Question four of the midterm asks us to use an example from each of our readings and set aside all historical and theological questions and compare what it is that we see in the two passages, both similarities as well as what we gain from the reading. I believe that by setting aside everything that you have previously read about the Bible, the lessons, the history, the morality and theology, and look at its style and technique you can then evaluate its form and you can also see how similar it is to other works of literature. The similarities that you see will be in the way that it is written, or maybe even in how it was pieced together. .
A great example of this is if you were to set aside everything and look at Genesis chapter 15. Here you have the story of Abraham, and in specific the story of his theophany. You can compare Abraham's story to Flannery O"Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge" you can evaluate the similarities in their technique used to tell the story. In both you can draw into the message of the story to show a common theme of God and a message that life is a struggle. You can also see a common theme of guilt and sorrow in each of the works. You also get a sense of how life is a mystery and those we are unable to understand much of it, but that it is alright to not know. In both Genesis and Flannery O"Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge" the characters are flawed such as Julian in his judgment of his mothers thinking, or his mother in her treatment and views of Negroes, as well as Abraham from Genesis in his frustration to have a child before he dies.
In Genesis chapter 15 the writer gives the reader an idea of the presence of God in the very beginning. In the first few lines of chapter 15 the writer says, "After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, fear not Abram, I am your shield. Your reward shall be very great.
