Is the Bible Great Literature?

[Panjandrum]

I actually read most of the bible, but I found it extremely tedious and frankly baffling. What kind of a god is this petty, vicious, inconstant murderer? Why would you want anything to do with him? If such a god exists, I reject him and all his works.

[Boerseun]

For a bunch of people who pretend to know the Bible, here's a question.

 

What are the first words in the Bible?

 

If you answered "In the Beginning", you're flat out wrong!

 

The first words in the Bible are "Placed here by the Gideonites. Do not remove from hotel room."

[Qfwfq]

How ungenerous of them. :)

 

The last time I found a Bible in a hotel room it said who had placed it there and something along the lines of: If you do not have a Bible, please keep this one and read it and learn the Word......

 

:shrug:

[ughaibu]

As the majority of the world isn't christian, Euclid may be wider read and of greater influence (I'm classing partial readers of both as readers). Nobody would pretend that Euclid is great literature, would they?

[ughaibu]

How about Mao's little red book, or whatever it was called?

[Queso]

I think it's hilarious there are different versions to the bible.

 

I've read both the new testament and the old one (on Acid),

And I must say,

the old one is way more interesting.

And by interesting I mean Absurd.

 

As literature though, they're both pretty bad.

Very pseudo-poetic and

insignificantly triumphant.

[motherengine]

i would have to agree with the late hunter s. thompson's opinion that the king james version (easily the most poetic translation into the english language) of "the revelation of saint john" is a highly interesting book. on the whole though, 'great' is a very little word in my view, and 'literature' may be too specific a word when referring to scriptural writings.

[Racoon]

If you answered "In the Beginning", you're flat out wrong!

The first words in the Bible are "Placed here by the Gideonites. Do not remove from hotel room."

 

HA! Thats also an intersting tid-Bit of history as to why there is a Bible in every hotel room!! :kiss2:

lets see if anyone knows....

 

All the more reason for a History Thread!

History is so much more fascinating than Fiction. :)

 

of cousre Its who writes the history that makes it Fiction or Not! :singer: :eek_big: :lightning

[Pyrotex]

let's get serious. ...i'm not demeaning Shakespeare, but the Bible gives the whole picture...history, law, religion, lessons to live by and inspiration for millions of people....

It is extremely difficult for many (most) people to get "serious" about the Bible in the sense I think you meant it. A lot of folks are tightly "wrapped up" in the Bible as the revealed word of their God. Now, frankly, how can they be unbiased about it?

 

Holy smokes, if it was written, transcribed or revealed by a deity, and the question comes up as to its "literary" value, those folks are gonna demand that it has great, or the greatest, literary value. If the subject of "scientific" or "historic" value comes up, they want their Bible to be at the head of those lists, too. I have family in Alabama who devoutly believes that Genesis reveals Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, radio noise from the stars, the expanding universe and the periodic table, "if you just know how to read it right". So much for getting serious.

[Tormod]

Well, to be honest it's more of a compendium than "one book", and like others have said the quality varies. If there was an option for "Often quite good but the ending is dubious" I might have voted.

[HydrogenBond]

Irregardless of what the critics say, the bible is still the most sold book of all times. That makes it the all time best seller on the best seller list.

[Eclogite]

Irregardless of what the critics say, the bible is still the most sold book of all times. That makes it the all time best seller on the best seller list.

That, of course, does not necessarily make it the most read book of all time.

[Racoon]

Well, to be honest it's more of a compendium than "one book", and like others have said the quality varies.

 

Right.

 

It is not great literature in this sense, in what all great literature has in common:

 

Too many Plots!

Too many Names and Characters! Many not well developed.

Too convoluted a story! Jumps around to too many places...

 

and its way too preachy...

 

Great - yes.

Great Literature - No!!

[questor]

when a question is posed, unless the answer is a proven fact, the answer is a subjective opinion. no need to argue the point, if someone thinks there is a greater piece of literature than the Bible, let her/him give their own opinion with a valid reason.

[Racoon]

when a question is posed, unless the answer is a proven fact, the answer is a subjective opinion. no need to argue the point, if someone thinks there is a greater piece of literature than the Bible, let her/him give their own opinion with a valid reason.

 

How do you prove Subjective???:hyper:

How many writing courses have you taken questor?

 

Would you consider scientific research studies great literature? Hell no. They bore you to death. But there is plenty of fact.

 

I think "Grapes of Wrath" is a better piece of Literature. Its based on true events, reads so much more smoothly, and there is the human element you can relate too. :hihi:

[questor]

if you accept this definition of literature:

''1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture'', and you understand the Bible was written over 1800 years ago, i would say that makes a strong case for primacy. in addition, most later works of literature use quotes, references, stories and parables from the Bible as a basis for their works.

[questor]

Raccoon, do you know the meaning of ''subjective''? also you have just made your subjective choice of literature with which i do not agree.