Basic Concepts of Biblical Religion

Concepts taken for granted cause trouble later if they are forgotten. Biblical religion is world-affirming and historical.
That means finding some positive construction
for the pains of life, and finding the
meaning of life in history. The Exodus is
the backbone of the Bible: it holds together
the Old Testament, and it is the model
for the New Testament. Biblical religion
is covenantal: it is a choice, not
something that could be proven.


As with Aquinas, acts of God do not interfere with nature, but transcendence builds on nature. At
this point, it is possible to say a
little about God; more belongs in
theology, not in philosophical
presuppositions.





Andrew Porter holds doctoratesin computational physicsand philosophical theology,and has taught for the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciencesin the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA.