SV: SV: Age of the Veda ...

[Lars Martin Fosse]

Koenraad Elst [SMTP:koenraad.elst at PANDORA.BE] skrev 30. november 1999 16:34:
> Dr. Fosse et al.,
>
> Several Indian authors claim the following reference for Max Müller's belief
> in Biblical chronology:
>
> "I look upon the account of creation given in Genesis as simply
> historical." -- letter to the Duke of Argyll, 1875, included in Max Müller:
> Life and Letters, vol.1, 1902, p.481-482.
>
> Probably some of you have this volume handy so that they can verify it.  If
> it proves incorrect, Max Müller was quite a progressive, for this belief was
> then still quite common among Christian clergymen.

Thanks for the quote!

The quotation as it stands is a bit unclear: Should the account as such be 
understood as a historical creation rather than divine, or is the creation 
depicted in it to be regarded as historical?

However: It would seem that the Biblical account of creation as a scientific 
explanation "broke down" about 1850 due to Darwinian theory etc. It is 
understandable, on the other hand, that clergymen were conservative, and that 
they protested strongly against it to begin with. The clergy tends to lag 
behind when new ideas are introduced, particularly if those ideas seem to 
threaten their own belief system. It would have been interesting to know more 
about how Mueller's own beliefs developed. Any Muellervadins out there?

Lars Martin Fosse


Dr. art. Lars Martin Fosse
Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,
0674 Oslo
Norway
Phone/Fax: +47 22 32 12 19
Email: lmfosse at online.no