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Good Omens...and Bad: Prophecy in Theory and Practice, Class Four
Monday, September 25, First Period
The furniture is back in place, and the table is piled with sweet and savory scones, several types of cookies, and fresh-baked spice bread. Aziraphale calls the class to order as soon as everyone is settled in.
"First, I have a short quiz for all of you on the material we've covered so far. And then we'll move immediately into the lecture, as there's a great deal of material to cover. Today we'll be discussing the major principles of interpreting prophecy."
LECTURE: Principles of Interpreting Prophecy
1. Start with an understanding of the primary purposes of prophecy.
Prophecy is a method of sharing information. It is not an end in itself, but rather serves to inform, convince and motivate the recipients. Prophecies are rarely intended only for the seer, but instead are generally intended to spread to a wider audience, even if the direct recipient is the subject of the prophecy.
2. Emphasis on prophecy must be properly directed, and balanced within the entire message.
Misinterpreted and misused prophecies can cause more harm than never having had the information at all. Overemphasising the value of a prophecy can discourage the recipients from the actions they would have naturally taken had they no knowledge of the prophecy's meaning, or can result in the prophecy being used as an excuse to undertake actions that are destructive or harmful, in the name of having no choice. Prophecies do not negate Free Will.
3. Understand what the words mean.
A basic step in understanding any prophetic passage is to understand what the words may mean. This is the first place some interpreters go wrong, perhaps by insisting on one meaning when other interpretations are also possible. Sometimes the meaning of a word is clear, but sometimes it is debatable. For a better understanding of key words, we can consult dictionaries, lexicons and other references — preferably modern ones. Words can have several meanings, as can be seen in English dictionaries. Each time a word is used, however, it usually has only one of those meanings. We cannot arbitrarily pick the meaning we want — the meaning should fit the context. If we prefer a definition not found in most translations, the burden of proof is on us. The "literal'' meaning, based on root words, is not necessarily a guide to the word's real meaning, as is illustrated by the English words butterfly and pineapple. Different writers, even in the same time period, can use a word in different ways. What righteousness means in the book of Matthew may be different than what God inspired it to mean in the context of Paul's epistles. We need to see how each writer used the word. Identify key terms, those on which the meaning of the passage depends. Study these words in other passages to see the connotations and literary precedents. Many written prophecies occur in parallel poetry, with pairs of lines expressing similar thoughts or contrasting thoughts. Therefore some words can help us understand the meaning of parallel words in the other line of the couplet.
4. Identify the genre, the type of literature if it appears in written form.
Determine whether it is a prophecy. Some future-tense statements are proverbial generalizations rather than specific predictions. They describe timeless principles of cause and effect: good people will receive benefits. Some prophecies describe recurring or continuing conditions: wars and rumors of wars, famines, evil men getting worse and worse. Some prophecies have so many fulfillments that they are better described as generalizations. Prophecies come in various literary patterns: symbolic actions, visions, indictment oracles, pronouncements of punishment, woes, laments, dirges, lawsuits, promise, blessings and hope. Awareness of patterns can help us understand the flow of the passage and help us understand where one prophecy ends and another begins.
5. Consider the historical, cultural, social, political, moral and religious context.
Determine when the prophecy was given, and by whom and to whom and for whom. Understand the historical situation. Consider the political, economic and religious history of the original society. This (in addition to chronological clues within the prophecy itself) is important in determining whether a prophecy has already been fulfilled. Understand what circumstances motivated the prophecy. We may not be able to reconstruct the situation, but sometimes we are given clues about the situation that can help us understand the prophecy. Don't read modern ideas into the verses. For example, ancient writers may have seen modern technology in a vision, but we can't prove such an idea from the words they used. If an ancient prophet saw an airplane or automobile, for example, he wouldn't have any word in his language to use for it. He would use a metaphor, such as "chariot.'' Modern readers might understand that the word was being used metaphorically, but we might not be able to ascertain with certainty whether the real referrent existed in antiquity, only in modern times, or perhaps something so futuristic that even we can't imagine it yet.
6. Consider the literary context.
Determine how much of the writing is part of the immediate context — the oracle, vision, speech, paragraph, etc. When short-term and distant-future predictions are mixed together, ascertain if possible how to distinguish which sections belong to which time period and whether some may belong to more than one time period. Don't confuse details of a vision with the message it was intended to convey. Sometimes prophecies are given in metaphors, and the visual details are meant to convey an idea, rather than specific instructions.
