It Ain't Necessarily So - When Scripture and Tradition Collide

It Ain't Necessarily So - When Scripture and Tradition Collide
Author: Dale Austin
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2017-05-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1635755891

A line from the song "It Ain't Necessarily So," from the Gershwin brothers' play "Porgy and Bess," tells us that "the things that you're liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so." While we would like to take issue with that comment, this book, of the same title as the song, explores the validity of such a seemingly heretical statement. But it isn't what we read, so much as how we interpret those words that "ain't necessarily so." While the words are accurate, sometimes our understanding can be a bit off-track. In this work, Pastor Austin challenges the reader to explore the relationship between Scripture and Tradition in our lives and in our faith formation. Much of what we claim to believe about the Scriptures is actually based more on our Traditions than we wish to acknowledge. We have been taught by previous generations what the Scriptures are saying to us. This becomes a significant part of our individual Tradition-the sum total of what we believe the Scriptures to say and how they compel us to act. Because we trust those ancestors not to lead us astray, we don't question this Tradition. Perhaps we should. One of the primary assertions of this work is that "Tradition trumps Truth." We don't intend for it to be so, but often what we think we are reading in the Scriptures is tainted by years of Tradition and the teaching of the Church. We don't question what we've been taught; it is the Truth. Sometimes, however, that "truth" is slightly skewed by our life experiences and teachings. When this happens, Scripture often yields to our own Tradition, without our awareness that this is happening. This book explores the possibility that when "Tradition trumps Truth," there might be more than one way of understanding the Scriptures, particularly when we recognize how our truth has been compromised by years of tradition and practice. This is not to say that we have been wrong for all of these years. But these chapters are written in the hopes of spurring further discussion into the many layers in which the Scriptures are given to us, and perhaps lead us to gaining new insights and appreciation for the depths of our faith, not to replace our previous convictions, unless necessary, but to augment them.

It Ain't Necessarily So

It Ain't Necessarily So
Author: Dale Austin
Publisher:
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2017-07-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781640797482

A line from the song "It Ain't Necessarily So," from the Gershwin brothers' play "Porgy and Bess," tells us that "the things that you're liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so." While we would like to take issue with that comment, this book, of the same title as the song, explores the validity of such a seemingly heretical statement. But it isn't what we read, so much as how we interpret those words that "ain't necessarily so." While the words are accurate, sometimes our understanding can be a bit off-track. In this work, Pastor Austin challenges the reader to explore the relationship between Scripture and Tradition in our lives and in our faith formation. Much of what we claim to believe about the Scriptures is actually based more on our Traditions than we wish to acknowledge. We have been taught by previous generations what the Scriptures are saying to us. This becomes a significant part of our individual Tradition--the sum total of what we believe the Scriptures to say and how they compel us to act. Because we trust those ancestors not to lead us astray, we don't question this Tradition. Perhaps we should. One of the primary assertions of this work is that "Tradition trumps Truth." We don't intend for it to be so, but often what we think we are reading in the Scriptures is tainted by years of Tradition and the teaching of the Church. We don't question what we've been taught; it is the Truth. Sometimes, however, that "truth" is slightly skewed by our life experiences and teachings. When this happens, Scripture often yields to our own Tradition, without our awareness that this is happening. This book explores the possibility that when "Tradition trumps Truth," there might be more than one way of understanding the Scriptures, particularly when we recognize how our truth has been compromised by years of tradition and practice. This is not to say that we have been wrong for all of these years. But these chapters are written in the hopes of spurring further discussion into the many layers in which the Scriptures are given to us, and perhaps lead us to gaining new insights and appreciation for the depths of our faith, not to replace our previous convictions, unless necessary, but to augment them.

Mary Magdalene Never Wore Blue Eye Shadow

Mary Magdalene Never Wore Blue Eye Shadow
Author: Amanda Hope Haley
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2019-10-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0736975128

Truth, Legend, and the Stories You Thought You Knew Tradition suggests Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and Jesus was born in a barn. But what does the Bible really say? Armed with her theology degree, archaeological experience, and sharp wit, Amanda Hope Haley clears up misconceptions of Bible stories and encourages you to dig into Scripture as it is written rather than accept versions altered by centuries of human interpretations. Providing context with native languages, historical facts, literary genres, and relevant anecdotes, Haley demonstrates how Scripture—when read in its original context—is more than a collection of fairy tales or a massive rule book. It’s God’s revelation of Himself to us. She teaches you to… understand how the books of the Bible were written, transmitted, and translated recognize the differences between genuine Scripture and popular doctrines boldly seek God in His own words, ask questions of tradition, and find answers in the texts grow in your understanding of God and appreciation of the Bible’s intimate and complex revelation of His nature It’s time to abandon the gods of tradition, and meet God in His Word.

