MD, your analysis is good and perceptive, as always.
I cannot come in wholeheartedly on kosta's side because while I do try to stay abreast of what's going on in literary, historical, and form criticism, I think maybe I tend to say,"Well, the Church says the Bible is da Bomb, it's what God gave us, so I'm going to assume that even in all the killing of pregnant women and such there is some truth for me to find there," while I think Kosta is more wholesale in discounting some of that stuff
Right again. The problem is the Church doesn't explain how God-ordered killing of pregnant women is ties in with the Gospels. I do defer to the Church but I also ask the church to show me the Beatitudes in God-ordered killings of pregnant women.
As an adult type person (allegedly) I haven't thought that Jonah or Job were actual histories. I DO think they are inspired stories. That means that one can learn from Jonah that it don't pay to mess with God, and HE will go to extraordinary means to accomplish His will in your life
Thank you. I couldn't agree more. But our Protestant friends will remind you that Jesus spoke of Jonah as if it were an actual story. Hence, "Houston, we have a problem..."
And from Job I learn, well, not enough. It is extremely profound. But what I took away from it was that if I get angry at God, I should tell him
First, we have no reason to be angry with God, ever. Second, if we do, we need to repent, not just tell him. What's more important is that we repent in our heart and never get angry with God again, than to verbalize it.
If all I am is a jerk, I should bring my jerkiness to God, wholeheartedly, nothing held back, and God will finally come in His terrifying mercy and graciously, kindly, and lovingly show me what a jerk I am and how wonderful He is. And my conceit is an infinitesimally cheap price to pay for the wonder of a theophany.
The idea of theosis is to realize what jerks we are and to evolve into something Christ-like precisely through such pedagogic epiphanies.
I have plenty of BAD and really dumb reasons to be angry at God. Maybe fewer now than I did once. But that is because God patiently let me rant, and then showed me what a jerk I am. Dust and ashes are an acquired taste, but I"m getting used to them.
Second, if we do, we need to repent, not just tell him.
Well, my take is that part of the Job story is that repentance too is a grace. Job rants, God reveals Himself, Job repents "in dust and ashes."
People think if we talk about a life of repentance, that sounds all gloomy. But really it's a life of grace.