Bible Question (short): Over-spiritualized interpretations? |
Question (full): How might one assess what is over-spiritualization of the scriptures? My proposal is that we as mortals are not spiritual enough in our biblical interpretations. I would be greatly hesitant to reduce the greater spirituality of scripture down to a basis of mere speculation. Indeed, the Bible offers us a plethora of earthly applications for our personal lives. But the moment that we may potentially separate these earthly applications from an enlightened spiritual vision, such applications therefore tend to revert to empty and vain religiosity. Even as any supposed spirituality, in the absence of earthly application, will only be revealed to be a psuedo-spirituality in the end. I would be very careful here to differentiate between spirituality and speculation, as the two are commonly mistaken for each the other. Speculation has it's place, but ideally under the greater context of direct spiritual revelation. As far as authority goes when rendering biblical interpretations, I am aware of no other source than the Holy Spirit. Even many of the later church fathers and theologians (after the apostles died out) were not fully adequate in my view to interpret the scriptures for us. Their own doctrinal schisms against one another seems to confirm this to me. Blessings, Reighnskye |