No. I do not: think the Bible (your words) is not something that can or should be examined from an historical perspective?

I hope that clears that up. There are other texts I would include, as well, in that statement:

There are different biblical canons. For example, Roman Catholics have a larger canon than Protestants. This means that Roman Catholics have some inside books that Protestants consider outside.

(These links are for representative samples of “other texts” only; the opinions in the links do not necessarily represent the opinion of the linker.)

As for this: Theo: Universities are where those skills get applied for the first time. For a university student rigor means sharpness and clarity of thought, as well as the ability to conform to well-established patterns of discourse, in order to stretch those patterns and (ultimately, if one goes on in the university system) expand them into new horizons.

If I may paraphrase: Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers: "First and importantly, academic rigor is not about teaching children to correctly fill in bubbles on a test, but challenging them to think outside of the box. It's about giving students a robust, solid and high-quality education through rich curriculum that pushes them to realize their full potential. Students should be engaged in all elements of a well-rounded education: the arts and physical fitness, knowing about different people and places, thinking critically and arguing logically, and appreciating the value of active citizenship. For the adults - educators, parents, policymakers and the community at large - academic rigor means working collaboratively and taking shared responsibility to provide every child an opportunity to succeed in life."

I think I can agree with Randi now, on general principle.