Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>]

On 18/11/2006 20:56, Gary Hedrick wrote:
>         
>         Peter, is it your contention that there are no legitimate
> differences between the ways Hebrew and Greek writers (and thinkers) in
> biblical times would have expressed themselves? ...

Well, first, by "Hebrew" and "Greek", are we talking about language, 
ethnicity, culture, religion, or what? I accept that the languages were 
different, of course, but people with the same cultural etc background 
could and did say the same things in different forms in different 
languages. Of course people with different cultures and religions said 
different things because they had different world views. But this 
difference is distinct from language. Consider the discussion we are 
having about the book of Sirach. It is not possible to tell from the 
general content whether particular passages were written in Greek, or in 
Hebrew and later translated into Greek - although it may be possible to 
tell from detailed examination of the grammar. Language simply does not 
determine general thought patterns. This has been amply proved by 
scholarly studies, which have thoroughly discredited the strong form of 
the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Note the following from 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapir-Whorf_hypothesis:
> The opposing idea — that language has /absolutely no/ influence on 
> thought at all — is widely considered to be false (Gumperz: 
> introduction to Gumperz 1996). But the strong version of the 
> Sapir/Whorf hypothesis, that language determines thought, is also 
> thought to be incorrect. The most common view is that the truth lies 
> somewhere in between the two and currently linguists rather than 
> studying whether language affects thought, are studying /how/ it 
> affects thought.

> ... I don't think anyone here
> is saying we agree entirely with Borman.  I was just saying that his thesis
> is an interesting one and deserves thoughtful consideration.
>         The formation and formulation of Christian thought in the milieu of
> the 1C Middle Eastern culture is a subject of vigorous and ongoing debate.
> Cambridge U. Press has published an interesting compendium of essays (Early
> Christian Thought in its Jewish Context) dealing with some of these issues.
>         Peter, the negative review you cited from Amazon.com says that
> Borman took this position "to make a theological point."  Is this also your
> concern?  
>
>   
I am concerned that this is bad scholarship and also opens the door to 
racism.

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail:  peter AT qaya.org
Blog:    http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/