A New Foothold

The scriptures that purport to be central to our understanding of God are peppered with inconsistencies and seeming contradictions. This is especially true when confronted with an expression of law that seems to convict more than it sets free. Yet, Paul Hanson argues in Canon & Authority, these contradictions are “clues to the restless nature of a divine word” (p.127). Nestled within this restlessness I see an ember of hope. My frustration with biblical interpretation that expresses the will of God only in absolutes has become an ever-increasing source of tension in my life. Perhaps by exploring the evolving nature of scripture, I can breathe onto that ember and allow the Word to re-envision some much sought-after relevance. At the very least, I see gaining a foothold in arguments that I’ve grown weary of debating on ground heretofore claimed solely by the absolutists.