What is the difference between a literal reading of scripture and a literalist reading of scripture?

Answer 1

For a Catholic, the literal reading of Scripture is one of the two senses of Scripture (along with the Spiritual Sense). The literal reading of Scripture takes into account who the human author was, in what era he lived in, and what form of writing he is using (is he using a parable or a story, or is he trying to present facts, or using an analogy or myth?) The literalist reading of Scripture has nothing whatsoever to do with the Church and is more associated with Fundamentalists. In other words, take the story of creation in the beginning of The Bible. God created the world in six days. Obviously, the author is not referring to "days" as we know them, because for the first "day" the earth, the sun, and the stars had not even been created yet. So we are obviously not talking about six twenty-four hour periods in which the sun circles the earth. The literalist would see "six days" and think "six twenty-four hour periods" without taking into account the fact that everything that establishes a "day" isn't even there yet. The literal reading of Scripture is trying to discern the truth that the Sacred author is trying to communicate. The literalist is taking The Bible as a scientific textbook, not a book about what God is trying to say.
Literal or Literalist? Yes, Catholics DO take the Bible Literally! http://ryandunssj.blogspot.com/2010/01/literal-or-literalist.html

Answer 2

Figurative language uses metaphors, similes, analogies, allegories and parables to make its point. It is the language of poetry. If I say, "My friend John is a brick", I mean that he is solid and reliable like a brick, not that he is made of concrete or fired clay. To imagine that he is made of concrete or fired clay is to take that statement literally.

Because of the great respect that people have for the Bible (and for other holy books like the Quran) they sometimes feel that they must take what it says literally. If the Psalmist says, "[The Lord] makes me lie down in green pastures." it means that God forced him to get out bed and walk into an adjoining field of green grass and lie down there. So when the Bible says "Jesus ascended into heaven", figuratively it might mean that he died, which is what we usually mean when we say someone went to heaven, although literally it suggests he developed rocket boots like Astroboy and shot up into the sky.

Answer 3

For a Catholic, the literal reading of Scripture is one of the two senses of Scripture (along with the Spiritual Sense). The literal reading of Scripture takes into account who the human author was, in what era he lived in, and what form of writing he is using (is he using a parable or a story, or is he trying to present facts, or using an analogy or myth?) The literalist reading of Scripture has nothing whatsoever to do with the Church and is more associated with Fundamentalists. In other words, take the story of creation in the beginning of the Bible. God created the world in six days. Obviously, the author is not referring to "days" as we know them, because for the first "day" the earth, the sun, and the stars had not even been created yet. So we are obviously not talking about six twenty-four hour periods in which the sun circles the earth. The literalist would see "six days" and think "six twenty-four hour periods" without taking into account the fact that everything that establishes a "day" isn't even there yet. The literal reading of Scripture is trying to discern the truth that the Sacred author is trying to communicate. The literalist is taking the Bible as a scientific textbook, not a book about what God is trying to say.
Literal or Literalist? Yes, Catholics DO take the Bible Literally! http://ryandunssj.blogspot.com/2010/01/literal-or-literalist.html