Your example involves a single text: Homer’s Odyssey. The exercise you
described would simply be a study of characterisation. If we are talking
about how the book of Isaiah characterises Yahweh, then fine, no problem. But
the examples you gave range across a number of biblical texts. Yes, these
texts are all part of an accepted canon, and I can see why you would choose
to work within the entire canon as a parameter. However, you seemed to be
using this as a platform to make a theological statement—again,
understandably so, but still different to a literary study of a character
within a biblical text (which is how you portrayed the study of Odysseus in
The Odyssey). I hope you can see the difference between your example and what
your early post said.
I’m all for using the Bible to make absolute statements on theology. Just not
on B-Hebrew.
GEORGE ATHAS
Moore Theological College (Sydney, Australia)
www.moore.edu.au