Some Uses and Abuses of Interdisciplinary Research in Biblical Studies

Some Uses and Abuses of Interdisciplinary Research in Biblical Studies

WONG Fook Kong

The purpose of this essay is to discuss some uses and abuses of cross-disciplinary studies. Firstly, the external information included must be reliable, eg, one must distinguish popular archaeology from real archaeology. Secondly, even when the external sources are reliable, we have to be aware that there is a possibility they contradict the Bible rather than help us understand the Bible. This is an inevitable part of scholarship; it is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways. Even when external information challenges our faith, we must not alter it to conform to our view. It must be kept true and independent to serve its purpose. Furthermore, cross-disciplinary studies involve more than one source of information that inevitably compete for authority. There is no hard and fast rule as to how this should be handled but it must be done well to achieve the most benefits. Finally, by adding outside information to the “gaps” in the biblical text, we may come up with new insights or readings. However, the validity of the addition and the resulting interpretation must also be critically assessed. Just because we can do not mean it is valid or helpful.