Theology and Story

[Tree of Life]

Did I not make myself clear in post #14?

You then concede that those bible stories are not "real", "factual", or "true". It would appear that way, based on all available evidence.

I believe them to be factual. But I mean something different when I say that they're concrete.

 

[Davian]

I believe them to be factual. But I mean something different when I say that they're concrete.

Why do you believe these stories to be factual when they are not supported by, you know, facts?

 

[quatona]

Now, you may not believe that these stories are true, but they're certainly concrete. This sets the Bible apart from a religious text like the Tao De Ching or the Koran which seeks to speak about God or ultimate reality in metaphorical or abstract terms. The Bible's aim is to tell concrete stories about God's interaction in history.

So when you said "stories" you actually meant "reports of facts"?

 

[Tree of Life]

So when you said "stories" you actually meant "reports of facts"?

A story is a sequence of events. It could be factual or fictitious.

A report of facts isn't necessarily a story. "The moon is 232,948 miles away from the earth" is a report of the facts but I wouldn't call it a story.

 

[Chesterton]

A report of facts isn't necessarily a story. "The moon is 232,948 miles away from the earth" is a report of the facts but I wouldn't call it a story.

It's a very, very short story. You could jazz it up slightly, put some drama in your voice, and say "There is a moon in the sky, which is 232,948 miles from the earth". Sounds a bit more like a one sentence story.

 

[bhsmte]

Stories are concrete because they're about stuff that's actually happened. Concepts are what can tend to be vague.

You are assuming the stories actually happened. And, if you are taking that based on faith, I have no problem with it. If you are claiming the stories can be supported and verified to be true, that is quite different and you are only playing mind games with yourself.

 

[quatona]

A story is a sequence of events.

Good point, even though not really relevant to what I meant to ask. The crucial part was not the difference between "facts" and "events", but between factual and fictitious. You wrote:

Stories are concrete because they're about stuff that's actually happened.

I´ll reword my question upon your call:

So when you said "concrete stories" you actually meant "reports of factual events"?

Hope that clarifies.