I have said yes to give a lecture about Religion: The Bible

[Greyblades]

While the bible has been used by individuals and countries throughout hisory to give precidence and moral backing to many an atrocity, we must remember that for every war there are countless individuals who have been bettered by following the guidlines set down in this old tome. We should keep in mind when discussing scripture that how misinterprited and warped it has been, it is ultimately providing and encouraging the model of a "good christian" and has ingrained in entire continents an appreciation and application for many of the values that we need for an accepting society.

Howzat?
Also:

The bible has generally provided many a foundation for the core of just law "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house," Name one respectable court today that does not enforce similaredicts and I will name you a hole in the ground, christianity spread those commandmants and provided an inescapable justice system for it's believers.

[Kadagar_AV]

The bible has generally provided many a foundation for the core of just law "Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house," Name one respectable court today that does not enforce similaredicts and I will name you a hole in the ground, christianity spread those commandmants and provided an inescapable justice system for it's believers.

This is like saying that the Bible has some Copyright on things like "Do Not Kill".

Pretty much EVERY society and culture stand by those rules, it seems strange to somehow credit the bible for it, no?

[Greyblades]

He asked for some positives, just because everyone else does it does not deminish the good effects caused, no?

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

This is like saying that the Bible has some Copyright on things like "Do Not Kill".

Pretty much EVERY society and culture stand by those rules, it seems strange to somehow credit the bible for it, no?

Yes.... but then there's not a lot to say about the moral teaching of the Bible. Indeed, there is not a lot to say about the moral teaching divorced from the construction of the "moral God".

Sigurd, can you give us some idea of the audience? Is this a local Church thing or what? Young? Old?

[Sigurd]

Yes.... but then there's not a lot to say about the moral teaching of the Bible. Indeed, there is not a lot to say about the moral teaching divorced from the construction of the "moral God".

Sigurd, can you give us some idea of the audience? Is this a local Church thing or what? Young? Old?

I am not entirely sure about the exact composition of the audience. It could be a mix crowd of Christians and "normal" Norwegian kids. I say kids, but they will be post secondary school. Around 18 - 20 maybe.
But the fact that they have asked me, indicates that they want a more neutral opinion on the subject. Someone not staunch atheist or theist.

I am going to do the history, so no advice needed on the positives following Luther's grievances. I will move through some of the myths regarding its origins and some of the claims. I am more interested in the follow up... The "despite all this negative, there is still some positives" and some recent examples would be excellent. As a band aid on the hurts I am gonna inflict on the believing part of the audience.

A ... its not all bad ... kind of way

[Greyblades]

Oh in that case, look at the the promotion of family values and a sense of community, ie look at the mormons episode of southpark and apply the ending speech by the mormon kid to christianity as a whole.
Also you could point out that the bible's new testemant has jesus preaching a mainly pacifistic love they neigbor message and as much as it is warped it ultimately says "play nice and love your fellow man"

[Sigurd]

See... this is what I am talking about... South Park.. I am too old for that and it wouldn't have entered my mind to look there.
I might just have a looksie, and if I use some of it, the audience will notice that I am an old man not familiar with silly cartoons.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I am not entirely sure about the exact composition of the audience. It could be a mix crowd of Christians and "normal" Norwegian kids. I say kids, but they will be post secondary school. Around 18 - 20 maybe.
But the fact that they have asked me, indicates that they want a more neutral opinion on the subject. Someone not staunch atheist or theist.

I am going to do the history, so no advice needed on the positives following Luther's grievances. I will move through some of the myths regarding its origins and some of the claims. I am more interested in the follow up... The "despite all this negative, there is still some positives" and some recent examples would be excellent. As a band aid on the hurts I am gonna inflict on the believing part of the audience.

A ... its not all bad ... kind of way

So mostly pre-University level?

OK.

How long until you have to give this lecture?

I'm digging through my little library here but my material on Norse reception-history is necessarily quite limited by my field.

[Sigurd]

So mostly pre-University level?

OK.

How long until you have to give this lecture?

I'm digging through my little library here but my material on Norse reception-history is necessarily quite limited by my field.

I am doing this presentation twice, but the first time is tomorrow (2nd next Tuesday). I will however have room for improvements, better notes, experience etc. the second time.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I am doing this presentation twice, but the first time is tomorrow (2nd next Tuesday). I will however have room for improvements, better notes, experience etc. the second time.

OK, well I know you’re quite knowledgeable about this – so I shall try not to labour my points.

I would begin by saying that the “Bible” as we know it today in a single volume is a relatively recent invention of the later middle ages that first appeared when preachers started moving around and needing a mobile copy of the scriptures. I would also point out that the Greek and Latin words for the Bible (I can’t speak to the Norse) literally mean a collection of writings.

I would then just briefly say that until the 15^th Century and the invention of the printing press all manuscripts had to be copied by human hand, and the various books of the Bible were originally copied independently. With the best will and most strenuous effort in the world we know the scribes made mistakes because we have their manuscripts.

The reason for saying all this is that it is true and not widely recognised and it will place everything you subsequently say in the context of human fallibility rather than as an attack on Christianity.

I would then briefly mention Saint Augustine and the Council of Carthage, and then Saint Jerome’s rigorous and scholarly translation into Latin. It is worth noting that Jerome and Augustine corresponded, starting in 395, and this produced a theological controversy – namely that Augustine was concerned that Jerome’s interpretation that St. Paul was guilty of falsehood in his presentation of Peter’s views on Jewish customs in Galatians 2.11-14. Augustine was concerned that if the general public were exposed to this sort of opinion they would doubt the validity of the whole of the Bible.

Unfortunately, the letter was accidentally left in Rome and word of it reached Jerome by second hand before the actual letter. This is no. 28 in Augustine’s letters.

I found it online: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1102028.htm

Moving briskly forward to the 11^th Century, Christianity was spread through Norway by the King Cnut, who used missionaries from England – who repeated what they had accomplished among the Danes in England a few generation previously. The English missionaries would have brought with them a tradition of vernacular religious writing, which can help to explain why Christian poetry and prose with Biblical echoes appears relatively early in Norse literature.

The Evangelium Nicodemi appears quite early in poetic fragments in a Norse context – circa the 12^th Century in West Norse in Iceland. Depending on how much time you have a gesture to the Gospels that didn’t make it into the Bible, and the fact that the medieval Church often encouraged their translation and dissemination, are worth mentioning.

It may be worth just noting that the first serious translation of the Bible since Jerome was made in Oxford in the 1370’s-1390’s. The Prologue to the Wycliffite Bible might be worth a quick look as it informed later Lutheran thinking on translation and exegesis.

I don’t know if it’s worth mentioning that there is still quite a close connection between the English and Scandinavian Churches, who are in full Communion – mostly worth mentioning for making a joke about the English being Nordics who got mugged by the French in 1066. Some Norse I know find that amusing.

From then on we’re into Germanic Lutheranism and the Nordic break with Rome, which is where my knowledge ends.

Hope that helps.