Lessons from "Dead Poets Society"

Much of my time at Biblical Seminary has focused on understanding this debate between Modern and Post-Modern thought. I feel like I’ve come to some good conclusions about it all, but it seems Robin Williams said it better than any of my professors, and he said it twenty-one years ago in “The Dead Poets Society”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkpWk8FJsys&feature=related

I watched this movie with my wife, Amanda. It was one of those moments where I knew I was seeing something so profound taking place right before my eyes. I thought of my years at Lancaster Bible College, studying “Biblical Hermeneutics” (Interpretation). I thought about the process that I was trained in for understanding the Bible. It very much resembled the process prescribed by “J. Evans Pricher” for understanding poetry. 

1) Learn the method 

2) Apply the method

3) Turn the crank

4) Out comes proper interpretation

This resembles another process that the modern age gave us, the scientific method. Certainly the scientific method is helpful in providing objectivity to research , experiments, and in collecting data, but should a similar process be applied in understanding ancient literature? 

Here in lies the hubris of the modern era. Because a process is implemented, it now becomes possible for me to “objectively” tell those around me that they are wrong because they did not properly employ the method. Also, by articulating and naming the opposing methods of interpretation I am able to “expose their weaknesses”, even if they are methods that have been used for millennia.

We in turn treat the ancient narratives of scripture as a collection of data, by which we create theological constructs. We go to Bible College and Seminary in order to further polish these constructs, so that we can better defend them to those who almost think like we do… but not quite.

All the while, the outside community of the church doesn’t give two squirts of piss about these constructs, these collections of data organized into theological systems. And why should they? If we are spending all of our time defending our constructs, then we have missed the boat. The Gospel is about people, not abstract dogma. May God help us all if we forget that.