The Bible bears the marks of the messiness of the diverse human drama. Christian theology, if it wishes to be compelling and speak into people’s lives, needs to incorporate that fact, not shy away from it.
Nature of the Bible
The Bible, Wisdom, and Our Sacred Responsibility
[The following is adapted from the conclusion of How the Bible Actually Works.] Christians and Jews have always been “reimagining” God—adapting the sacred past of their tradition to discern God’s presence here and now. That process of adapting the past is also baked directly into the Christian Bible itself, Old and New Testaments. The biblical […]
The Bible’s True Purpose Is to Make You Feel Good About Yourself (JK)
From where I stand, the Bible’s true purpose is more than supplying spiritual information to be downloaded. It holds out for us an invitation to join an ancient, well-traveled, and sacred quest to know God, the world we live in, and our place in it. Not abstractly, but intimately and experientially. A quest—meaning this is […]
3 Ways to See the Bible “as an Adult” (But Let Me Explain Before You Jump down My Throat)
I know the title of this post might sound offensive, but don’t give in to that feeling. I’m probably not even talking to you. The title channels something I read by C. S. Lewis somewhere in the past (that I really don’t feel like looking up right now) and that I also heard from Jon. D. Levenson while […]
Does Your Faith “Cave In” to Culture? I Hope So.
Every once in a while people disagree with me. I know. Shocking. What kind of a sick, twisted world do we live in, anyway? I hear the following from time to time, and so might you: “Instead of following the Bible, you’re just caving into culture.” I often hear this, for example, when evolution is […]
If You Want Your Faith to Survive, It Had Better Adapt
The title of this post might not win me many friends, but that’s OK since I don’t actually have any actual friends. Plus, I’m right. Christians talk about how God is—unlike us—constant and doesn’t change. And I think this is a wonderful thought that I don’t have any serious quibbles about (though some theologians do, […]
“I Wonder What God Thinks of the Bible.” A Play in One Act.
Actors: One or more Jewish scribes living during the Babylonian Exile or sometime thereafter. God Jewish scribe(s): Oh Lord, we’ve had it pretty rough lately, what with the exile and all. We thought it would be a great idea if we had super clear instructions on what you want from us so we can avoid […]
10 Books that Made Me Rethink the Bible, and So Can You
This is not my 10 “best” books list, nor am I suggesting these are “must reads” for everyone (though they are all great books), but they may help you rethink the Bible. These are books that crossed my path 20-25 years ago, mainly while in graduate school, that influenced my thinking in new and heretofore largely unexplored directions, and so […]
The Path of Wisdom: The Bible Actually Invites Us on a Quest
If we take Scripture seriously, we will find our expectations challenged & come to see that the Bible invites us to join an ancient sacred quest to follow the path of Wisdom.
There are No Contradictions in the Bible (Yeah, You Heard Me)
1. If I say, “I hate oatmeal” and then turn to someone else and say “I love oatmeal,” I am contradicting myself. 2. If I said 20 years ago “I hate oatmeal” and now say “I love oatmeal,” I am not contradicting myself. Rather my view of oatmeal changed over time. 3. If I say […]
