Following up from my piece in Christianity Today, this second part consists of the application of the 8 fundamental biblical-theological themes or paradigms that I outlined in my last blog post. What follows are 8 interpretive guidelines that may serve to orient our reading of any work of literature. 

1. J.R.R. Tolkien said that humanity is a "sub-creator" that has the imaginative capacity to create worlds (see his essay, "On Fairy Stories"). To read literature is to enter worlds. As such, we must examine all parts or spheres of these worlds and their interrelationships. Every author wants to say something about each of these spheres. When we read, we enter into the author's world, trying to catch a glimpse of what he or she wants us to see regarding each. As such, we want to enter humbly and tread softly, asking questions of the three main spheres of reality: 
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   1. Anthropology - our understanding of human beings | "What does it mean to be human? How do the humans in the story relate to each other, to themselves? What is humanity's purpose or telos?" 
   2. Cosmology - our understanding of the natural world, the universe or cosmos | "What is nature? What is its purpose? How do humans or the divine relate to it?" 
   3. Theology - our understanding of God, the divine | "Who and what is God? Do I see divine activity in this novel? A lack thereof? How does the divine relate to the human and the natural world?" 
      
      
2. We trace these interrelated parts through the historical-narrative trajectory of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. Each of these can be identified in any work of literature, by any author, in any time and place, whether comedy or tragedy.
   
   
   1. ​Creation: We recognize that the author of our literature (whether living or dead) has been created in God’s image and likeness and thus shares in the capacity to apprehend and communicate truth, goodness, and beauty (Acts 17:26-27; natural law). We honor, affirm, and learn from their contribution to the pursuit of these enduring transcendentals that are sourced in God (whether the author is aware or not) when they do so. Good works of literature are chosen for this reason (not because they do not include examples of morally bad people or behaviors). We affirm their love and life of the good (virtue) and repudiate their love of and participation in evil (vice). 
      
      
   2. Fall: We acknowledge human depravity - the capacity to participate in evil -  though we do not deny human dignity - the capacity to have a share in and contribution of goodness and beauty. The very real broken human state due to sin and the experience of frustration, futility, vanity, corruption, death, and division (exile) in all relationship (God, humanity, nature) are explored. We observe how this frustration awakens longing for wholeness and robust flourishing (sehnsucht; see Lewis' Surprised by Joy) and homecoming (nostos; Israel & Odysseus for example) to our our true home and true selves. 
   3. Redemption: “We do not grieve like those who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). The “groanings” of humanity, the natural world, and God (Romans 8) are identified and directed toward the certain hope for redemption to all who would receive the restoration God desires to give. Student readers are guided by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love as they “befriend” characters and their world in literature. We have faith that none are beyond redemption and God desires the good and flourishing of every human being. We hope that God will fulfill his promise to all. And we love them with the love of God. Reading literature gives us “practice” in seeing, knowing, and loving different kinds of people in different circumstances. Reading good literature builds up our ability to empathize with other human beings.
      
      
   4. Consummation: We recognize the inherent struggle in each human character between good and evil. Part of this inner struggle involves the dynamic of competing desires and visions for what actually is good and what will actually fulfill our desire to be truly happy. Through the characters of the stories we read, we join our longings with theirs as we anticipate and act in ways that will aid in achieving more of that true consummation of wholeness and happiness in union with God, others, and the world in the proper measure. 
      
      
3. The Bible (and Christ) is fully Divine and fully human. This incarnational reality reveals a divine affirmation of the goodness and value of humanity (and of all material nature), and thus of all things truly human (that which reflects God’s original design vs. the privation of the inherent good due to sin.)
    
4. Thus, while other works of literature are unlike the Bible in its divine nature (except where humanity reflects the glory of God - e.g. 1 Cor. 11:7), literature is like the Bible in its human element. Therefore, we read the Bible like we read other works of literature (with each book's respective genre, etc.) 
   
   
5. Language, literary convention, source historical-cultural context must be entered into as much as possible in any study of literature. Our reading of the text should be guided or controlled by these contextual parameters (humbly respected and gently trodden by us contemporary readers), avoiding chronological snobbery (see Lewis’ essay, "On the Reading of Old Books" and his Experiment in Criticism.
   
   
6. "Blessed are the pure in heart..." which includes the intellect and imagination. We must come to the text with a posture that is committed to engaging in true dialogue with the human author and human characters (or perhaps humanized non-human in fantasy lit.) in the story. Why? for we are told that the pure in heart shall see and know God - and, I would add, everything else aright. Fundamentally, we must come to any author's work with humility - and with an expectation to learn. An openness to see the world differently, and to allow our souls to be expanded in a sort of "intellectual hospitality" (see the lovely lecture given at St. Mary's Church, Oxford by Diana Glyer on the topic). 
   
   
7. Though non-biblical literature is not “God-breathed” as the Bible is, nevertheless, “the wind of God's Spirit blows where it wishes”, and we must acknowledge that part of the “theater of God’s glory” and presence can include the “poured forth speech” (Psalm 19) of human writing that God can use as a means of awakening the reader morally and spiritually. Thus, we encourage a “spiritual reading” of all literature, invoking the “Christian muse”, the Holy Spirit to guide our reading for the sake of his operations on our persons. Thus, all reading (just as all aspects of life) can be “practicing the presence of God”, helping the student become “attuned” to the voice of God in literature. 
   
   
8. All literature is written in the context of a specific community and in some sense must be read faithfully by submitting to certain “authorities” on the text. This is akin to the role of secondary sources. Depending on the source, they speak with a level of authority that is organically tethered to the author’s person and purpose. 

As always, thank you for reading. Feel free to drop a line or tweet at @pegasus_edu.

