I have a strange opinion of feminist writer and activist Naomi Wolf. He gained groundbreaking notoriety as an advisor to Al Gore during the 2000 presidential campaign. But while I don't appreciate her forcing the Veeps of her time to wear power ties, I do appreciate that she later opposed certain core feminist tenets. .
At a time when abortion enthusiasts had rhetorical lines like “my body, my choice” and “terminate the consequences of pregnancy,” Woolf thoughtfully and boldly warned against the dehumanization of the fetus. , even suggested a “memorial” ceremony to acknowledge someone had an abortion. He was actually killed. And while the left tolerated pornography as a corollary of sexual freedom (or celebrated it as “sex work” that empowered women), she argued that while the left tolerated pornography as a corollary of sexual freedom (or celebrated it as “sex work” that empowered women), she did not form religious moral doctrines. As a not-so-liberal Jew, I had the foresight to see that pornography was a threat to society. Toward true feminism and society.
If these sins weren't enough to make Wolf an outcast, she's set to take full brunt of the grievances of her former tribe in the age of COVID-19. Her outspoken vaccine skepticism at the time would have led to her being branded as a weirdo, if nothing else.
However, I continued to have kind feelings towards her.That's why I paid attention to her with her interest Tuesday's series of tweets In it, she details her recent experience studying English translations of the New Testament alongside the “literal” Greek translations, and makes the groundbreaking discovery that “much of the New Testament is mistranslated.” I shared what I thought was the case.
As an example, she says in the Sermon on the Mount, “Jesus did not approach from the 'disciples,' but from the 'learners.'” And she says that the Beatitudes should not be “Blessed are they,” but “Happy are they.”
Not surprisingly, the replies include many comments to the effect that Mr. Wolf should stay in his lane and leave the Bible to the Bible experts. And while I think it's wrong to control Biblical truth by denying people the right to their own insight unless they have a Ph.D., these commenters have a point. there is.
words disciple, For example, from the Latin disciple, This simply means “student” or “.” . . “Learner”. And the Greek word in question in the Beatitudes (or Greek translations of Old Testament passages such as Psalm 1:1) means “blessed” or “happy,” just like in Latin . Beatus, From there we derive “bliss.”
In other words, these are not “mistranslations” but good examples of the translator's art. Words in any language have different meanings and meanings, and translators must choose which meaning works best depending on the context.
In the first case, the English word is disciple, This word, which refers to Jesus' close listeners, has a connotation that goes beyond just a student to a “devout follower.'' (On the contrary, the words of the Jews are rabbi It can mean “teacher”, but it can also mean “master”. )
And does not the condition of a person who has experienced bliss according to the words of Jesus go beyond the relatively weak feeling of the English word? Happy? We wish you happy birthdays and holidays.? We say “I'm happy'' when we hear some good news or do something for a stranger. But to be “blessed” indicates a deeper state of contentment, a state of being blessed with God's gifts and favors.
So, at least in these examples, and the others she alludes to, perhaps Woolf isn't actually encountering anything new. da vinci code Hidden Biblical truths that turn Christianity as we know it upside down. And she will be convinced of this rather than relying on her hand-crafted readings and crowd-sourced exegesis on social media. if she was catholic.
Of course, the Church does not definitively endorse a single translation of any particular Greek or Hebrew phrase.But it is teeth Authoritative interpreter and custodian of Bible truth and meaning. And its members have a centuries-long record of pondering the Bible's text, resolving its seeming contradictions, and engaging with it in ways that are consistent with the truth and meaning always held by the Church. Masu.
Yes, even Catholic Bible scholars can disagree on small points. But in general, Catholicism, as Naomi Wolf has discovered, frees us from the doubt and confusion that inevitably accompanies private Bible study divorced from tradition and authority.