page 6
daily nebraskan
tuesday, march 17, 1981
Biblical interpretations show strife prof essor
Photo by Mitch Hrdlicka
Richard Niebuhr
By Patti Gallagher
Out interpretation of the Bible is limited only by our
imagination, according to a theology professor at Havard
Divinity School.
Richard Niebuhr said we interpret scripture according
to our own life experiences. That interpretative technique
was also employed by writers of the Bible, he said,
accounting for the inclusion of combat words.
Niebuhr spoke to about 50 people Monday at the
Sheldon Art Gallery. His speech, entitled "The Stife of
Interpreting: The Moral Burden of Imagination,"' was part
of the Atkinson theological lecture series.
The imagination of the biblical writers was largely in
fluenced by war and violence. Niebuhr said. Thus phrases
such as the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation ami
strength in the Lord have projected a war-like image of
early Chistianity onto modern readers, he said.
Strife and conflict continues to be an influence in out
lives, he said, and affect our theological interpretations.
"Strife is a part of our social and political life as it is a
part of our collective religious life," he said.
Strife in modern society that has swaved our interpre
tations of life and in turn of theology include the Depres
sion of the 1930s, the world-wide war of 1940s, the Cold
War of the 1950s, the social upheavels of the Vietnam War
of the 1960s and 70s, and today our involvement in Latin
America.
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"Our common life today is one of strife," Niebuhr
said.
Niebuhr defined the word interpretation as a "go
between" and the last part of it has historically meant
price. An interpreter then is one who negotiates the price
of something that is to be exchanged.
The price is what is lost in the exchange from literal
to imaginative interpretation, he said.
Niebuhr said lay readers as well as theologians interpret
obscure passages in the Bible by mewing to an adjacent
one. The move is not always accurate, he said.
The professor of divinity also said we use analogies
to interpret the Bible, to give it living meaning. The
analogy approach was used by Christ in the New Testa
ment, he said, in parables very familiar to his audience.
By using the familiar, he said, we can gain new inter
pretations. Niebuhr said interpretation is a moral issue because our
images mandate our thoughts and actions. Those thoughts
and actions affect those we live with.
"We order our lives according to the moral decisions
we make through imaginations." he said.
Niebuhr ended his speech warning the audience not to
constrict their minds with narrow interpretations.
"We pray give us our daily bread. We need also to pray
give us generous eyes and imaginations with which to
see.
Stealing from autos
occurs over weekend
Several thefts from autos were reported to UNL
Police during the weekend.
The outside mirror of a Sidney Public School bus
was taken while the bus was parked in the bus zone on
the north side of the Bob Devaney Sports Center,
police said. The mirror was worth $250, police report
ed. Stereo equipment worth $460 was stolen from a car
parked in the area 2 lot at 19th and Q streets, police
said. Police said the theft took place sometime between
Wednesday and Saturday. Stolen was an 8-track radio
stereo system, speakers, and an equalizer amplifier
from the car, police said.
A battery was taken from a car in the area 3 lot
east of Sandoz Hall Sunday. The battery, worth
$85. was recovered near the car, police said. Investi
gator Bob Fey said police have a suspect.
Also a battery was stolen from a car parked in area
3 on New Hampshire Street sometime between Satur
day and Sunday, police said. The battery was worth
$45, police said.
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