Freethought & Rationalism Archive

RED DAVE · 12-22-2004, 11:01 AM

I'm reading Gerald LaRue on this board, and I'm just wondering, since the original text dates back to 1968, perhaps with revisions in 1997, how current and accurate is it considered to be?

Old Testament Life and Literature

RED DAVE

Celsus · 12-22-2004, 08:10 PM

Yes, it is outdated, but it serves as a valuable entry-point into the field of biblical studies, and it's free. Mostly, he's simply too credulous of the historical claims in the Bible, as almost everyone of that period and earlier was. Although problems with some claims (e.g. the Creation cycle, Jericho/Ai, etc.) were well known by then, for the most part scholars expected confirmation of pretty much all the historical claims in the Bible in some way (e.g. the Mesha stele, Sennacherib's siege, etc.). The main challenges to biblical historicity emerged only in the 1970s with the works of T.L. Thompson, William G. Dever, and others. Likewise, criticisms of some theories like the Documentary Hypothesis only began to become well-known in English-speaking scholarship during the 1980s. The major challenge from understandings of ancient historiography has far-reaching implications that have still not yet been completely absorbed by scholarship, and unfortunately LaRue wrote it before that.

Joel

Roland · 12-22-2004, 08:35 PM

This thread got the embers of nostalgia burning.

About 25 years ago, I took a course in the OT with Larue at USC. I was a born again Christian at the time, so I was not open to anything he was saying. How I wish I could go back and retake that course. He was a funny, amusing and entertaining teacher - and I'm sure very informative if I had only been open to what he was showing us.

I look forward to reading this and finding what I missed the first time around.

12-22-2004, 11:01 AM	#1
RED DAVE Banned Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 10,532	LaRue on Old Testament Life and Literature I'm reading Gerald LaRue on this board, and I'm just wondering, since the original text dates back to 1968, perhaps with revisions in 1997, how current and accurate is it considered to be? Old Testament Life and Literature RED DAVE

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12-22-2004, 08:10 PM	#2
Celsus Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Singapore Posts: 2,875	Yes, it is outdated, but it serves as a valuable entry-point into the field of biblical studies, and it's free. Mostly, he's simply too credulous of the historical claims in the Bible, as almost everyone of that period and earlier was. Although problems with some claims (e.g. the Creation cycle, Jericho/Ai, etc.) were well known by then, for the most part scholars expected confirmation of pretty much all the historical claims in the Bible in some way (e.g. the Mesha stele, Sennacherib's siege, etc.). The main challenges to biblical historicity emerged only in the 1970s with the works of T.L. Thompson, William G. Dever, and others. Likewise, criticisms of some theories like the Documentary Hypothesis only began to become well-known in English-speaking scholarship during the 1980s. The major challenge from understandings of ancient historiography has far-reaching implications that have still not yet been completely absorbed by scholarship, and unfortunately LaRue wrote it before that. Joel

12-22-2004, 08:35 PM	#3
Roland Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: California Posts: 748	This thread got the embers of nostalgia burning. About 25 years ago, I took a course in the OT with Larue at USC. I was a born again Christian at the time, so I was not open to anything he was saying. How I wish I could go back and retake that course. He was a funny, amusing and entertaining teacher - and I'm sure very informative if I had only been open to what he was showing us. I look forward to reading this and finding what I missed the first time around.

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