Category Archives: Bible

BEAUTY, ORDER, AND MYSTERY: A CHRISTIAN VISION OF HUMAN SEXUALITY

If you are looking for a thoughtful and accessible introduction to the various issues swirling around human sexuality, I highly recommend this book.

Each chapter is done by a scholar who is intimately involved in their local church.  In other words, they are not merely addressing theoretical matters, but things they have seen up close.

As with all controversial subjects, the authors don’t agree with one another on every point, but there is much they do find common ground on.

One area that I appreciated very much is the emphasis not only on showing the truthfulness of God’s will for sexuality, but the beauty of it.  Aesthetics is an important area of doing good theology!

A terrific resource for our cultural moment!

CUTTING UP THE BIBLE

“On display now at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., is a special exhibit centered on a rare Bible from the 1800s that was used by British missionaries to convert and educate slaves.

What’s notable about this Bible is not just its rarity, but its content, or rather the lack of content. It excludes any portion of text that might inspire rebellion or liberation.”

https://www.npr.org/2018/12/09/674995075/slave-bible-from-the-1800s-omitted-key-passages-that-could-incite-rebellion

HT: JOHN FEA

WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN THE GOSPELS?

Like other Christians, I’ve been puzzled by some of the differences in the gospels.  True, they don’t affect doctrine, but they leave one asking why the discrepancies exist.

Big books on the most common problems have been written.  Several times I have found myself frustrated by these tortuous explanations.

Enter Michael Lincona and his new book. 

Lincona offers another explanation for the varying accounts and it is found in appreciating how ancient biographers, especially Plutarch, worked.

Geared for the more serious student or the person who has unsettled doubts about the veracity of the gospel records.

RETIREMENT? HUH?!

Brueggemann2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walter Brueggemann is one of the greatest living biblical scholars.  I don’t always agree with him, but he always makes me think.  

Check this out at www.walterbrueggemann.com: He wrote 53 books by the typical retirement age of 65 and another 78 books from age 65 to now at 86 on this his birthday!