Pontifical Biblical Commission Wrote an

¶ … Pontifical Biblical Commission wrote an incredibly poignant and insightful analysis of fundamental trends in Christianity in 1993, claiming that fundamentalism "refuses to admit that the inspired word of God has been expressed in human language...tends to treat the biblical text ads if it had been dictated word for word by the Spirit...fails to recognize that the word of God has been formulated in language and expression conditioned by various periods." In other words, the Word of God expressed in the Bible is indelible and True.

Yet the Word of God has been cloaked by the limitations of human discourse. Fundamentalism has until now refused to acknowledge the vicissitudes of human language in interpreting the word of God. Moreover, the Commission refers to the "the inerrancy of certain details in the biblical texts" as insisted upon by fundamentalist Christians. Translations and the limitations of ancient languages are also glossed over by may who would claim to know the word of God through such limited venues.

The "narrow points-of-view" clung to by fundamentalists obscures the true nature of God's word as it is expressed in the Holy Bible and practiced by Christians and Catholics worldwide. Practice -- the way that devout Christians and their clergy have incorporated Biblical principles into their lives throughout the past several thousand years -- is as meaningful a media as the interpretations of ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. Thus, the Commission concludes that fundamentalism is "dangerous." I agree. We need to find a middle ground between extreme literalism and atheism.

Rather than buy into the uninformed version of the Bible as immutable truth in its current English translations, we must read our Bibles between the lines. Translations belie the core essence of Biblical truth: the spiritual meaning that we all seek within the Holy Book's pages. When we hear of the sacred Word of God, we should remember that that Word is not restricted to the Hebrew language any more than it is to the English or Greek.

Therefore, the Word of God is to be found in the fundamental truths of the Bible, not in a literal interpretation thereof. A genuine and honest fundamentalism is not a literal translation of any one or even any era's version of the Bible. Rather, a real fundamentalism refers to the Word made practice. For example, we view the Word of God in the actions of saints. We learn about those who have devoted their lives to serving God.

We raise our families in a spiritual sense, eschewing materialism and imbuing our lives with the truths inherent in the Bible. Ultimately we refer to the essence of Jesus Christ's love. Instead of clinging even to what the Apostles said about Jesus, we endeavor to listen intently to what Jesus would have said through his actions. Actions do speak louder -- and are longer-lasting -- than words. Thus, the Pontifical Biblical Commission shared with Pope John Paul II their own fears.