Reading The Bible Again For The First Time

Download or read book Covenant Documents written by Wayne Brouwer and published by . This book was released on 2009-05-01 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did the Bible get its start? Where did its various writings come from, and why were they collected together as a single volume of religious "scripture"? What is the background to the individual writings, and what key themes run through them? In "Covenant Documents: Reading the Bible Again for the First Time," Wayne Brouwer helps us peek behind the familiar pages and find historical, literary and contextual information that bring new vibrancy to old words. Beginning with the premise that the internal testimony of the Bible's earliest chapters assumes a formative event between Israel and its God, Brouwer shows how the various writings fit patterns of ancient covenant documents. Launching from this fascinating history, he provides background information, literary structure and style, and cultural dynamics that enliven the reading and rereading of the most famous book in the world. Part introduction, part overview, part handbook, "Covenant Documents" serves as a great textbook for introductory courses in biblical literature and Christian doctrine. It also functions as a sourcebook for pastors and teachers, and even a guide for Bible study groups. Wayne Brouwer is a professor in the Religion Department and the Studies in Ministry Department of Hope College. He is also on the faculty of Western Theological Seminary, which is in Holland, Michigan as well. He has served as lead pastor in three congregations and has taught in various colleges and seminaries internationally. He holds degrees from Dordt College (A.B.), Calvin Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and McMaster University (M.A., Ph.D.). He has published over 700 articles and more than a dozen books, including "Political Religion" and "Being a Believer" in an Unbelieving World.

Download or read book Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time written by Marcus J. Borg and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining. "Believing in Jesus does not mean believing doctrines about him," Borg writes. "Rather, it means to give one's heart, one's self at its deepest level, to . . . the living Lord." Drawing on his own journey from a naive, unquestioning belief in Christ through collegiate skepticism to a mature and contemporary Christian faith, Borg illustrates how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more authentic Christian life—one not rooted in creeds or dogma, but in a life of spiritual challenge, compassion, and community. In straightforward, accessible prose, Borg looks at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing alive the many levels of Jesus' character: spirit person, teacher of alternative wisdom, social prophet, and movement founder. He also reexamines the major stories of the Old Testament vital to an authentic understanding of Jesus, showing how an enriched understanding of these stories can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith. For questioning believers, doubters, and reluctant unbelievers alike, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time frees our understanding of Jesus' life and message from popular misconceptions and outlines the way to a sound and contemporary faith: "For ultimately, Jesus is not simply a figure of the past, but a figure of the present. Meeting that Jesus—the living one who comes to us even now—will be like meeting Jesus again for the first time."

Download or read book The Heart of Christianity written by Marcus J. Borg and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: World-renowned Jesus scholar Marcus J. Borg shows how we can live passionately as Christians in today's world by practicing the vital elements of Christian faith. For the millions of people who have turned away from many traditional beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Bible, but still long for a relevant, nourishing faith, Borg shows why the Christian life can remain a transforming relationship with God. Emphasizing the critical role of daily practice in living the Christian life, he explores how prayer, worship, Sabbath, pilgrimage, and more can be experienced as authentically life-giving practices. Borg reclaims terms and ideas once thought to be the sole province of evangelicals and fundamentalists: he shows that terms such as "born again" have real meaning for all Christians; that the "Kingdom of God" is not a bulwark against secularism but is a means of transforming society into a world that values justice and love; and that the Christian life is essentially about opening one's heart to God and to others.

Download or read book Reading the Old Testament written by Lawrence Boadt and published by Paulist Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daily life in Ancient Israel - Great prophets including, Hosea, Amos, Isaiah - People and lands of the Old Testament.

Download or read book Holy Bible (NIV) written by Various Authors, and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2008-09-02 with total page 6637 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

Download or read book Evolution of the Word written by Marcus J. Borg and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2012-08-28 with total page 1037 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By presenting the New Testament books in the order they were written, bestselling Bible scholar Marcus Borg reveals how spiritually and politically radical the early Jesus movement began and how it slowly became domesticated. Evolution of the Word is an incredible value: not only are readers getting a deeply insightful new book from the author of Speaking Christian and Jesus, but also the full-text of the New Testament—and one of the only Bibles organized in chronological order and including explanatory annotations that give readers a more informed understanding of the Scripture that is so close to their hearts and lives.

Download or read book The Bible Jesus Read Participant's Guide written by Philip Yancey and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2002 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An eight session curriculum to study the book by the same title. Includes eight 12 minute video clips. Explores the Old Testament.