A week ago, Cee Cee Johnson, CBS Class of 2010, noticed a story on a CNN blog about a book (entitled Forged) that is chock-full of misleading information on the Bible. The blog claimed that "half of the New Testament was forged."
Students in the second year of the Biblical School get the real scoop about the ancient practice of pseudepigraphal writing (that is, the ascription of false names to a literary work). It was customary in ancient times for an author to write in the name of another, usually a person whose teaching had inspired that author. Hence, many of the letters in the New Testament are written as if by Paul, but are truly written under the inspiration of Paul by a later writer. In the Old Testament, the Book of Ecclesiastes implies it is written by Solomon, but it simply cannot have been so.
Pseudepigraphal writing was a common, well-respected practice in biblical times. The practice wasn't meant to deceive anyone, but when we apply words like "forgery" to the texts, we suggest something sinister.
Anyone claiming the New Testament is "half forged" is showing their ignorance of the Bible, at least as the Catholic Church (and other non-fundamentalist Christians and Jews) understands it.
The lesson here: Be very careful about using online or other popular sources for faith information. Period.
And if you do decide to venture into cyberspace for information about the Bible, we recommend three guidelines:
First, consider whether the material you find online is consistent with the Catholic approach to the Bible, as outlined, for example, in the Pontifical Biblical Commission document, "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church." Second, look carefully into the professional credentials of the online source. If credentials aren't provided, then you should question the validity of the material. Third, recognize that even a well-qualified scholar may draw interpretations from their exegesis that are not consistent with the Catholic tradition. In this case, draw from their exegetical knowledge and insight, but compare their conclusions with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
And FYI, my own credentials are listed on this blog in the section marked "About the Coordinator." I am very careful to print only solidly researched material on the Bible from valid sources. Nevertheless, I still encourage you to apply the same three guidelines to my own blog, as to all others!
