The Original Greek

Those who believe often make the claim that what they believe is the most important thing anyone can believe—that religious knowledge outweighs all other knowledge of any kind. Well then, let me ask you: Can you read the holy scriptures in Hebrew, Latin, or Greek?

I think it's a cheap trick-- perhaps even a fallacy-- when somone tries to nail a theological point by saying, "Well, according to the original Greek this is the way it is." I agree that belief needs a foundation of some kind. I don't think that foundation is the ability to speak with the tongues of men and of angels and to have read Luther or Renan or Kung. What is needed in my view is firstly the humility to recognize the limts of faith and the limits of reason and to discern where they overlap and where they do not conjoin. Secondly, I believe what is needed are life experiences-- knowledge of good and evil people and awareness of the unfolding of history and events-- to get some understanding of buth the tragedy and the paradoxes of our existence. Finally, in my view, what is needed is not so much a knowledge of theology per se as a knowledge and an appreciation of the Bible itself, in distinction to secondary sources such as commentaries, lectures, or sermons from other people. We are at the same place that the church fathers are in that respect, having nothing more than our mind and conscience and the words in the Bible.