7. Take into account the type of literature that prophecy is.
Prophecy is not always written in the same way as history, stories, instructions, etc. are, just as our magazine articles today are generally not written in the same way as textbooks, legal opinions or situation comedies. Prophecy is often poetic, and ancient poetry, like modern poetry, often uses words in a metaphorical or symbolic sense more often than prose does. Apocalyptic literature in particular is largely built on types and symbols.The symbols may allude to previous events or prophecies, or may allude to religious beliefs of that time. The identification of these symbols may be difficult and speculative.
8. Determine whether the prophecy is conditional.
If fulfillment is dependent on a human response, the prophecy was probably conditional. Such prophecies could deal with punishment or reward for particular actions on behalf of an individual or a society. They can require the fulfillment of an earlier prophecy, or can be based on the requirement for a specific set of circumstances -- such as time, place, location, or even the involvement of specific individuals.
9. Determine whether the prophecy has already been fulfilled.
Various prophecies may have been fulfilled in the prophet's lifetime, giving evidence of his particular gift or divine authority. Some prophecies may be dual, or have more than one fulfillment, although this can be difficult to prove.
10. Don't expect every current event to have been predicted.
Just because something big happens on the world scene doesn't mean that it was at some point predicted. Likewise, just because something predicted is now happening, we cannot assume that a prophecy is being fulfilled.
11. Understand the pitfalls of interpreting literally or figuratively.
As a general rule, should words and prophecies be interpreted literally or figuratively? This is a controversial aspect of interpreting prophecy, and is where many errors are made. Strict literalism has led to the most abuses of prophecy, the most failed prophecies and the most ridicule. That doesn't prove that it is completely wrong (nonliteral interpretation has also had bad results), but it should make us cautious. We should interpret a prophecy by asking, "What did the writer mean?" The writer may have intended a figurative meaning. Of course, to understand the figure of speech or the metaphor, we must first understand what the words mean literally. But we cannot arbitrarily reject all other possibilities. On the other hand, a strictly figurative interpretation can lead us to the same bad results, where a prophecy can be made to mean essentially whatever the interpreter wants it to mean. This negates any usefulness the prophecy might have once had. The best interpretation is a careful and education combination of both literal and figurative, based upon the historical and literary context of the prophecy.
Homework: No homework this week, as I know you've all been busy writing up your project proposals. Please, however, turn in last week's assignment.And I will handwave the assignment from the previous week, which I forgot to collect. *facepalms*
Project Groups:
Blair, Phoebe, Belthazor, Lavender
Anders, Nadia, Walter, Pippi
Bridge, Dean, Dawn, Sam
Marty, John Connor, Lyra, Eric
Joxer, Agnes, Maia, John Constantine
Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
[ooc: Lecture cribbed and adapted from this web site. No, OMG, I did not write all of that.Please to be waiting for OCD threads are up, class is in session.]
The furniture is back in place, and the table is piled with sweet and savory scones, several types of cookies, and fresh-baked spice bread. Aziraphale calls the class to order as soon as everyone is settled in.
"First, I have a short quiz for all of you on the material we've covered so far. And then we'll move immediately into the lecture, as there's a great deal of material to cover. Today we'll be discussing the major principles of interpreting prophecy."
LECTURE: Principles of Interpreting Prophecy
1. Start with an understanding of the primary purposes of prophecy.
Prophecy is a method of sharing information. It is not an end in itself, but rather serves to inform, convince and motivate the recipients. Prophecies are rarely intended only for the seer, but instead are generally intended to spread to a wider audience, even if the direct recipient is the subject of the prophecy.
2. Emphasis on prophecy must be properly directed, and balanced within the entire message.
Misinterpreted and misused prophecies can cause more harm than never having had the information at all. Overemphasising the value of a prophecy can discourage the recipients from the actions they would have naturally taken had they no knowledge of the prophecy's meaning, or can result in the prophecy being used as an excuse to undertake actions that are destructive or harmful, in the name of having no choice. Prophecies do not negate Free Will.
