FREE PUBLIC EVENT: The Hamilton Science Faith Forum and the CSCA present a lecture by John W. Hilber (Ph.D., Cambridge University), who currently serves as Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College.
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Does the Bible Lie? Accommodation and Cosmology
When used theologically, the term “Accommodation” refers to God’s adaptation of actions or language to communicate to finite human understanding. Calvin used the metaphor, “baby talk.” Christian interpreters of the Bible agree that God accommodated ancient assumptions about cosmology. But how does this avoid deception? A communication model called “Relevance Theory” helps: (1) by focusing our attention on the cosmological assumptions most probable within the ancient cognitive environment, and (2) directing us to identify those assumptions that are operative in the meaning of the text.
John W. Hilber (Ph.D., Cambridge University) currently serves as Professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College. His publications include a monograph on Old Testament Cosmology and Divine Accommodation: A Relevance Theory Approach (Cascade, 2020).