“I think that there is a certain schizophrenic aspect to my own relation to the Bible.” Quote by Hershel Shanks
“In my work, I attempt to deal with the Bible as I would deal with any work of literature.” LiteratureDeals Author:Hershel Shanks
“To treat the history of Israel as I would treat the history of England or Russia or China; that is, an attempt at a scientific, historical approach.I am particularly fascinated with origins.” ApproachTreatsEnglandHistoricalIsraelChinaRussiaFascinated Author:Hershel Shanks
“Most of my professional work has been in these areas - as a historical critic, as a literary critic. I've done very little in the history of interpretation [as Elie Wiesel has]. I've been interested in it, but I have not contributed to that field, really.” LittlesHas BeensDoneFieldsAreasHistoricalCriticsInterpretationProfessional Work Author:Hershel Shanks
“The Bible is a book that has shaped my life, my beliefs, my ethics, my moral concerns, my religious outlook. This is not something, however, that I have taught or written about. This has been, if you wish, a private aspect.” IfsHas BeensBookBeliefWishReligiousMoralWrittenTaughtEthicsConcernAspectOutlook Author:Hershel Shanks
“I've been on a faculty in a university, and I felt it was incumbent on me to deal with the Bible not as something I was attempting to convert people to, or to have them enter into my religious experience, but rather as an academic and scientific discipline.” PeopleFeltReligiousDealsDisciplineUniversityFacultyAcademicAttemptingIncumbentsReligious Experience Author:Hershel Shanks
“I think that there are these two very different sides to my relation to the Bible: one, my professional life; the other, a more private concern, interest and fascination with the Bible.” ThinkingTwoDifferentSidesInterestConcernRelationFascinationProfessional LifeDifferent Sides Author:Hershel Shanks
“[My father was ] Presbyterian [minister]. But I did not take the Bible seriously until I was forced to take Hebrew at McCormick Theological Seminary.” FatherMinistersTheologicalHebrewPresbyteriansSeminary Author:Hershel Shanks
“At McCormick Theological Seminary I had to take Hebrew, so I began to read prophetic poetry, and suddenly it became the life I wanted to spend.” WantedTheologicalHebrewPropheticSeminary Author:Hershel Shanks
“In my little town, Sighet, which is in Romania, Hungary-Romania, but a real shtetl, a little [Jewish] village - and we began with the Chumash [Pentateuch], probably at age four.” LittlesRealAgeFourTownsVillageHungaryRomaniaLittle Towns Author:Elie Wiesel
“I do not deal with the text [of the Bible] scientifically. I read it, I'm interested in its layers of meaning, but my relation to it is much more an emotional one.” DealsEmotionalRelationLayers Author:Elie Wiesel