3. Understand what the words mean.
A basic step in understanding any prophetic passage is to understand what the words may mean. This is the first place some interpreters go wrong, perhaps by insisting on one meaning when other interpretations are also possible. Sometimes the meaning of a word is clear, but sometimes it is debatable. For a better understanding of key words, we can consult dictionaries, lexicons and other references — preferably modern ones. Words can have several meanings, as can be seen in English dictionaries. Each time a word is used, however, it usually has only one of those meanings. We cannot arbitrarily pick the meaning we want — the meaning should fit the context. If we prefer a definition not found in most translations, the burden of proof is on us. The "literal'' meaning, based on root words, is not necessarily a guide to the word's real meaning, as is illustrated by the English words butterfly and pineapple. Different writers, even in the same time period, can use a word in different ways. What righteousness means in the book of Matthew may be different than what God inspired it to mean in the context of Paul's epistles. We need to see how each writer used the word. Identify key terms, those on which the meaning of the passage depends. Study these words in other passages to see the connotations and literary precedents. Many written prophecies occur in parallel poetry, with pairs of lines expressing similar thoughts or contrasting thoughts. Therefore some words can help us understand the meaning of parallel words in the other line of the couplet.
4. Identify the genre, the type of literature if it appears in written form.
Determine whether it is a prophecy. Some future-tense statements are proverbial generalizations rather than specific predictions. They describe timeless principles of cause and effect: good people will receive benefits. Some prophecies describe recurring or continuing conditions: wars and rumors of wars, famines, evil men getting worse and worse. Some prophecies have so many fulfillments that they are better described as generalizations. Prophecies come in various literary patterns: symbolic actions, visions, indictment oracles, pronouncements of punishment, woes, laments, dirges, lawsuits, promise, blessings and hope. Awareness of patterns can help us understand the flow of the passage and help us understand where one prophecy ends and another begins.
5. Consider the historical, cultural, social, political, moral and religious context.
Determine when the prophecy was given, and by whom and to whom and for whom. Understand the historical situation. Consider the political, economic and religious history of the original society. This (in addition to chronological clues within the prophecy itself) is important in determining whether a prophecy has already been fulfilled. Understand what circumstances motivated the prophecy. We may not be able to reconstruct the situation, but sometimes we are given clues about the situation that can help us understand the prophecy. Don't read modern ideas into the verses. For example, ancient writers may have seen modern technology in a vision, but we can't prove such an idea from the words they used. If an ancient prophet saw an airplane or automobile, for example, he wouldn't have any word in his language to use for it. He would use a metaphor, such as "chariot.'' Modern readers might understand that the word was being used metaphorically, but we might not be able to ascertain with certainty whether the real referrent existed in antiquity, only in modern times, or perhaps something so futuristic that even we can't imagine it yet.
6. Consider the literary context.
Determine how much of the writing is part of the immediate context — the oracle, vision, speech, paragraph, etc. When short-term and distant-future predictions are mixed together, ascertain if possible how to distinguish which sections belong to which time period and whether some may belong to more than one time period. Don't confuse details of a vision with the message it was intended to convey. Sometimes prophecies are given in metaphors, and the visual details are meant to convey an idea, rather than specific instructions.
7. Take into account the type of literature that prophecy is.
Prophecy is not always written in the same way as history, stories, instructions, etc. are, just as our magazine articles today are generally not written in the same way as textbooks, legal opinions or situation comedies. Prophecy is often poetic, and ancient poetry, like modern poetry, often uses words in a metaphorical or symbolic sense more often than prose does. Apocalyptic literature in particular is largely built on types and symbols.The symbols may allude to previous events or prophecies, or may allude to religious beliefs of that time. The identification of these symbols may be difficult and speculative.
8. Determine whether the prophecy is conditional.
If fulfillment is dependent on a human response, the prophecy was probably conditional. Such prophecies could deal with punishment or reward for particular actions on behalf of an individual or a society. They can require the fulfillment of an earlier prophecy, or can be based on the requirement for a specific set of circumstances -- such as time, place, location, or even the involvement of specific individuals.
9. Determine whether the prophecy has already been fulfilled.
Various prophecies may have been fulfilled in the prophet's lifetime, giving evidence of his particular gift or divine authority. Some prophecies may be dual, or have more than one fulfillment, although this can be difficult to prove.
10. Don't expect every current event to have been predicted.
Just because something big happens on the world scene doesn't mean that it was at some point predicted. Likewise, just because something predicted is now happening, we cannot assume that a prophecy is being fulfilled.
11. Understand the pitfalls of interpreting literally or figuratively.
As a general rule, should words and prophecies be interpreted literally or figuratively? This is a controversial aspect of interpreting prophecy, and is where many errors are made. Strict literalism has led to the most abuses of prophecy, the most failed prophecies and the most ridicule. That doesn't prove that it is completely wrong (nonliteral interpretation has also had bad results), but it should make us cautious. We should interpret a prophecy by asking, "What did the writer mean?" The writer may have intended a figurative meaning. Of course, to understand the figure of speech or the metaphor, we must first understand what the words mean literally. But we cannot arbitrarily reject all other possibilities. On the other hand, a strictly figurative interpretation can lead us to the same bad results, where a prophecy can be made to mean essentially whatever the interpreter wants it to mean. This negates any usefulness the prophecy might have once had. The best interpretation is a careful and education combination of both literal and figurative, based upon the historical and literary context of the prophecy.
