The Spiritual Point-Of-View, Or, the Glass Reversed: an Answer to Bishop Colenso

The Spiritual Point-Of-View, Or, The Glass Reversed: An Answer To Bishop Colenso by Milo Mahan offers a defense of biblical inspiration and a spiritual approach to Scripture in response to Bishop Colenso’s skeptical critique of the Pentateuch. This 1863 tract argues that scientific discoveries should be interpreted from a divine perspective rather than forcing a literal, modern-time chronicle onto ancient texts. Mahan presents the metaphor of the “Glass Reversed,” claiming that revelation presents creation and history from the Divine standpoint, not the human, and that scriptures are a plural, self-correcting corpus, though still trustworthy as spiritual truth. The work addresses creation days, inspiration, and the interpretation of difficult passages, insisting that difficulties arise from reading idioms in a literal way rather than from the text’s spiritual meaning. It critiques private interpretation and defends the notion that the Bible's meaning is safeguarded by church tradition and a community of interpreters. It also includes sections on Moses and Joshua addressing Israel and other appendices defending the Pentateuch’s historicity. The tract ultimately urges Christians to adopt a generous, historic, and spiritual hermeneutic, embracing science when read through the Bible’s divine lens.