Making Love with Scripture: Why the Bible Doesnt Mean How You Think It Means

Theology for the People

by Jacob D. Myers

Nothing has been more contentious in the history of Christianity than the meaning of the Bible, and that debate continues today. Arguments over Scripture have divided denominations, churches, and families, and these squabbles have led many to abandon the faith altogether. Jacob D. Myers, a rising young scholar, has a solution to our problem with Scripture. The instability of the Bibles meaning, he argues, is not a weakness but a strength, and it can benefit conservatives and liberals alike. In a conversational style peppered with pop culture references, Myers provides a variety of tools for readers of the Bible, helping both the experienced and inexperienced appreciate our sacred text in new ways. Finally, he proposes the intriguing alternative of an erotic interpretation, one that makes love with the Bible and opens new vistas of understanding.

Genres: Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2015

Reviews

[John Martindale · Rating 1 out of 5]

No doubt I am being a bit unfair in the following, and yet... here I go, haha. Yes, the following is an emotional reaction from someone who was just not woke enough to appreciate the message it contained. Do consider my one-star rating in a positive light. See, I cannot speak in the presence of a social justice warrior without accidentally causing their blood to boil, so by not liking this book, I am therefore providing a great promotion to all social justice warriors out there for whom this book was written.

Now for the rant:

Though Jesus spoke and ministered to a marginalized people under Roman oppression, Lord forbid that anything Jesus said on the subject is actually considered by minorities today. I mean, its white people, after all, who like how Jesus told his followers to respond to their enemies; you know by loving them, turning the other cheek, walking the extra mile, giving their cloak and their tunic, forgiving those you wronged them and returning good for evil. And yes, though Jesus’ approach, when embraced by oppressed people, has worked wonders throughout history in helping to open the eyes of the oppressor and gradually bring positive change in society, this is method is definitely to be dismissed, for the same reason MLK Jr.'s message must be dismissed—because white people, ~gasp~ like it, so obviously… So obviously it is bad. The zealots of Jesus’ day, on the other hand, who passionately hated the Romans, believed in their racial superiority and believed liberation was to come at any means necessary; these can be the ONLY role models for minority groups, because they make white people uncomfortable, and thus their message and methods are clearly on the right track. Who cares that their means ultimately lead to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and Palestine running out of trees due to the crucifixions?

So yes, clearly, liberation doesn’t come by Jesus’ method, Marxism or Leftest identity politics is the path to true liberation. White cis-gendered men sometimes express an interest in history, which means history is suspect. So we should ignore the history that followed the liberation theologians joining up with Marxist revolutionaries in Latin America that resulted in the murder of millions, the further impoverished the poor, the loss of freedom, and the establishment of an absolute tyrannical elite who lived in luxury on the backs of the needy. Socialism is oh so woke, so who cares if it keeps everyone but the dictator broke?
I mean if liberation theologians cared about the poor, and had good intentions, who cares about history that showed their chosen means to achieving the liberation of those they cared about actually resulted in greater misery and greater oppression for the poor? The liberation theologians are woke, so no matter how foolish their means to the end is, it must all be dope.
We should want all minorities to embrace Liberation Theologies. To hell with Jesus’ method which has a historically good track record, let us embrace the methods that have resulted in the murder and starvation of over 100,000,000 innocent people throughout the 20th century!!!! History is something for the privileged white-class, so we can forge ahead! It was likely a white person who said “insanity is doing the same thing again and again, expecting different results” so this statement is wrong, and we can be sure liberation theologies will result in liberation this time around!

So yes, raise consciousness, lots of minorities don’t even know just how oppressed they are, and don’t realize just how evil capitalism is, and how fundamentally evil all white people are. This has to change if there is to be liberation. The cisgender white male should be dehumanized, objectified and the worst motivations attributed to all of them; western culture should be burned down to the ground: logic, freedom of speech, science, reason, republican government, a strong work ethic, technology, enlightenment—to hell with it all, its all utterly tainted by whiteness. And since critical thinking is part of the white oppressive system, minorities can embrace over-generalizations, stereotypes, and labeling of their 'oppressors' to heart's content! So yes, all that has been written by white men was merely written to push their own power, in service of white supremacy, and written to subjugate other people. Therefore, THEY are the enemies, hate them with a perfect hatred, discredit all they say, assume the worst of them, slander them all, shame them and whatever you do, don’t listen to them. You need to pre-judge them, use anything and everything they say against them. They are racist, they are guilty and nothing can purge their guilt, there is no redemption for these reprobates. So yes, this is the first step towards liberation!
The next step towards liberation is to proudly and boldly claim for yourselves and embody all the horrible things you believe cisgender white males do. This is war after all—fight fire with fire! Everything white people write was written in favor of their superiority and was in service of their own white, cis-gendered male POWER, therefore, everything you are to write as a minority is to proudly be in service to POWER OVER them, in favor of your own group’s superiority, especially if it is at white people’s expense. You cannot rise up without beating them down. Liberation only comes when the cisgender white Christian males are subjugated, realize their inferior place, and are thoroughly despised and discriminated against because of the color of their skin. We know this is a way of liberation since it makes white people uncomfortable, when they speak up against this, it shows their white fragility.
The third step of liberation is to, in the name of social justice, burn capitalism and everything else we inherited from western civilization to the ground in a grand cultural revolution, without any notion of how to replace it, and naively assuming from the ashes will arise a just and loving society.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myers did not totally win me over to his postmodern deconstructionism, but I greatly enjoyed the book. Even if one comes away from the book ultimately unconvinced-- it is well worth your time in reading a book on such an influential form of hermeneutics. One thing about it, I was never bored by reading this book--even though I was a little shocked at times by the way he communicated his ideas! I think this book is a step in the right direction for mainliners and academics in expressing their views in ways that the wider population can understand. I would also highly recommend the foundations of learning series that Fortress also publishes if one has a desire to know what is taught in mainline Seminaries these days (also written in short, clear language that Myers contributed to). I did not care much for the assertion that inerrantists were engaged in a form of idol worship, but I think its fair to say that Evangelicals have dished out accusations that are just as inflammatory. The book is also is of value for me because it will cause me to ask questions of the text that I probably would not have asked before, even if I don't believe in the death of the author.There is no question in my mind whatsoever that the Church must hear the voices of those who have been at the margins. I know personally that Jake Myers loves Jesus and cares about people. He was my Seminary preaching professor and he really offered me so many fantastic ideas about being a better preacher. For alternative views, I would check out "The Act of Bible reading" or the college level book "Grasping God's Word" for traditional conservative methods of reading the text.