Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their             Meaning and Power― And How They Can Be Restored   by Marcus J. Borg Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton   In Speaking Christian , Marcus Borg offers a new way to experience Christianity free from the strange and often misunderstood phrases that hide the meaning of stories from thousands of years ago. It is the kind of book that can help contemporary Christians appreciate ancient wisdom in a new light. And SpeakingChristian can also help non-Christians understand the differences between Christian spirituality and more recent interpretations of old texts that ignore the metaphors of ancient texts. Borg expresses concern about the misunderstandings conveyed by Christians who do not understand the historical texts. There are two languages spoken by Christians. One linguistic framework focuses on transforming people for the next world and the other focuses on transforming the world in which we live. Borg d

PAGAN CHRISTIANITY: EXPLORING THE ROOTS OF OUR CHURCH PRACTICES  

Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy  A Journey into a New Christianity  Through  the Doorway of Matthew's Gospel By John Shelby Spong Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton John Shelby Spong retired as Episcopal Bishop of Newark NJ in 2000. He is a strong voice for Progressive Christians. In Biblical Literalism , Spong offers an easy to read commentary on Matthew's Gospel that reveals the Jewish roots of the stories, which are presented in the context of the Jewish calendar. Spong opines that Christians who read the bible in a literal or near literal fashion and ignore Jewish culture cannot understand the gospel, which was written by a Jewish man for a Jewish audience decades after Jesus' ministry. Spong reminds (or informs) readers that the story of Jesus in the New Testament begin with the early letters of Paul. Years later, we get Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. Paul's story of Jesus is limited and what he leaves out is significant. Mark'

The Rise and Fall of the Bible:  the Unexpected History     of an Accidental Book By       Timothy Beal   Reviewed By  Geoffrey W. Sutton According to Guinness World Records , The Bible is the best selling book- billions have been sold. But that doesn't mean people read the Bible or understand the various texts.  Timothy Beal attempts to educate his readers about the Bible--what it is and how the collection of documents came into existence as one book. Timothy Beal, is a Professor of Religion at Case Western Reserve University, offers an informative review of the Bible as a cultural icon. The Bible has image recognition and star quality. It remains a best seller, but Bible reading is minimal even among those described as Bible-believing . As an icon, it is part of American civil life and multiple versions reside on American tables and bookshelves. In eight chapters, Beal reviews highlights of recent research and scholarship, which are pertinent to the origins of t