Truly Biblical1. Just out of curiosity, as we enter into Passover and Easter season . . . have you ever read the Bible? Just the odd chapter or Psalm? The whole thing? (Or, almost the whole thing? It's some heavy reading, of course, and those "begats" get kind of tedious.)I am not sure how much of the Bible I've read. All the New Testament. Great lumps of the Old, but I always bogged down at the laws. Or just got irritated by the content and stopped reading. I particularly liked parts of the Book of Revelations.
2. If so, was it from religious motivation or from a literary perspective? Stuck with nothing else to read in a hotel room the Gideon's have visited? Any combination?Literary and historical interest. I was young and ambitious. I wanted to understand the Biblical references in Renaissance art and medieval writings. Still do, thanks to the reading I did then.
3. If not, why not? Against your religious principles? Too boring? Just not interested? Something you're planning on taking care of when you get marooned on a desert island?I am disenchanted with most religious ideas and find much of the Bible unpalatable and distasteful now. There's some beautiful poetry but not as much as I once hoped and expected, even in the King James Version, which remains my favourite translation by far.
4. And while we're on the subject . . . what about the other great religious works out there? Are they more to your liking?In terms of style? No. It depends on the translation, but none stand out as superior.
In terms of content? Yes. I rather like the
Bhagavad Gita and some of the more poetic Hindu texts. I find some of the western ancient religious poetry beautiful - but then again, that depends on the translation. I am quite fond of
De Rerum Natura by
Lucretius. My favourite religious writers are
Meister Eckhart and
Matthew Fox.
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fajrdrako
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