Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible’s Texts of Hate to Reveal the God of Love   By      John Shelby Spong (2005)     Reviewed by      Geoffrey W. Sutton The Sins of Scripture continues to be relevant to topics that divide American Christians into two major war camps over such subjects as biblical authority, the equality of women, same-sex relationships, and doctrinal distinctions that mark boundaries of exclusivity. Spong divides his 32 short chapters into eight sections within 298 pages of a highly readable work. Section 1 is crucial to his discussion of other topics because he challenges the view of some Christians that the Bible is the Word of God although they retain the right to interpret God’s Word in their own way. Like other writers (e.g., Borg, 2001 ; Enns, 2014 ), Spong argues against biblical literalism when reading the sacred text of Christianity. He offers problematic examples like ancient perspecti...

  The Passion of the Christ       Director   Mel Gibson Writers   Benedict Fitzgerald   & Mel Gibson Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton WARNING-- The Film is violent and not suitable for all audiences. The Passion of Christ is a graphic film that follows a composite story line of Jesus’ final hours that includes some extrabiblical traditions and artistic license. The opening of the film is set in Gethsemane where Jesus is praying, and his disciples are asleep. Throughout the film, the characters speak Latin or Aramaic. The film background explains that the Aramaic is a Syrian version. Judas has taken 30 pieces of silver from the Temple leaders in Jerusalem. Judas identifies Jesus with the infamous betrayal kiss. Jesus is arrested. Peter attempts a defence by cutting off a guard’s ear, but Jesus insists on putting down the sword and heals the man’s ear. John runs off to tell Jesus’ mother Mary and Mary Magdalene about the arre...

GOD’S BESTSELLER William Tyndale, Thomas More, and the Writing of the English Bible— A Story of Martyrdom and Betrayal By Brian Moynahan Reviewed By Geoffrey W. Sutton God’s Bestseller is a plot-driven biography of William Tyndale (1494-1536) and his ruthless antagonist, Thomas More. Character development is lacking due to the limited reliable information about Tyndale’s interactions with others. This is no fault of Moynahan because once Tyndale became known as an evangelical, aka heretic, he fled England to hide in Germany and the Netherlands to achieve his calling—the translation of the Bible into the vulgar tongue of English. Even for readers who don’t know much about history, the book’s subtitle reveals the outcome—Tyndale was a martyr. What Moynahan treats us to is the life and death struggle between Tyndale and More, staged against political and religious battles for control of the Bible, money, and the lives of men and women. Early o...