Abstract
Keith Ward has the gift of being able to write clearly and logically at almost any level. He trained as a scientist, was a lecturer in Glasgow in philosophy and – after he became a Christian – held chairs of theology at Kings College London and Oxford. Now in retirement, he still lectures part-time at Heythrop College and preaches at his local church. This pellucid short book is ideal for any thoughtful layperson who is struggling with fundamentalism or believes that the Bible must either be accepted literally or rejected altogether.
He writes here, without footnotes or academic references, taking the reader through the accounts of Jesus’ teaching in the four gospels, with the aim of showing that it cannot be accepted literally. These accounts manifestly abound with hyperbole, symbol, metaphor, icon, prolepsis, epitome, paradox, parable and sublation (he might usefully have added irony and even satire to this list). Anyone who has attempted to preach on, say, Matthew 5.29 (‘If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away’) should know this already. Taken literally, our churches would be full of one-eyed lustful men. Or again, taken literally Luke 14.26 (‘If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children…’) seems to be a recipe for dysfunctional Christian families. Not exactly safeguarding. Instead, he argues that such hyperbole (or is it irony?) forces the reader to move beyond a literal meaning to a deeper spiritual meaning about love.
His main target is biblical literalism, while admitting at the outset that it is literalist churches that seem to be growing at the moment in the UK (although there is recent evidence that among white Americans they are now shrinking). Subsidiary targets are beliefs in eternal hell, in monochrome moral rules on sexuality, in an imminent end of the universe, and in salvation being exclusive to Christian believers. These are all beliefs that tend to be associated with literalist churches – albeit with some difficulties on, say, divorce, on which they are notoriously divided. Keith Ward seeks to persuade the reader that it is possible to be a faithful Christian without holding any of these beliefs. This reader, at least, is convinced.
Throughout his career as a theologian, Keith Ward has been prepared to risk the scorn of his academic colleagues by writing the occasional small and unreferenced book at parish level. He has a strong pastoral sense based on a conviction that parishioners should be encouraged to apply critical reason to their faith. And he uses ordinary language to do so. As a result, his conservative critics are readily able to argue that ‘he is clearly wrong’. For my part, I have long been grateful for his passionate combination of Christian faithfulness, clarity and reason. This little book shows all three virtues in abundance.