3.2: The Problem with Biblical Literalism, ft Marty Solomon of BEMA Discipleship

Outgrowing the Good Christian Girl

Today we're talking with Marty Solomon of the BEMA Podcast, deconstructing how we INTERPRET the Bible. Was it meant to be historically accurate? Will it all fall apart if we think that 7-day creation might not be literal? Are the “problems" in the biblical stories actually there on purpose like clues on a treasure map?
I LOVED this interview and can't wait to share it with you. Welcome back to "Outgrowing the Good Christian Girl"!
XOXO, Tiffany
HERE ARE TODAY'S QUESTIONS:
Q1: What does deconstruction mean to you? (@5:07)
Q2: For me deconstruction has had a lot to do with how I understand Scripture and its intent. How do you understand biblical intent and how has that evolved on your journey? (@6:30)
Q3: You and your team talk about “groundwork and biases” before approaching a topic in scripture. Can you explain why those two things are so important, and what groundwork and biases we should consider in our own lives? (@9:13)
Q4: Sometimes the Bible isn’t saying “what,” but teaching us “how.” Can you expand on that a little bit? (@11:04)
Q5: I think for a lot of Christians there’s this fear that if I don’t take it all literally, it’ll all fall apart. Can you talk to that? (@13:12)
Q6: How did you start to learn all of this? (@15:41)
Q7: When I was growing up, I was taught that we take the Bible literally. And people who don’t take the Bible literally, are just picking and choosing, and looking for an approach to sin. What are your thoughts on that approach to Scripture? And what problems do we have with taking the Bible literally? (@17:23)
Q8: You describe the problems in biblical stories like treasure maps. This was really interesting to me, because I always felt like I needed to gloss over or explain away the problems as quickly as possible. They felt very uncomfortable! Can you tell use more about this treasure map approach, and give us some examples of this? Why is it so important to embrace and study the problems? (@21:04)
Q9: Would you walk us through an example of these “problems”? (@23:45)
Q10: When I was growing up, I thought biblical truth was black and white. There was one “right answer” for every question, one clear interpretation of each text. What are your thoughts on that black and white view of scripture? (@27:10)
Q11: Can you tell us about the lullaby effect and how to break out of it? I think this is something that affects a lot of us who have grown up in church. (@30:52)

Q12: As we wrap up this interview, I have two final questions. First, let’s go to a bird’s eye view again. Part of deconstruction is asking: What parts of my faith do I bring forward with me, and what parts do I leave behind? So I’m asking all my guests: Do you have any examples of this in your own life that you’d feel comfortable sharing? (@34:01)

Q13: Is there any piece of advice you’d give to someone who’s deconstructing? (@37:09)

Q14: Lastly, you have a ton of resources for people who are deconstructing their faith and re-understanding the Bible. Can you tell us about these? Where else can my listeners find you? (@39:48)
WHERE TO FIND MARTY:

⭐️Bema Podcast: https://www.bemadiscipleship.com

⭐️martysolomon.com

⭐️“Asking Better Questions of the Bible” by Marty Solomon:
https://a.co/d/euJupFU

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