Ep. 13: Moving beyond Biblical Literalism with Fr. Brendan Ellis Williams
Show Notes
Episode Summary
Biblical literalism—i.e. reading the Bible literally and historically—has become synonymous with the Christian faith. But what if we told you that it’s not the original (nor most faithful) interpretation of Hebrew and Christian sacred texts? It can be terrifying to even consider not reading them from that lens, since we’ve been taught for so long that any other lens is heretical. But our conversation with Father Brendan Ellis Williams invites us all into a deeper, more transformative perspective of the Bible.
Bio
Father Brendan Ellis Williams holds an undergraduate degree in literary theory and folklore, terminal degrees in poetry and theology, and is currently a candidate for the PhD in religion. He is ordained as an Episcopal priest and is also a fully vowed monastic. He is a practitioner of mystical theology and works in private practice as a traditional healer, spiritual director, teacher. He currently resides in Colorado Springs. And his new book, Seeds from the Wild Verge: Myth, Nature, and Theology in the Border Stream of Celtic Wisdom, is a poetic and insightful look at contemporary western culture and a critique of the western Church in particular. It offers a contemplative, mystical road back to personal wholeness and spiritual transformation.
Follow Father Brendan on Instagram.
Quotables
“The political priesthoods of various power structures sought control through asserting dominance on the basis of exclusivity of access to the divine.” (tweet this)
“Dominator thinking has been handed down for so many generations that it’s taken for granted, it’s assumed as normative and right and true.” (tweet this)
“Unfortunately, rationalism, scientism, etc. have come at the expense of the mythic, the poetic, the natural, and the embodied, whole experience of being human.” (tweet this)
“It’s the mythic dimensions within the biblical texts that are actually the most potent and potentially transformative elements.” (tweet this)
“We unknowingly force our own rationalistic, historically motivated, and literalistic interpretive lens onto the Gospel texts—and it doesn’t work well.” (tweet this)
“The literalist mode of interpretation of any sacred text is really an aberration. It’s more or less unique in the world—and not in a good way.” (tweet this)
“Sacred texts have 3 layers that increase in usefulness as you go deeper: the literal, historical layer; the moral layer; and the spiritual layer.” (tweet this)
Timestamps and References
[02:40]—How Fr. Brendan came to faith, despite not being raised Christian
[07:02]—Definition of “dominator” religion, where the word “dominator” originated (see Riann Eisler), and how it affects Christianity
[14:03]—Why most American Christians don’t recognize “dominator thinking,” let alone see it as problematic
[17:10]—Fr. Brendan’s thoughts on what causes our collective and individual alienation from God, divine love, and incarnational models of religious expression
[20:11]—Biblical literalism, its unhelpful assumptions, and its implications and effects
[28:36]—The relationship between truth, history, fact, and myth
[32:54]—How sacred texts are like almonds
[34:59]—How the literal, historical interpretation of Christian sacred texts dominated and became the only one that was passed down to us
[38:06]— The full quotation of Karl Rahner is: “The devout Christian of the future will either be a ‘mystic,’ one who has experienced something,’ or he will cease to be anything at all.” From an essay called “Christian Living Formerly and Today” printed in Theological Investigations, Volume 7, trans. by David Bourke (New York: Herder and Herder, 1971), 15.
[39:00]—What is Christian mysticism?
[43:48]—Fr. Brendan’s thoughts on the ultimate aim of Christianity (theosis and sainthood)
[48:16]—What gives Fr. Brendan hope for the future of faith
[50:50]—Rapid Fire questions
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Credits
This episode was produced by The Sophia Society. Music is by Faith in Foxholes, and sound engineering is by Joshua Mudge.
