We stumbled upon a show called
Tapestry on CBC radio while making our way home from Arborfield this afternoon. The host interviewed David Plotz about his new book and his experiences in researching and writing it.
Mr. Plotz is a Jewish man who had never read his Bible (what we call our Old Testament). He decided one day to check it all out, read every word, and publish his thoughts on his blog and in a book (
Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible).
Hear the interview by
clicking here (Adobe Flash player required).
We found 2 things especially fascinating:
Listening to his observations and wry commentary on some of the Bible's shocking texts; and
Listening to him correct the interviewer and her profound unfamiliarty with the Bible
Mr Plotz has clearly taken a big step into new terrain on his journey of faith. Would that more of the Christians who have sampled too little of the bizarre, hilarious, disturbing, marvelous, inspiring and life-changing Bible would follow his lead.
That is too funny! My wife came home yesterday from a long drive home from Rocky Mountain House and told me about the same program. She too was fascinated and entertained by the author, but totally turned off in the end when he said he thought the God of the Old Testament was unloving, capricious, unjust and unfair. It is amazing that he could read the text with such openness and clarity and then totally miss the point.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, Jason. I'd like to sound a more hopeful note about Mr. Plotz and stick up for him a little here. ;-) He fully admitted that he was a raw beginner with the text, and I think he realized he didn't know everything from a first read-through. Even as he said God seemed unfair, etc., he also waxed eloquent about Leviticus and its laws, of all things, reading a large section of this seldom-read book on the air. He seemed to think that some of these laws were among the best standards for life he'd ever heard. So I think we have to give him credit for his sincere attempt at understanding the OT.
ReplyDeletethanks for posting this - i also heard the show (while up north, at the cottage, without internet) and was looking for the website. your blog showed up in the google search!
ReplyDeletei was much more hopeful about Mr. Plotz' thoughts on what he'd read - i believe many people struggle or wrestle with what the bible "actually" contains, once they read the bible for themselves. our sugar-coated sunday school stories seem wildly misleading, at times.. at any rate, i enjoyed the interview and would like to follow up by reading the blog.
Like Job, it sounds as if Mr. Plotz needs a "daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both."
ReplyDeletePostscript: We were so impressed with Mr Plotz that we decided to buy his book. It just came, and it looks interesting.
ReplyDelete