| − | '''Allegorical interpretation''' is assigning a higher interpretation instead of a [[Biblical literalism|literal interpretation]] to the [[Scripture]] record of things, in particular to [[Old Testament]] stories<ref>{{Nuttall|Allegorical interpretation}}</ref> such as the [[creation]] account in [[Genesis]]. | + | '''Allegorical interpretation''' is assigning a higher interpretation instead of a [[Biblical literalism|literal interpretation]] to the [[Scripture]] record of things, in particular to [[Old Testament]] stories<ref>{{Nuttall|Allegorical interpretation}}</ref> such as the [[creation]] account in [[Genesis]]. However, allegorical interpretation leads to problems that a straightforward literal reading of the Bible avoids. For example, given the [[genealogy|genealogies]] that go back to [[Adam]], at some point an allegorical character would have somehow had to "beget" a flesh-and-blood human being. |