The Beautiful Dissonance of the Bible

The Bible says a lot of different things in different ways over a long period of time. It presents a wide variety of perspectives and traditions that are meant to engage the reader critically and formatively. The Bible is no echo chamber; it is a sacred book filled with sacred tension, which one would naturally expect from a wide-ranging collection of books that took centuries to write and compile. The Bible was not dropped from heaven on golden plates or dictated wholesale to one individual. Rather, the biblical canon was the product of over a millennium of struggle to discern God at work in the world, from times of triumphant joy to times of great sorrow. The Bible is unapologetically diverse, and tension is one of its hallmarks.

Most readers, however, tend to overlook the tension that is endemic to scripture. For so many years, I wanted the Bible to be coherently consistent and harmonious. But the more I read and studied the Bible, the more I found out otherwise. If scripture were a choir, it sings with a robust measure of disharmony. But what some readers would consider off-key, I’ve come to regard as beautifully dissonant. What some consider a liability, I’ve come to see as one of the Bible’s strengths. Yes, the Bible has its share of contradictory views, but they are there for a positive purpose.

I wrote Sacred Tension out of a need to enliven Bible study in ways that foster transformative dialogue among participants. Why? Because that is what the Bible was written for: to engage readers on a sacred journey of dialogue, dialogue with the scripture’s diversity and dialogue among its diverse readers. Far from blind acceptance or a faith without questions, genuine dialogue and critical assessment should be a natural response to reading the Bible. After all, even the devil can quote scripture! 

A dialogical approach to scripture is sorely needed in such a time as this, a time in which communities are deeply divided and polarized, and true dialogue is all but lost. Reading the Bible cultivates a critical consciousness that can guide us in navigating contentious issues. It encourages us to approach these matters with a listening ear, a receptive heart, and genuine respect for others (okay, except for the devil). Genuine dialogue resembles a dance more than a battle. In a dance of equal partners, there’s give and take, push and pull, balance, and mutual guidance—creating something greater than what either partner could ever achieve alone. Dialogue is collaborative, not combative, and it reflects the kind of engagement the Bible itself calls for. Such is the Bible’s gift: it makes room for tension among divergent perspectives. The Bible refuses to delete the voices that disagree; it is comfortable with leaving questions open for ongoing reflection. That is precisely the kind of Bible I believe God intended for us to have.

William P. Brown is the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. His teaching and writings explore the intersecting issues of creation theology, ecology, science, and justice from various biblical perspectives.

This reflection appeared in the May edition of The Upper Room Journal, a monthly newsletter to support you in creating daily life with God. Subscribe here.

Journal Prompts

What might we lose if we insist on harmony in all things? 

How does understanding the Bible as dialogue—rather than certainty—shape your faith? 

Which voices in scripture have you learned to hear differently over time? 

How do you hold space for disagreement in your faith community? 

Share your responses with others in the comments below!