Thanks very much Dave M, there is much to comment on here but I essentially agree with everything you are saying. I will read the article you suggested. I note that Augustine and the early church leaders did not treat scripture in the way the conservative branches of Christianity have in the past hundred or more years. This move toward what I consider extreme literalism was likely part of the fundamentalist movement following Darwin and the Scopes trial. Karen Armstrong has written on this insightfully I believe. I haven’t gotten the Hart translation yet but want to do that, I’ve read some very good reviews on it.

Thanks, and blessings in the new year!