Homework: No homework this week, as I know you've all been busy writing up your project proposals. Please, however, turn in last week's assignment.
Project Groups:
Blair, Phoebe, Belthazor, Lavender
Anders, Nadia, Walter, Pippi
Bridge, Dean, Dawn, Sam
Marty, John Connor, Lyra, Eric
Joxer, Agnes, Maia, John Constantine
Syllabus
Class Roster
Classes Linkdrop
[ooc: Lecture cribbed and adapted from this web site. No, OMG, I did not write all of that.
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Quiz!
2. Define "cartomancy".
3. Briefly identify one of the following: Mother Shipton, Deganawidah, John of Patmos, Merlin.
4. What information is supposed to be contained in the Vatacinia Nostradami?
Re: Quiz!
2. Cartomancy is the practice of divination through cards.
3. Merlin - The wizard who foretold the coming of King Arthur. (And helped his reign to come about.)
4. The Vatacinia Nostradami is a series of watercolors that make predictions about events that effect the Popes of the Catholic Church.
Re: Quiz!
2. Isn't that the title of the nine-lifed sorcerer in charge of magic in the Related Worlds? I read about him.
I think one of them had a cat who shares my middle name, poor bastard.No, wait, it's a form of divination that uses cards. But I don't think the cards are octagonal. They might be more accurate if they were.3. John of Patmos was an ancient Thirteenth Colony prophet who wrote about his vision about the end of the world. Which is weird, because I think Patmos is also a city on Virgon. But his vision didn't involve Cylons or nuclear fallout, so I'm pretty sure he wasn't writing about the Colonies of Kobol.
4. The V.N. was artwork that was supposed to predict the line of succession in a major Earth religious order.
Re: Quiz!
2. Cartomancy is the art of telling fortunes with cards.
3. Merlin was a powerful wizard who foretold and assisted King Arthur.
4. The Vatacinia Nostradami is a bunch of watercolors that supposedly tell stuff about the heads of the Catholic Church.
Re: Quiz!
Better publicity?
2. Define "cartomancy".
The magic of summoning carts?
3. Briefly identify one of the following: Mother Shipton, Deganawidah, John of Patmos, Merlin.
I don't think I've seen any of them, so I don't think I could identify them. Are they in this class, and I've just not met them?
4. What information is supposed to be contained in the Vatacinia Nostradami?
Recipes? Nostradami sounds like a sandwich, to me.
[ooc: GAh. Finally coding correct AND in the right place. Sorry about the spam :-/ ]
Re: Quiz!
Prophecy is where a future event is announced and written. Divining is the act of finding out the future. I guess to get the prophecy you need to do the divining first.
2. Define "cartomancy".
The prediction of the future using discarded shopping carts.
3. Briefly identify one of the following: Mother Shipton, Deganawidah, John of Patmos, Merlin.
Merlin - Wizard dude from time of Camelot
4. What information is supposed to be contained in the Vatacinia Nostradami?
Information on all the nostril in the Vatican.
Re: Quiz!
2. ...telling the future through
cardshandwritingcards?3. John of Patmos was the one who wrote Revelations. On an island. Named Patmos.
4. ...Nostradamus's prophecies?
Re: Quiz!
that the muns brain can't do because it's too busy sorting all the information on cleromancy into an outline for a paperRe: Quiz!
Re: Quiz!
Re: Quiz!
2. Tarot. Destiny via cards.
3. Merlin was a wizard who said there's this Arthur guy coming and he's going to be king. Might have helped self-fufill his own prophecy.
4. It's a bunch of paintings about future Popes and the line of succession.
Re: Quiz!
2) Cartomancy is divination through cards.
3) Deganawidah was a Native American shaman whose visions led to peace between Native American tribes in the 1400s, and the creation of the Haudenosaunee confederacy.
4) The Vatacinia Nostradami contains watercolors that predict the line of succession of Popes in the Catholic Church.
Re: Quiz!
2. Cartomancy is using cards for divination.
3. Mother Shipton, Ursula Southeil, was a possibly made up prophetess who was supposedly quite accurate in her predictions. The problem being that there is evidence that her predictions were made after the events and after her death. She predicted the world would end in 1881.
