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fandomhigh2006-09-25 12:07 am
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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.
Re: Hand in Your Homework