Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  The Meaning  of Jesus:      Two Visions By Marcus J. Borg & N. T. Wright Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton In The Meaning of Jesus , two religious scholars take turns presenting different perspectives on the same salient events or topics about Jesus and his ministry. I’ll offer a brief summary of the eight parts followed by some comments. 1. How do we know about Jesus? Borg , a Jesus scholar, explains the source material that is available about the historical Jesus then takes readers through an easy-to-read introduction to methodology—how he uses the sources. Wright offers the traditional or conservative, albeit scholarly, perspective on understanding Jesus through the lenses of faith and history. 2. What did Jesus do and teach? Wright provides the sociohistorical context for Jesus mission. He stresses the importance of the fact that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew. He notes a few points about Jewish monotheism and Jewish eschatology—"history is going somewhere.

The Last Week    A Day-by-Day Account of Jesus’s Final Week in Jerusalem   By    Marcus Borg &    John Dominic Crossan Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton The Last Week     is, as the subtitle says, is a daily study of the events taking place during Jesus’ last week on earth. The authors structure their work by focusing on Mark’s gospel written about four decades after Jesus’ crucifixion. In the preface we learn the value of the week’s sequence spelled out by Mark, which allows the authors to trace the events leading up to the cross and the Easter celebration. Not surprisingly then, readers find eight chapters taking us from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.  The clarity of writing and scholarly presentation of information missing from so many sermons make this an ideal read for Lent so I highly recommend it for Christians who are unclear on the significance of the week in the first century context of the Roman Empire as well as for a meaningful message that conveys the pas

  Kissing Fish Christianity for people who    don’t like Christianity By   Roger Wolsey Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton   “This book is an attempt to understand and explain how I, a postmodern,[3] politically liberal Gen-Xer, have come to be an intentional follower of Jesus—who actually calls himself a “Christian.” My larger purpose is to share about progressive Christianity—the approach to the Christian faith that inspires and feeds me. I probably couldn’t be a Christian if it were not for this approach to the faith.” Wolsey, p. 17 ********** Roger Wolsey was raised as a Methodist. Following a call to vocational ministry, he attended seminary and became a pastor. He perceived that his liberal beliefs would not be acceptable to most in his first congregation. Like many educated clergy, he learned religious double-speak—he did not feel safe to share his views about God and faith. His spiritual journey is the subject of Chapter 1 and provides the context for this boo

  Genesis for Normal People A Guide to the Most Controversial,      Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible By     Peter Enns &    Jared Byas   Reviewed by     Geoffrey W. Sutton I agree with the authors that Genesis for Normal People is for those who want to a better understanding of Genesis without mastering Hebrew and attending seminary. I’ve thought about what I wish they had included but I’m neither a religious scholar nor a popular author so, I’ll offer a summary of the book and note some points worth considering. Depending on how much you have read about this old document called Genesis, you might learn a few things like I did or at least think about Genesis in a different way. My plan is to present a summary of this easy-to-read introduction to Genesis by focusing on the authors’ key points. 1. Genesis is an ancient Israelite story. To understand that story requires an appreciation of the Israelites who likely received it after returning from exile i

  THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO: WHY DEFENDING SCRIPTURE HAS MADE US UNABLE TO READ IT      By    Peter Enns Reviewed by     Geoffrey W. Sutton Bloody violence, talking animals, mysterious beings, rules for slave holders, and managing your bodily fluids challenge anyone who makes a New Year’s resolution to read the Bible. I could have used a book like The Bible Tells Me So when I was a teenager attempting to make sense of this holy book I was dutifully bound to read. And in those days, the Bible sounded even more removed from my reality in the language of Shakespeare. Even with modern translations, some old stories still sound quite strange and leave an intelligent inquirer wondering about what kind of God kicks people out of their home for eating a bit of fruit, changes his mind about creating people because they’ve turned out so bad, or orders his people to kill an entire tribe of other people so his tribe can have their land? Peter Enns offers some answers in seven easy-t

  The Way Understanding Progressive Christianity Book Reviews One way to understand a movement is to read what the leaders have written. The progressive Christian movement, like any Christian movement, can be difficult to describe in detail because there is no one authoritative body or voice. Instead, there are many voices. I hesitate to offer too many descriptive statements because there are surely some who will disagree. Nevertheless, I will list a few trends then list some of the books by writers with progressive perspectives. See the book reviews by clicking the highlighted titles below. Progressive Christians emphasize: A focus on the life and teachings of Jesus when interpreting scripture and thinking morally about current social issues. An appreciation of what it means to truly love God and one’s neighbour as oneself when it comes to compassionate behaviour and promoting justice for all. A commitment to following Jesus' example of meeting the immediate needs of peo