Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason

Keeping Faith in an Age of Reason
Author: Jason Lisle
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
Total Pages: 42
Release: 2017-10-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1683440927

“You can’t trust the Bible — it’s full of hundreds of contradictions.” Really? Just because the critic mindlessly declares it so? Don’t be so fast to believe everything you hear! In this book Dr. Jason Lisle examines 420 claims of Bible contradictions and sets the record straight. Contradiction #139 Was Abraham justified by faith or by works? Romans 4:2 - says by faith VS. James 2:21 - says by works Bifurcation fallacy. Abraham was justified both by faith and by works (James 2:24, 26). To “justify” means either to be in right moral standing or to show that one is (morally) in right standing. Abraham was justified by faith before God since God knows all things — including Abraham’s faith (James 2:23). God sees our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), so we are justified before God by our faith alone, which God can see. But men cannot see another man’s faith. They only see the outward works that follow from inward faith. Therefore, Abraham was justified before men by the works that followed from his faith, since men cannot see faith but can see works. James explicitly teaches this (James 2:18–26).

Jesus, Interrupted

Jesus, Interrupted
Author: Bart D. Ehrman
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2009-03-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0061863289

The problems with the Bible that New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman discussed in his bestseller Misquoting Jesus—and on The Daily Show with John Stewart, NPR, and Dateline NBC, among others—are expanded upon exponentially in his latest book: Jesus, Interrupted. This New York Times bestseller reveals how books in the Bible were actually forged by later authors, and that the New Testament itself is riddled with contradictory claims about Jesus—information that scholars know… but the general public does not. If you enjoy the work of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and John Shelby Spong, you’ll find much to ponder in Jesus, Interrupted.

Inspired Imperfection

Inspired Imperfection
Author: Gregory A. Boyd
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2020-01-07
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1506455638

In Inspired Imperfection, Gregory A. Boyd adds another counterintuitive and provocative thesis to his corpus. While conservative scholars and pastors have struggled for years to show that the Bible is without errors, Boyd considers this a fool's errand. Instead, he says, we should embrace the mistakes and contradictions in Scripture, for they show that God chose to use fallible humans to communicate timeless truths. Just as God ultimately came to save humanity in the form of a human, God chose to impart truth through the imperfect medium of human writing. Instead of the Bible's imperfections being a reason to attack its veracity, these "problems" actually support the trustworthiness of Christian Scripture. Inspired Imperfection is required reading for anyone who's questioned the Bible because of its contradictions.

Unprotected Texts

Unprotected Texts
Author: Jennifer Wright Knust
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 813
Release: 2011-01-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0062010824

“An explosive, fascinating book that reveals how the Bible cannot be used as a rulebook when it comes to sex. A terrific read by a top scholar.” —Bart Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus Boston University’s cutting-edge religion scholar Jennifer Wright Knust reveals the Bible’s contradictory messages about sex in this thoughtful, riveting, and timely reexploration of the letter of the gospels. In the tradition of Bart Erhman’s Jesus Interrupted and John Shelby Spong’s Sins of Scripture, Knust’s Unprotected Texts liberates us from the pervasive moralizing—the fickle dos and don’ts—so often dictated by religious demagogues. Knust’s powerful reading offers a return to the scripture, away from the mere slogans to which it is so often reduced.

In Defense of the Bible

In Defense of the Bible
Author: Steven B. Cowan
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 508
Release: 2018-11-26
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1535965436

In Defense of the Bible gathers exceptional articles by accomplished scholars (Paul Copan, William A. Dembski, Mary Jo Sharp, Darrell L. Bock, etc.), addressing and responding to all of the major contemporary challenges to the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture. The book begins by looking at philosophical and methodological challenges to the Bible—questions about whether or not it is logically possible for God to communicate verbally with human beings; what it means to say the Bible is true in response to postmodern concerns about the nature of truth; defending the clarity of Scripture against historical skepticism and relativism. Contributors also explore textual and historical challenges—charges made by Muslims, Mormons, and skeptics that the Bible has been corrupted beyond repair; questions about the authorship of certain biblical books; allegations that the Bible borrows from pagan myths; the historical reliability of the Old and New Testaments. Final chapters take on ethical, scientific, and theological challenges— demonstrating the Bible’s moral integrity regarding the topics of slavery and sexism; harmonizing exegetical and theological conclusions with the findings of science; addressing accusations that the Christian canon is the result of political and theological manipulation; ultimately defending the Bible as not simply historically reliable and consistent, but in fact the Word of God.

The Book of Non-Contradiction

The Book of Non-Contradiction
Author: Phillip Campbell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2017-02-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9781542947145

"The Book of Non-Contradiction: Harmonizing the Scriptures", by Phillip Campbell reintroduces the classical method of harmonizing difficult scriptural passages, showing how the skeptics' claim of a "Bible full of contradictions" is completely unfounded. Proceeding from the axiom that truth cannot contradict truth, "The Book of Non-Contradiction" follows in the footsteps of great Catholic exegetes like St. Augustine and Tatian who demonstrated the harmony of the Scriptural narrative.

American Fascists

American Fascists
Author: Chris Hedges
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 309
Release: 2008-01-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 0743284461

From the celebrated author of "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" comes a startling expos of the political ambitions of the Christian Right--a clarion call for everyone who cares about freedom.