4. Vatacinia Nostradami is a compilation of 80 watercolors supposedly done by the seer Nostradamus that predict the papal succession.
Re: Quiz!
2. I bet it's not using a cartwheel to tell the future. Something with cards?
3. Mother Shipton lives over in Skund.
4. It has pictures about popes. (What's a pope?)
Re: Quiz!
with blinding headachesin precise detail and living color. A prophecy is an statement about the future--usually vague, and possibly even true, but always subject to interpretation.2. Cartomancy involves interpreting prophecy and the future by using cards.
But not greeting cards, because they're evil and will throw off your result.3. Merlin is one of the most confusing individuals in all of history--it is said that he foretold the existence of King Arthur, the Round Table, and all of Camelot, but then that he took definitive steps to make it happen. He made it possible for Uther Pendragon to father Arthur by providing him with a glamour to look like the Lady Igraine's husband. If he was truly a mystic, though, he should have trusted that what he saw was true, and that it would happen without getting involved.
4. The Vatacinia Nostradami are a collection of eighty watercolor images compiled as an illustrated codex
because everyone loves a good codex. The idea is that these illustrations contain symbolic objects, letters, animals, crossings of banners, bugles, crosses, candles, etc., that are supposed to form figures similar to Roman numerals, or veiled references to last names and theoretically represents the succession of the Roman Popes. Some people consider it to be a load of hooey.Re: Quiz!
2. Cartomancy is divination via cards, like with tarot.
3. Deganawidah was a Native American shaman and prophet who founded the Iroquois confederacy. Like many figures of legend, there seem to be conflicting stories regarding his exact origins.
4. It's a series of predictions by the French seer Nostradamus that have to do with the Catholic church.
Re: Quiz!
2. Scrying with
mapscardsTarot Cards.3. Merlin: Arthur's
GandalfQ. Renown magician and such of early Britain.4. Predictions of NOstradamas for the Vatican
?.Now with proper coding
?.Re: Quiz!
2. The use of cards to divine.
3. Merlin was a very powerful wizard who foretold Arthur's coming and assited him throughout his reign.
4. Vatacinia Nostradami are a series of watercolors that prophesize events in relation tot he Catholic Church, especially the pope.
[ooc:sorry it's so late]
Re: Quiz!
Divination is hoping that you're right about what you see but very often is open to interpretation.
2. Reading cards to see the future.
3. John of Patmos was the prophet who wrote about the end of the world in the book of Revelations.
4. Paintings of the Popes and what will happen in the Catholic Church.
Hand in Your Homework
Re: Hand in Your Homework
The show is about a man who realizes that the work of Nostradamus foretold an alian invasion and uses the information in an effort to thwart their nefarious plans. She gives a few examples of actual Nostradomus quatrains that were quoted in the show as prediction this or that move by the alians. She talks a little bit about how this is either an example of how a prophesy can be shoehorned into whatever the interpreter would like, or of prophesy building on itself. (How surprised, she wonders at the end of the essay, would the makers of the show be if they discovered they were right?)
Re: Hand in Your Homework
handwavey because mun's brain is wipedessay about how the protagonists (although he didn't use that word because he wasn't familiar with it) of the Hurricanger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Rangers:_Ninja_Storm) TV series seemed like total washouts but were actually heroes who'd been prophesied for a vague but definitely really long time. His conclusion:The prophecy was depicted in a completely positive light, but they are the heroes of a kids' show after all, so it wasn't going to be really complex or anything. I like how they didn't seem at all like the type of heroes you'd expect from that kind of prophecy, thought.
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Talk to the Professor
ridiculously longlecture, your projects, the quiz, what have you.Talk Amongst Yourselves
Re: Talk Amongst Yourselves
Even she knows better then to try and cheat on a quiz in front of an angel.
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OOC
Re: OOC
2. You misspelled cart o'nancy which is slang for a cart full of people named Nancy.
3. On the tiny planet of Patmos there lived a boy and his pooh bear. Together they played all day with their friends Merlin, John and Roo Shipton. One day Roo's mother vanished into the forests of Deganawidah and everyone got together to go on a grand adventure to save her. Sadly, the pooh bear got distracted by honey and missed the warning sign as they passed a cliff. Rocks fell. Everyone died.
4. The only thing in the Vat of Cini's Nose would be Cini's snot. I'm not sure how that relates to class.
Re: OOC
Re: OOC