The «Philosophical Bible» and the Reformation: the case of John Locke
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3989/hs.2018.007Keywords:
Locke, Reformation, Bible, Biblical InterpretationAbstract
The transition of Sacred Scripture from a supernatural text to a mere secular text can be related to the Reformation, but we cannot say that it was the work of the protestant Reformation. Moreover it was the result of the enlightened biblical criticism practiced by some philosophers, as is the case of John Locke. Locke’s work contributes to the construction of the «Academic Bible» as opposed to the «Biblical Scripture». In his writings we can detect a kind of dialectic between the supernatural character of the Sacred Scriptures and the consideration of reason as natural revelation that leads to some paradoxes. Because of that the literature has considered Locke’s position, as been alternatively Calvinist, Arminian, Socinian, Latitudinarian or Unitarian. This article deals with these paradoxes and evaluates the original Lockean thesis on Biblical interpretation, which is inseparable of his faith, his epistemology and his theory of language.
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