Hipster Christianity

Hipster Christianity
Author: Brett McCracken
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2010-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441211934

Insider twentysomething Christian journalist Brett McCracken has grown up in the evangelical Christian subculture and observed the recent shift away from the "stained glass and steeples" old guard of traditional Christianity to a more unorthodox, stylized 21st-century church. This change raises a big issue for the church in our postmodern world: the question of cool. The question is whether or not Christianity can be, should be, or is, in fact, cool. This probing book is about an emerging category of Christians McCracken calls "Christian hipsters"--the unlikely fusion of the American obsessions with worldly "cool" and otherworldly religion--an analysis of what they're about, why they exist, and what it all means for Christianity and the church's relevancy and hipness in today's youth-oriented culture.

Islam and the Bible

Islam and the Bible
Author: David Goldmann
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Total Pages: 179
Release: 2008-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802480071

There are three to four million Muslims living in North America, and that number continues to grow. Practically speaking, it is imperative that Christians know what Muslims believe, so as to better understand how to share the Gospel effectively. David Goldmann offers that practical side in a reader-friendly, non-technical way, complete with a glossary of Islamic terms. Written with a heart for missions, Islam and the Bible will strengthen readers' confidence in sharing their faith, as well as build necessary bridges to Muslim friends and neighbors. Here is a helpful book on Islam, written by a man who knows what he is talking about! David has had a fruitful ministry among Muslims, with many opportunities to apply this knowledge. I promise you will benefit. ~ Dr. Erwin Lutzer, The Moody Church, Chicago

Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit

Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit
Author: Rodney Wallace Kennedy
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 118
Release: 2024-07-30
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1666712302

Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit is a prequel to the writing and delivery of the sermon. The work of invention which includes the gathering of material is the primary focus of the book. The hard work of preaching takes place in the thinking, reading, and writing. The cross-disciplinary study provided here covers lessons learned by preachers and by novelists, poets, philosophers, and rhetoricians.

The Universal Christ

The Universal Christ
Author: Richard Rohr
Publisher: Convergent Books
Total Pages: 250
Release: 2019-03-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1524762105

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From one of the world’s most influential spiritual thinkers, a long-awaited book exploring what it means that Jesus was called “Christ,” and how this forgotten truth can restore hope and meaning to our lives. “Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement and inspiration in the pages of this book.”—Melinda Gates In his decades as a globally recognized teacher, Richard Rohr has helped millions realize what is at stake in matters of faith and spirituality. Yet Rohr has never written on the most perennially talked about topic in Christianity: Jesus. Most know who Jesus was, but who was Christ? Is the word simply Jesus’s last name? Too often, Rohr writes, our understandings have been limited by culture, religious debate, and the human tendency to put ourselves at the center. Drawing on scripture, history, and spiritual practice, Rohr articulates a transformative view of Jesus Christ as a portrait of God’s constant, unfolding work in the world. “God loves things by becoming them,” he writes, and Jesus’s life was meant to declare that humanity has never been separate from God—except by its own negative choice. When we recover this fundamental truth, faith becomes less about proving Jesus was God, and more about learning to recognize the Creator’s presence all around us, and in everyone we meet. Thought-provoking, practical, and full of deep hope and vision, The Universal Christ is a landmark book from one of our most beloved spiritual writers, and an invitation to contemplate how God liberates and loves all that is.

Making Sense of the Bible [Leader Guide]

Making Sense of the Bible [Leader Guide]
Author: Adam Hamilton
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Total Pages:
Release: 2014-09-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1501801325

In this six week video study, Adam Hamilton explores the key points in his new book, Making Sense of the Bible. With the help of this Leader Guide, groups learn from Hamilton as his video presentations lead groups through the book, focusing on the most important questions we ask about the Bible, its origins and meaning.

Wrestling the Word

Wrestling the Word
Author: Carolyn J. Sharp
Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
Total Pages: 173
Release: 2010-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0664230679

"With this volume, Carolyn Sharp takes her stand as an exceptional `repairer of the breach' that many perceive between biblical scholarship and the life of faith. Her engaging, judicious, and balanced assessment of current issues in biblical scholarship coupled with her reflections about their significance for the church and the world promise to inspire and challenge every reader---lay reader and biblical scholar alike."---Christine Roy Yoder, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia "In this volume, Carolyn Sharp exposes the cultural and theological assumptions of the very act of reading the Bible. She calls on readers to see the different ways that scholars read the biblical text in this postmodern world and to experiment with these different ways to read. Students would be well served to wrestle with this book."---Beth LaNeel Tanner, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, New Brunswick Theological Seminary "This is a smart, brave, and bold book, and here is a teacher and writer whom I trust implicitly."---Brent A. Strawn, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University "This is no ordinary introduction to the Bible or to critical methods. Rather, Sharp engages us in a conversation about what it is to read the Bible in our various social, ecclesial, and ideological locations."---Ellen F. Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, Duke Divinity School