Can we create a community that makes sense of the traditions we grew up with, discovers the wisdom of the many other spiritual traditions, and finds a framework for navigating our current world?
Lots of good points here. I too have found the deconstruction accounts a bit dreary, though I don't generally spend a lot of time there--so many things to read otherwise! If you ever do a post on the Apocalypse, let me know--I've been a part of an ongoing exegetical discussion (sadly not in English) on the New Testament eschatology, and we've just wrapped up John's Revelation. Not sure what you mean by "inspired" or "prophetic" (we'd have to unpack these terms), my take is more literary: apocalypses were a popular genre back in the day, and obviously they had to engage Christian motifs somehow. From the other apocalypses I've read, John's work is really the least problematic, meaning, it leaves a lot of things out in the open.
Hey, Carolyn. Thanks for your comments! I've studied John's Revelation quite a bit as it's fascinated me since I was a kid. The more I learned (from scholarship perspectives) about the history of it though the more I realized most of what I'd learned in church about it was inaccurate. I enjoyed Elaine Pagel's book on the subject and Bart Ehrman has a book coming out in March on the topic, so I'll likely do a post or two in conjunction with Bart's book. I have a couple other scholarly books on the Apocalyptic category as a whole. Again, some great context I never heard in church. Seems like many Western Christians today are unknowingly Apocalyptic, which is a little bit funny and quite a bit scary.
Excellent post! Glad to have found you via the Cottage. I would consider MLK as a positive influence for Christianity in modern times.
Yes, absolutely! Glad you're here, Vicki:)
Lots of good points here. I too have found the deconstruction accounts a bit dreary, though I don't generally spend a lot of time there--so many things to read otherwise! If you ever do a post on the Apocalypse, let me know--I've been a part of an ongoing exegetical discussion (sadly not in English) on the New Testament eschatology, and we've just wrapped up John's Revelation. Not sure what you mean by "inspired" or "prophetic" (we'd have to unpack these terms), my take is more literary: apocalypses were a popular genre back in the day, and obviously they had to engage Christian motifs somehow. From the other apocalypses I've read, John's work is really the least problematic, meaning, it leaves a lot of things out in the open.
Hey, Carolyn. Thanks for your comments! I've studied John's Revelation quite a bit as it's fascinated me since I was a kid. The more I learned (from scholarship perspectives) about the history of it though the more I realized most of what I'd learned in church about it was inaccurate. I enjoyed Elaine Pagel's book on the subject and Bart Ehrman has a book coming out in March on the topic, so I'll likely do a post or two in conjunction with Bart's book. I have a couple other scholarly books on the Apocalyptic category as a whole. Again, some great context I never heard in church. Seems like many Western Christians today are unknowingly Apocalyptic, which is a little bit funny and quite a bit scary.