The Consciousness Model and the Bible

What is the Bible?

• Is a paradigm• A source of illumination but not an

objective deposit of revelation

The Bible’s authority• According to

Schillebeeckx, the inspiration of Scripture originally meant the capacity of certain writings to inspire the community to discover its own identity; its authority came from its ability to inspire.

• Later on, the authority of the Scriptures was recognized as coming from God.

Revelation

• Occurs in contemporary experience. This experience, as the source of revelation, is interpreted with the help of Scriptures.

What do they say?• Gregory Baum – Scriptures can yield new

“salvational meaning” when reread and reinterpreted in the light of the experience of the believing community

What do they say?

• Ray L. Hart – Past events (biblical history) have power to interpret our

present situation

• Schillebeeckx – Bible must be read in a contemporary context and against the background of our remembered past

Interpreting Consumerism through Luke 16:19-31 “Lazarus and the Rich Man”