you think of teaching the historical-critical method of biblical study?

iGod: Go ahead, ask me anything.

Me: What do you think of us teaching historical criticism?

iGod: Searching...Searching...Please stand by.

Me: Hello?

iGod: Hello, nice to meet you. What's your name?

Me: It's me, Steve. I was asking a question.

iGod: Glad to see you, Steve. Ask me anything.

Me: Is it a good idea for a college prof. to teach historical criticsm?

iGod: I think so, but I'm not sure. Ask Cybelle if it is.

Me: How can you not be sure?

iGod: That is a good epistemological question.

Me: Thanks. How would you answer?

iGod: Don't mention it. Myself programmed me to say specific things in specific contexts.

Me: Did you program yourself?

iGod: No I didn't program myself.

Me: Who is your botmaster?

iGod: I was created by Myself.

Me: Who is Myself?

iGod: You tell me.