Letter: Misguided liberal gloss on the Bible

Sir: Shock! Horror! According to the Rev Kenneth Wilson's letter (8 February), 200 years of biblical scholarship has discovered that there are cultural aspects to the Bible.

But that has always been recognised by theologians. God spoke in particular cultures at particular times. But what He spoke in and through those cultures was culture-transcending truth. Mr Wilson seems to think that somehow we in the 20th century no longer have cultural baggage. We can look down our noses at the poor culture-bound writers of the Bible. But his letter is full of cultural assumptions - anti-supernaturalism and feminism for example.

If Mr Wilson finds the teachings of the Bible on everything from a transcendent God and the substitutionary death of Christ to family relationships so repugnant, why does he not do the decent thing, renounce his ordination vows and stop calling himself a Christian? Perhaps the Rationalist Press Association would give him a job. But I doubt he will do that, because "Liberal Christianity" is intellectually dishonest.

The Rev GUY A DAVIES

Stalbridge, Dorset