- Matthew Farrelly 

In light of the recent book recommendations I've made at Christianity Today, I thought I would offer a brief introduction to an approach to reading literature that has been specifically informed by some central biblical-theological themes. For a brief summary of what biblical theology is, you can follow the link here on my website. I must also highly recommend the great work being done at The Bible Project. You can also check out their YouTube channel here. I would encourage anyone to make use of their robust and richly beautiful media and print materials that help the Bible and the study thereof come to life. 

This first post (of two) will be an introduction and overview of what I believe are 8 central themes in biblical theology. These can help inform or guide how we read literature of all kinds (the second post).

The Bible and Biblical Theology

1. The Bible records God’s self-revelation, activity, and purpose(s) for the cosmos and humanity in relationship to himself. Therefore, we must always ask questions of three main spheres of reality and their interrelationship (what in the Bible is called covenant) that God established from the time of creation  to the present:
   1. Anthropology - an understanding of the human race and its purpose (telos) and vocation in relationship with other humans, the self, the cosmos, and God ​
   2. Cosmology - an understanding of the natural world, the universe or cosmos
   3. Theology - an understanding of God - his being or essence, character, and activity in the cosmos and with humanity 
      ( Note: the above image captures these three spheres of reality; the Greek letter Theta represents God, and the human is Solomon, who represents the archetypal wise [Hebrew, hokma] human being - that is, he comes to represent what a flourishing human could be like in a fallen world; see esp. 1 Kings 4:24-34 & Wisdom of Solomon 7:16-22)
      
      
2. God’s purposes as revealed in the Bible uncover a basic historical-narrative trajectory: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. It is within this historical-narrative that we must understand our place and our own “lens” that will shape the way we exist, perceive, and act in the world.
   
   
   1. Creation: God’s act of Creation (and its subsequent irrevocable blessing; cf. Romans 11:29) reveals its fundamental dignity and inherent affirmative value and worth, most especially in humanity who is “crowned with glory and honor” - made in God’s Image and Likeness (Psalm 8 | Genesis 1 & 2). At Creation God gives existence and purpose to all things, and calls them into interrelationship and communion with all spheres of reality: himself, humanity, and the cosmos. 
      
      
   2. Fall: The account of the fall (Genesis 3) is the origins story that locates the depravity of humanity caused by human sin, effecting the corruption or wounding of all human faculties that results in death. The intimate relationships God established between himself, the human race, and the cosmos is broken: the cosmos is subjected to futility under a corrupted human rule (Romans 8). God’s original vocation for humans to live in relationship with himself and the cosmos ("Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and exercise skilled mastery over it" i.e. flourishing) is not revoked, but thwarted and frustrated  (“pain and toil”) by the brokenness of sinful humanity. Humans remain image bearers of God, human dignity never utterly defaced. 
      
      
   3. Redemption: Redemption speaks of God’s desire to restore all human persons and the cosmos to intimate communion with him. He enters into such relationship through covenant in which he pledges his love and pours out his grace to broken humans. While redemption is God’s initiative, we see a universally innate human desire for flourishing: wholeness, happiness, joy, homecoming as the persons in the Bible and we ourselves search for God (even though we may not know it is him we ultimately seek | Acts 17:16-end). The ultimate act of redemption came in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 
      
      
   4. Consummation: Consummation speaks of the certain hope that God’s fundamental desire is for human restoration and flourishing. Such a hope sees and knows that God will accomplish this fully and finally in the new creation (Isaiah 65 | Revelation 20-21). For those who are redeemed and united to Christ, the consummation of all things (the "new creation" |  see 2 Cor. 5:17) has already begun. God's new world has already begun to break through. This is what biblical theologians call inaugurated eschatology. (For a rich and compelling introduction to these themes read N.T. Wright's Simply Christian, and Surprised by Hope). 
      
      
3. The Bible is fully human & divine in origin. God chose to reveal himself through the mediation of human persons. We approach the author's books as those who desire to learn through them: their personalities and their modes of communicating in an ancient Near Eastern (OT) and Greco-Roman (NT) pre-modern milieu. 
   
   
4. Because it is fully divine, the Bible is unlike any other literature, as it reveals something of the “mystery” of God’s divine life (self) and his purposes for the world (“the whole counsel of God” | Acts 20:27).
   
   
5. Because it is fully Human, the Bible is like many other works of literature, as its message is preserved using language, literary convention, controlled by its source history and culture, but never constrained by it (it is always relevant to humans of all times and places).
   
   
6. Because the Bible is human literature, we must read it faithfully and responsibly as we would any great work of literature. This requires intellectual and moral virtue: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Without this virtue, we cannot see (i.e. know) God - or anyone or anything aright. 
   
   
7. Because the Bible is divine literature, we must read it with the aid of the Holy Spirit, for “deep calls out to deep”, and “the Spirit searches the depths of God.” Because it is divine (both inspiration in process and nature) merely human literary critical hermeneutics cannot alone be applied to the interpretation of scripture. We can read the Bible in what has been called the Four-Fold Sense of interpreting Scripture. 
   
   
8. And because the Bible is God’s divine-human book written within a specific community in which his Spirit dwells and graces with inspiration and grace, we must read the Bible within the community of “the one holy catholic and apostolic Church” across time and space (see Acts 15:28 | Luke 24).

Again, these 8 themes represent only some important and introductory facets of biblical theology that can inform the way we read other literature. The next post will tease this out as I will make some application of these points to the reading of literature specifically. 

I'd love to hear from you. You can follow Pegasus Education on Twitter @pegasus_edu. You can also follow my personal account @mr_farrelly. Thanks for reading. 

- Matthew Farrelly