Miskotte reading day at the PThU: Biblical ABC as literature of resistance
At the initiative of the De Nieuwe Bijbelschool Foundation, a Miskotte Reading Day was held at the PThU on 10 July. The event was intended for anyone wishing to become acquainted with the work of K.H. Miskotte (1894–1976) or to deepen their knowledge of it. Together with eleven theologians (in training), (pre-)Master’s students, ministers, and PThU lecturers, we studied Biblical ABC under the guidance of Dr Marco Visser, who also gave an introduction to Miskotte’s life and work.
Literature of resistance
According to Visser, Miskotte was a theologian of resistance. Biblical ABC was published in 1941 and originated in a course for leaders of Bible study groups in Amsterdam, where Miskotte served as a minister. In an occupied country, Miskotte takes his audience and readers back to the fundamental words of the Bible in order to remain standing in a world that had descended into chaos. At first glance, this is not immediately apparent: superficially, one might think it is simply another book about the Bible, one among many. But anyone who reads between the lines will certainly sense that the book is a work of resistance.
On some pages, one wonders whether the censor had fallen asleep, for example where Miskotte speaks of God as a saboteur: God is not the sustaining ground or guarantor of the existing order, but breaks into it through his Word:
"...for it is not human beings who still believe, but God Himself who from the very beginning is the Saboteur, the Subverter, the Disperser, the One who makes ridiculous that nature which puffs itself up into a god; He Himself is the great Rebel (Isa. 8:13), because He wills to be the Saviour and Redeemer of the poor and afflicted creature."
Valuable and liberating
Reading together, reflecting on the text, and allowing it to evoke associations with our own time proved to be immensely valuable. We live in freedom, yet amid countless influences and in a world dominated by technology giants and autocratic leaders. It can still be illuminating to return to the biblical fundamental words discussed by Miskotte: Name, Way, Word, and others.
Some participants experienced this as liberating. Even today, we can become bogged down in discussions and opinions that are not necessarily life-giving—not least within the church itself. The biblical fundamental words identified by Miskotte open up a space that enables such discussions to be transcended, as one participant in the group put it.
At the same time, critical voices were also heard, for Miskotte naturally represents his own perspective and is himself one of the voices within the debate he seeks to transcend. For example, if Miskotte places such complete emphasis on the biblical Word, what place remains for our own experience? And how does Miskotte view nature, given that in our own time we urgently need a renewed relationship with the natural world? Another question concerned Miskotte's selection of "fundamental words," which he presents as the pillars of all biblical reading. On what is this selection based? Might there also be other words capable of fulfilling the same function?
A Jewish way of reading
The discussion provided ample room for questions and differing perspectives. Prof Dr Lieve Teugels, Professor of Judaica, regularly pointed out that Miskotte's way of thinking and working closely resembles the traditional Jewish approach found in rabbinic midrash. The Bible is understood as a unified whole from beginning to end; the fundamental words apply to the whole of Scripture, and every part can illuminate every other part.
Likewise, the idea that the God of the Bible must be sought in the particular—that God is known through specific acts rather than as a general or abstract deity—is profoundly Jewish. In Judaism, the first commandment includes the words, "who brought you out of the land of Egypt," indicating a particular relationship with a particular people. It is precisely from this particularity that the universal comes into view.
Upcoming Miskotte evenings
In short, it was enriching to immerse ourselves together in such a classic text. There appears to be growing interest in Miskotte's work within theological circles in the Netherlands. Participants came from several theological faculties, including the Theological University Apeldoorn (TUA).
The event certainly deserves to be repeated, and plans are already underway. After the summer, the Miskotte Reading Group will continue with a series of evenings devoted to Hoofdsom der Historie (The Sum of History)—Miskotte's lectures on the Book of Revelation, also dating from the war years—on 30 September and 2 December. You are warmly welcome. For information and registration, please contact Jordi van Kleeff: djvankleeff@student.pthu.nl.
