It is one thing, then, to say, 'The Bible contains the religion revealed by God,' and quite another to say, 'Whatever is contained in the Bible is religion, and was revealed by God.' If the latter be accepted, metaphor and allegory become literal statements and the errors and absurdities of bibliolatry follow.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Believing every Bible word is literal leads to absurdity and worship of the text.
- In plain terms
- Taking the Bible entirely literally causes errors and idolatry.
- What can you take from it?
- Literalism can distort the meaning of religious texts.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should texts be read?
- What is a metaphor in scripture?
Another view
Some traditions value strict literalism as a virtue.
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