Since the subject was broached using textual analysis of Biblical passages as
an example, I will respond in like kind. If anyone will be offended at this,
please, stop reading, close the email, and ignore any future posts to this
thread by me. I've given fair warning. Please no flames.
This linked article is a perfect case in point for why software based textual
analysis does NOT work well for the purposes that some may intend. Part of the
problem is that it relies upon a number of assumptions, human assumptions no
less (for all software is really a reflection of the developer), not the least
of which is that a single author can have only one style of writing. Paul for
example, was one of the most learned Hebrew scholars of his time, as well but
was raised in the Grecian society and well schooled in their ways and
traditions. When writing to the Gentiles, you will find that his style was
distinctly different from the book of Hebrews, where he wrote to his fellow
countrymen about what Christianity means to the Jew, to the Torah (the books of
the law) and to those Hebrews who had embraced Christianity. The differences
have cause no end of disagreement among the learned about who really wrote the
book of Hebrews. Some say it was Peter or John, but then the same difficulty
arises when comparing Hebrews to other Biblical writings of those authors.
In response to the specific example in the article about the book of Isaiah, Jesus quoted from the two sections of
Isaiah, commonly believed by "progressive" critics to be written by two different "Isaiahs", saying
in the second quote, "That same Isaiah...". There are some who believe there were 5 or 6 Isaiahs, although
this is considered "fringe" even by the majority of the progressive critics.
Even in the mainstream, many critics believe that Isaiah was written AFTER the
time of Christ, mainly due to the very specific prophecies about the Christ
which are too many to name here. (That is a pretty nice trick, seeing that the
Dead Sea Scrolls contain parts that the scholars say came after Christ, but no
archaeologist in his right mind would contend the Dead Sea Scrolls are post
Christ!)
Now I don't think it takes a genius to see that if Jesus was wrong about
anything, then his whole claim to be the Son of God lies in ruins, and we can
only pity him as a self deluded fool, or worse yet, a vile deceiver. But if His
claims are true, then it is the critics who are to be pitied. Because they are
simply and completely wrong.
I can tell you that when I am typing an email of this nature, my grammar and
tone morphs into something much more formal and precise. When I email my
friends about a funny joke, my writing style is very much different. Software
analysis of all I have ever written from my first essay in grade school to now
would probably conclude there are 20 of me.
All that to say this: Software may be able to turn up some interesting facets
of writing styles, and we may be able to learn something from it, but it is not
the software that fails us here. It is humans who put way too much value in the
apparent results than are warranted. I guess people cannot help but grab ahold
of what they can, so they can believe what they want to believe, on either side
of the issue. Software cannot fix that.
Bob
