Write a response to the following imagined objection to Old Testament study:
The fact that the Divine Liturgy does not include an Old Testament reading is significant. We are people of the 'new covenant' who follow the New Testament, the teachings of the Fathers, and the traditional wisdom of the Church. Though we have inherited some things from ancient Israel, they are part of our spiritual lives only to the extent that they have been fulfilled and transformed in the Church. To insist on reading and studying the Old Testament itself, then, is wrongheaded. The writings of the Old Testament are harsh and violent. They portray God in an unworthy way. They contain historical inaccuracies and, all too often, seem embarrassingly primitive and mythological. It's fine to value the Old Testament in a certain way but probably not wise to expect too much from direct study of Old Testament writings themselves.
The essay should be between 1000 and 1600 words (roughly three to five double-spaced pages). The lower limit (1000 words) is designed to encourage thoroughness in those who tend toward ellipsis and incompleteness. The upper limit (1600 words) is designed to encourage conciseness in those who tend toward wordiness, disorganization, or repetitiousness. PLEASE INCLUDE A WORD COUNT AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR ESSAY.
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