Tamar

Abstract

"The Christian Bible, like many other religious books, has its own worldview. It presents to readers a world of its own within a culture where the role of women was reduced to a mere child bearing, pleasure providing being. It consists of historical narratives, myths, moral codes, prayers, visions, prophetic writings and revelatory discourses. To be able to understand what is written in the Bible one must have a clear understanding of its historical context and be open to the occasionally shocking truths. The world within the Bible is not one which provides the kind of comfort critics seek and so many have misused and mishandled its contents to complement their own worldviews. How we interpret the Bible is dependent on many things. There is the world within the text and the world in front of the text. We are often led to believe that our interpretation of the Bible must only derive from the world within the text or the opinions of those in charge of our Wednesday night Bible study sessions. Anything contrary to their opinion is considered an abomination. Nevertheless, the usefulness of the Bible is second to none! "