History vs Poetry: Let's talk about genre.

I think that for people unaccustomed to the Biblical text, there is a lack of understanding for the varying genres that are found in the Bible. A common charge from critics of religion is that believers are just picking and choosing what to believe in the Bible by saying that the creation narratives in the Book of Genesis is poetic in nature, while the Gospels are historical accounts. I would say that such a position is not picking and choosing at all, it is simply a sound and literary-minded evaluation of the texts in questions. So, let's talk about about genre.


It is clear that, for example, the authors of the Books of Chronicles were trying to write historical works, and depicts historical events as the israelite authors understood them. You can't take the entirety of the Bible and say it's either "pure metaphor" or purely literal. It's like saying that the historical drama like Pearl Harbour is either pure metaphor or literally an account of what happened historically. You have to take the different books on their own terms, but that actually demands that you read them and use proper literary criticism, and I guess that's too much work for every Tom, Dick and Harry with an opinion.


Intent in authorship and style are both good indicators to what genre a text is. 

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.
11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the LORD the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. (1 Kings 15:9-16

This is a historical text, because the intent of the author seems to be to actually tell what happened in the reign of King Jerobeam of Israel and King Asa of Judah, there are also theological motivation which makes things complicated, of course, but you will have to be hard pressed if you wish to say that this text is not a historical document. However, just because it's a historical document does not mean that it is factually correct, the author could for example be wrong, just like the authors of texts about Julius Ceaser or Charlemagne. That does not mean that it is not a historical document, or that it's metaphor all of a sudden, it simply means that it's a historical document that is partly erronous.

1 Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.[a] (Psalm 117)

This is a hymn. It is so because it's part of a collection of similar poems, often with titles like "A song". It has poetic metre and express emotions. Of course, in the books of the Bible it is not always so clear cut that a certain passage is a historical chronicle or a poem, most often because there are many more literary genres than chronicles and poems, there are also prophecies, books of wisdom, proverbs, hagiographies and sermons. These also often overlap. I'm definately not saying it is simple to do literary criticism in the Bible, but the opposite. It's complicated and often ambigous, but that does not mean that we can discuss it. But we must realise that trying to analyse the Bible outside of the context of faith is often vain and meaningless. When speaking of the Bible we first and foremost must recognise its theological nature. Even after that, our academic squabbles are rarely meaningful even in that respect and all our words, no matter how clever or entertaining, will melt away in an instance before the compassion and the presence that is the faith in the hearts of believers.