Thursday, August 04, 2005

Revelation and Inspiration: a question

To a Scripture Scholar: Dr. Margaret Nutting Ralph, a question:

Q. What is your view of revelation and inspiration and how has it changed, if any?

As part of teaching people to be contextualists, and emphasizing
the three contexts you have heard me emphasize, I say that learning this
information caused me personally to narrow my preconceived notion of
revelation and broaden my preconceived notion of inspiration.

(These are 1. literary form 2. beliefs of the time 3. a process of revelation.)


The narrowing of my idea of revelation was necessary because I had
previously thought that inspired authors had God's point of view and so
spoke the truth on every subject. I later realized that these particular
books are in the canon because they are addressing one specific topic: our
relationship with God, namely: Who is God? Who are we in relationship to God and each other? What would God have us do? Those are the only questions I am claiming that the Bible will answer truthfully.

Connected to that idea of revelation, an inspired author is inspired only
on the topic being addressed. The author has had an important spiritual
insight. The author doesn't know more on other topics than his contemporary generation. However, inspiration is broader that one inspired person. God
doesn't whisper to one person and that person tells everyone else. Rather,
the biblical texts are community products. Inspiration takes place at every
step of the five step process that results in the Scripture that we now have
(These five steps are on my And God Said What? handout that you already
have:1. events, 2. oral tradition, 3. written tradition,4. edited tradition,
and 5. canonical). Inspiration is also involved in the reception of the text. So, your students are also inspired; otherwise they would not be motivated to
read Scripture and try to understand the truth that it teaches about our
relationship with God and with each other.

I don't think revelation and inspiration can be taught without teaching the
three contexts, especially the third one: that fuller answers to the
questions that inspired authors address occurred over the 2,000 year
process. An inspired author on a topic pertinent to revelation could have a
partial insight, not the fullness of insight that was understood in
subsequent centuries.

Hope this helps. Margie

Books by Margaret Nutting Ralph (see Amazon)
1. And God Said What?: An Introduction to Biblical Literary Forms (Paperback)
2. Discovering the Gospels: Four Accounts of the Good News (Paperback - July 2001)
3. Discovering the First Century Church: The Acts of the Apostles, Letters of Paul and the Book of Revelation (Discovering the Living Word, Vol 2)
4. Plain Words about Biblical Images: Growing in Our Faith Through the Scriptures
Scripture: Nourished by the Word (Catholic Basics)
5. The Bible and the End of the World: Should We Be Afraid?
6. Discovering Prophecy and Wisdom: The Books of Isaiah, Job, Proverbs, Psalms (Discovering the Living Word, Vol 4)
7. Discovering the First Century Church: The Acts of the Apostles, Letters of Paul & the Book of Revelation
8. Discovering Old Testament Origins: The Books of Genesis, Exodus and Samuel (Discovering the Living Word Series)
9. Discovering Prophecy and Wisdom: The Books Fo Isaiah, Job, Proverbs and Psalms
10. Discovering Old Testament Origins: The Books of Genesis, Exodus & Samuel
11. Willie of Church Street
12. Breaking Open the Lectionary: Lectionary Readings in their Biblical Context for RCIA, Faith Sharing Groups and Lectors - Cycle B

“Dr. Ralph is a marvelous teacher and educator. I have seldom seen anyone be as sensitive to her audience as she is, pacing herself diplomatically according to their understanding of what she is saying. Her first book: And God Said What? is still a marvel of understanding of the Bible years later.” –Paschal Baute

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