Crisis of Faith: Literacy Interview #2
Today, we celebrated Sophia's three-year baptismal birthday. It's a milestone at our church, and like all the other three-year olds, Sophie received her big girl Bible. This particular text has been a problem for me. For example, I became tongue-tied trying to explain to a younger Josh why I didn't like for Eve to be called "Adam's special helper." At least in Sophie's revised edition, Eve has become Adam's "friend," but she's still the originator of sin.
I've wondered for a long time why I let my children have--and love--this particular edition of the Bible. To be honest, I'm a fair-weather Christian. I don't read the parts I don't like. (The parts I don't like are the ones inconsistent with what I consider to be the greater truth of the New Testament.) Anyway, I let Sophie have this Bible. Why did I do that if I disagree with its cartoonish optimism and down-right silly portrayal of women?
Because some day she will learn to read, and she'll be struggling in a high school English class as she tries to read Faulkner or Joyce or any other great Modernist. She'll read Jonathan Edwards, and Beowulf. She'll read the Inferno. Appreciating just about any artful Western text (visual or word-based) she encounters could rely on prior knowledge of these Bible stories. I want her to have a fully complicated cultural literacy.
I suppose it will be up to her someday whether or not to believe what she reads, and ultimately to make that decision I think she needs to own and read her Beginner's Bible.
I've wondered for a long time why I let my children have--and love--this particular edition of the Bible. To be honest, I'm a fair-weather Christian. I don't read the parts I don't like. (The parts I don't like are the ones inconsistent with what I consider to be the greater truth of the New Testament.) Anyway, I let Sophie have this Bible. Why did I do that if I disagree with its cartoonish optimism and down-right silly portrayal of women?
Because some day she will learn to read, and she'll be struggling in a high school English class as she tries to read Faulkner or Joyce or any other great Modernist. She'll read Jonathan Edwards, and Beowulf. She'll read the Inferno. Appreciating just about any artful Western text (visual or word-based) she encounters could rely on prior knowledge of these Bible stories. I want her to have a fully complicated cultural literacy.
I suppose it will be up to her someday whether or not to believe what she reads, and ultimately to make that decision I think she needs to own and read her Beginner's Bible.
Comments
(comment was cut off. here's the rest)
...stories have never been introduced. Until now I've been fine with that, but I think I may be doing my boys a disservice. Cultural literacy is important. Also, if they are to make their own informed decisions about religion, they need to have some sort of foundation. I may head over to Amazon next...