Bible literalist or non-literalist?
Monday, March 30, 2009
While I’m not a Bible literalist, I do believe in its power, and I value the Methodist tradition in which I was raised.
The article (at bottom of this writing) on Bart Ehrman’s new book “Jesus Interrupted,” published in the N&O yesterday, follows Dear Lord, Let’s Agree To Disagree published in Newsweek. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m in anyway attempting to discredit the Bible. Quite the opposite, I would have it more relevant, a more united understanding for all of us. Hardly a book can be found without some error, and that includes the Bible. But that doesn’t make it an invalided instrument for my religious guide to get a glimpse into the unknown, to seek God. Ehrman says, “Make sure you understand what is true --- and what is not in the Christian story.” That especially would be true for those who may claim authority in “omnipotent truth” over God’s omnipotence. For me the search for truth begins with humility, understanding I know so very little if anything at all.
I was catching up on some DVR recordings last evening: The Rotary scholar, Bill Moyers, hosted Karen Armstrong (You will find it worth your time, I believe, to set aside time to listen to part I and then part II.): Armstrong covers the many bases and angles of the world religious landscape. Whether you’re a religious fundamentalist or a liberalist, she has a pertinent message for each of us. She has written more than 20 books around the ideas of what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and around their effect on world events, including the magisterial A History of God and Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today‚Äôs World. Her latest book is The Bible: A Biography. Her meditations on personal faith and religion (she calls herself a freelance monotheist) spark discussion ‚Äî especially her take on fundamentalism, which she sees in a historical context, as an outgrowth of modern culture.
Currently, she is initiating the crafting of a “Charter for Compassion.” It’s an acknowledgement that all religions subscribe to the “Golden Rule,” (Do not do unto others what you would not like them do to you.) a common ground for all religions to unite for a more peaceful world. Certainly, we, as Christians, can’t go wrong in our religion with Jesus as our empathetic role model, the most compassionate, to grow in our relationships with our fellowman.
Regarding fundamentalism vs. liberalism ministry, here is a sermon written in 1922 you may find interesting: “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”: Defending Liberal Protestantism in the 1920s
--------------------------------
Debunking dogma makes prof a star
He mastered Greek early and from there pursued a doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary, where his fiercely held faith crumbled under scrutiny. After exploring early Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, he concluded: "[M]y former views of the Bible as the inerrant revelation of God were flat-out wrong."
Monday, March 30, 2009
While I’m not a Bible literalist, I do believe in its power, and I value the Methodist tradition in which I was raised.
The article (at bottom of this writing) on Bart Ehrman’s new book “Jesus Interrupted,” published in the N&O yesterday, follows Dear Lord, Let’s Agree To Disagree published in Newsweek. I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m in anyway attempting to discredit the Bible. Quite the opposite, I would have it more relevant, a more united understanding for all of us. Hardly a book can be found without some error, and that includes the Bible. But that doesn’t make it an invalided instrument for my religious guide to get a glimpse into the unknown, to seek God. Ehrman says, “Make sure you understand what is true --- and what is not in the Christian story.” That especially would be true for those who may claim authority in “omnipotent truth” over God’s omnipotence. For me the search for truth begins with humility, understanding I know so very little if anything at all.
I was catching up on some DVR recordings last evening: The Rotary scholar, Bill Moyers, hosted Karen Armstrong (You will find it worth your time, I believe, to set aside time to listen to part I and then part II.): Armstrong covers the many bases and angles of the world religious landscape. Whether you’re a religious fundamentalist or a liberalist, she has a pertinent message for each of us. She has written more than 20 books around the ideas of what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and around their effect on world events, including the magisterial A History of God and Holy War: The Crusades and Their Impact on Today‚Äôs World. Her latest book is The Bible: A Biography. Her meditations on personal faith and religion (she calls herself a freelance monotheist) spark discussion ‚Äî especially her take on fundamentalism, which she sees in a historical context, as an outgrowth of modern culture.
Currently, she is initiating the crafting of a “Charter for Compassion.” It’s an acknowledgement that all religions subscribe to the “Golden Rule,” (Do not do unto others what you would not like them do to you.) a common ground for all religions to unite for a more peaceful world. Certainly, we, as Christians, can’t go wrong in our religion with Jesus as our empathetic role model, the most compassionate, to grow in our relationships with our fellowman.
Regarding fundamentalism vs. liberalism ministry, here is a sermon written in 1922 you may find interesting: “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?”: Defending Liberal Protestantism in the 1920s
--------------------------------
Debunking dogma makes prof a star
He mastered Greek early and from there pursued a doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary, where his fiercely held faith crumbled under scrutiny. After exploring early Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, he concluded: "[M]y former views of the Bible as the inerrant revelation of God were flat-out wrong."
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