Think the Bible is Boring? You Might Need to Reread It
Modernity has brought with itself a craving for entertainment. Since the turn of the 20th century, technological advances in fields such as audio and video recording meddled with the already present western proclivity for theater and music.
Furthermore, the democratization of these new advances allowed for the common man to be introduced to these new media much faster than their predecessors. The other things brought by modernity was an aversion towards the religious and a predisposition towards foundational value systems that encouraged progress over revelation. These two factors combine in a very particular way and produce a conclusion that, whether it is not openly acknowledged, it is ubiquitous to much of modern western culture: The Bible is boring.
The old Canon of Scripture is today valued by the majority as a relic from the past at best and an instrument for oppression at worst. Appreciation for the plain literary value such a compendium of wisdom can offer, whether you believe it is divinely inspired or not, is scarce. How can this be demonstrated? First, let us analyze that which forms the canon of entertainment for modern culture. The famed MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) offers a series of interconnected movies in which powerful individuals fight to defend the earth. This superhero trope has been extremely popular for several decades and has enjoyed great reception now that technology has been able to magnify its visual allure. Complicated shows with a multitude of characters and intricate interactions between them are also very popular. One does not need to go further than the series Game of Thrones, which received critical, as well as popular acclaim to prove this point. The moral complexity presented in stories of that kind is what makes it so fascinating as modern audiences are attracted to the shades-of-grey approach.
But there is something that most of those great pieces of entertainment narrative have in common. That is their archetypal dependency on biblical stories. If you do not believe this, look no further than Superman’s story and how it mimics that of Moses. A young child is sent away by his family in an ark (or small space ship) so he can survive and one day save the people. Then he is raised by strangers in a foreign land and grows to fulfill his destiny. This is obviously an oversimplification, but the structure of what we value as entertainment has been seared in our subconscious for generations, and at the core of that lays the Bible.
Is the Bible entertaining, then? Well, here is what it can offer. As superheroes go, the Bible has it all. The books of Joshua, Judges, Kings, and Chronicles are filled with all kinds of heroic acts. As raw strength goes, Sampson is the original Hulk – with a whole backstory to match his grandiose (albeit tragic) end. Reading about military leaders such as Joshua, Caleb, and Gideon or about assassins such as the left-handed Ehud brings forth all sorts of wacky and even funny situations. Of course, there is always the extraordinary David, who not only manages to kill a GIANT and rout a whole army whilst a teenager, but he also collects the foreskins of one hundred enemies just so he can marry a princess. I would like to see Aquaman do something like that. Beyond that, he also becomes a runaway fugitive, a mercenary for hire, and a warlord. All of that even before becoming king and compiling a whole book of psalms which have inspired songs for thousands of years. Also, if you think there are no strong female characters in the Bible, you could not be more wrong. Just read about Debra and thank me later. If there is something the Old Testament is full of, is action.
If you are addicted to family drama and complex relationships, look no further than the patriarchs and their journeys from Abraham to Jacob. From brothers stealing each other’s inheritances to sneaking the wrong bride on the day of the wedding, the patriarchs lived through everything. Also, two ultimate rags-to-riches stories are also present in the Bible in the form of Joseph and Esther. Meanwhile the book of Job is not shy of any Greek tragedy.
This is all, of course, an oversimplification, but that does not make it any less true. The reality is that all these stories have survived through the ages and have fascinated everyone who read them. They are full of meaning and are simply breathtaking once you get past the culturally and linguistically foreign way in which they might be written. In short, the Bible is not only a forgotten source of great entertaining stories, but it is THE source of ALL great entertaining stories. Maybe it is worth to consider giving it a shot.
By David Jorge, Cuban Expat. David is a nutritional consultant and co-founder of Hope Initiative Consulting, LLC. David has earned his B.A. in psychology and is interested in cultural analysis, politics, psychology, and philosophy.
