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 doctorates in computational physics and philosophical theology, and has taught for the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA.