Bible
Imagination is at the heart of faith
It’s not that we lack information about religion. It’s that we don’t deeply inhabit the religious stories we do know.
A remarkable commentary on the Qur’an and the Bible
Gabriel Said Reynolds puts the two sacred texts into respectful, honest conversation.
by Ejaz Naqvi
Take & read: New books in Old Testament
Does biblical scholarship still matter for the life of faith?
selected by Jacqueline Lapsley
The Bible in conversation with the liturgy
Biblical images and stories don’t just give us information about Jesus, says Gordon Lathrop. They also give us something more.
Beyond plastic saints
Stories of Christians working in the world offer hope that heals.
by Mark Noll
The museum of whose Bible?
The Green family's take on the Good Book is not as neutral as they let on.
A Deuteronomist redactor meets a recorder of Islamic texts
Who I'd invite to my writers' dinner party
by Debbie Blue
If it wasn't for the women
If it wasn’t for courageous women that dared to see beyond the lies.
Lies: Essays by readers
In response to our request for essays on lies, we received many compelling reflections. Here is a selection.
Wrestling with Paul
Frances Taylor Gench doesn't ignore difficult texts about women; she wrestles with them. That's because she is committed to the Bible as scripture.
Reading and leaping
We laughed with hope as we witnessed a new generation hearing an ancient truth.
Unjust policies #BlackLivesMatter
“Those who enact unjust policies are as good as dead,
those who are always instituting unfair regulations,
to keep the poor from getting fair treatment. . ."
The Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur’an, by Anton Wessels
Anton Wessels emphasizes points of convergence among the Abrahamic religions, even assimilating their scriptural perspectives into a single story. It's an audacious wager, and not without dangers.
reviewed by Leo D. Lefebure
Defining ourselves positively
People assume a lot about what Christians are like. And often, we left-leaners are quick to explain not what we are but what we are not: not fixated on others’ damnation, not beholden to the Republican party, not antigay. It’s an understandable impulse. It also makes it that much easier for others to define us out of the faith altogether: they are the ones who believe or do x, y, and z important things; we are the ones who do not.
That word "Bible-minded"
I try not to post TOO many "you forgot about us mainline Protestants!" posts. The idea comes up almost daily when I'm going through the news and the blogs, but I know that kind of thing can get old so I try to set the bar pretty high.
If a person wanted to make this the focus of a blog, however, a person could do worse than to keep a close eye on the Barna Group.
R-rated: How to read the Bible with children
Much of the Bible is not fit for children—it's a book to ease little ones into, not drop them in cold. So what's the best way to go about this?
Discomfort food
The Gideon Bible treats the Bible as comfort food. But a diet of the Bible consists of conflict and confrontation.
by Rodney Clapp
The Bible plus: The four books of Mormonism
The LDS canon's four books carry equal weight of authority. All are read as historical witnesses to God's promise of salvation.