Literature

For a country that is predominantly Christian, the Philippines is not noted as a Bible-reading nation. Many homes have a copy of the Holy Bible, but the question is, is it being read except on special occasions? The Society of Saint Paul Philippines has been trying to remedy this situation and promoting the widespread reading of the Bible by conducting a yearly National Bible Quiz.

The Bible is essentially a religious history, a book about God and his relationship with man. But it is also a book of literature. One of the best-selling books of all time, the Bible stands as one of the foundations of human civilization. It is perhaps the most influential piece of literature in the world.

The King James version of the Bible has had a lasting impact on the English language. Two journalists said that whenever we “put words into someone’s mouth’’ or “see the writing on the wall’’ or “go from strength to strength’’ or “eat, drink and be merry’’ or “fight the good fight’’ or “bemoan the signs of the times’’ or “find a fly in the ointment,’’  we are unconsciously quoting the King James Bible.

While the two main genres in the Bible are narrative and poetry, it also includes prophecy, visionary writing, pastoral, encomium, oratory, drama (like the Book of Job), satire, travel story, dramatic monologue, lamentation, proverb, saying, chronicle, oracle, apocalypse, parable, song and epistle—all in all, more than a hundred literary genres. Truly, it is a complete book of literature.

The Bible is also a complete repository of archetypes or building blocks of literature. This makes it truly universal because it touches the very essence of human experience. It uses most of the resources of language and figures of speech such as imagery, metaphor, simile, symbol, allusion, irony, word play, hyperbole, apostrophe or direct address, personification and paradox. It is no wonder that there are many biblical allusions in the works of the great men of literature like Shakespeare, John Milton, Herman Melville and Ernest Hemingway.

Prof. Leland Ryken of the University of Oregon said the goal of literature is to make a reader share vicariously or relive an experience. He said, “The truth that literature imparts is not simply ideas that are true but truthfulness to human experience.’’ The truthfulness to human experience makes the Bible a book for all people.

Let’s have a sampling of the Bible (particularly the King James version) as literature:

Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3:

“1. To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under the heaven.

“2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…”

For poetry and sheer beauty of language, there is The Song of Solomon:

“1. I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

“2. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters…’’

“10. My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

“11. For lo, the winter is past, the rains over and gone;

“The flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and voice of the turtle is heard in our land…’’

Or I Corinthians 13 which is about love (in the English of the time of King James, “love’’ was synonymous with “charity’’):

“Though I speak with the tongues of men, and of angels, and have no charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal;

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.’’

And it ends thus:

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.

“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.’’

There is the Lord’s Prayer (Chapter 23 of the Psalms) which is a very simple, reassuring prayer; it calms the mind and the soul, and puts anyone who recites in a very tranquil state, in the peace of the Lord.

The Bible is truly one of the greatest books in all literature and in the world. It’s a pity that it is not being read by more people nowadays. We thus commend the Society of St. Paul for conducting the National Bible Quiz and urge students and the youth to join it.