Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
Invited to Question

Invited to Question

Last updated on: February 14, 2013 at 4:19 pm by Sean Graham

Invited to Question 2013-02-14T16:19:51-06:00 Sean Graham

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I love the Bible. For some of you reading this that might seem strange; for others, you might know what I mean. But I do want to clarify.

I love the Bible today for different reasons than I did even 10 years ago. Back then, I would have said I love the Bible because it reveals God’s love and direction for those who follow Christ. Today, however, I love it for a different reason. And the best way I know how to express that, is that it now confirms my experience of God and invites me into the humble posture of searcher and a seeker for God’s infinite love through all the confusion of life and all the confusing passages in the Bible.

I’ve had a number of coffees over the last few years with people who have expressed real concern over the questions I raise in regards to the Bible. I’ve been asked if I believe the Bible is true? Do I take it literally? Do I believe it’s the Word of God? All of these very sincere questions, I’ve discovered, are rooted not so much in whether or not I believe in the Bible, but rather, do I believe as they do in the Bible, or more specifically, as they were taught? The question of, “Do you read the Bible literally?” is essentially them asking, “Why can’t I just read it and take it as is?” The question beneath the questions, is the question of biblical authority and what that authority has in my life and what it should have in everyone’s life who follows Christ?

I was having coffee with someone a little while ago who told me I had simply given them too many questions – the questions being particularly in relation to the Bible.

This person said they just wanted to be able to read the Bible and take it at face level, exactly as it is and believe it.

With great sincerity, they said that my approach to the Bible had caused them to question their foundations of faith. This person had been taught that if the Bible says something to be so, it’s true.

As we conversed, I totally understood the exhaustion they must be feeling, because in very real ways I had through my teaching asked them to consider a new way of experiencing one of their foundational beliefs – that being biblical authority. I believe the Bible is authoritative and without error in its original script. I was raised believing and being taught in a literal approach to the biblical text. I was raised the same way as my friend had been – if it is in the Bible, it is true! But over time, I discovered, since being immersed in the theological world, that this approach to the Bible bred a multitude of contradicting certitudes (not faith) that whomever was the most articulate, compelling and sadly charismatic in their interpretation of the text would win the day and become highly influential, perhaps only in a local church, but often the truly charismatic personalities would affect much of their particular vein of Christianity, and no doubt, with good intent by those individuals.

It was the contradictions, the having to bend the literal reading of the text to fit the new interpretation that evolved my thinking.

There had to be another more cohesive way of understanding the authority of Scripture. This is where, over time, I adopted what Walter Brueggemann calls, “An exegesis and hermeneutic of suspicion.” Simply meaning, that I began to read the text, not for its directives, but for the questions that it motivated, the questions that led me to dig into the original languages, the questions that made me look at the cultural context, the questions that led me into questioning my assumptions.

The effect was that the Bible gained more authority in my life, because it was no longer the answer book that I was faithless to question, but rather a spur or a catalyst that has the power to propel me into the quest, which is where the word “question” comes from. The quest for what I will discover about me, about the world, about others and about God? As opposed to having all the answers about me, the world, others and God.

The shift is massive, and I fully recognise disconcerting. It feels like you are letting go of a foundation; which begs the question, “What is the foundation of our Christian faith?” Is our foundation the Bible? Or is our foundation Christ? It’s probably why I have a bad reaction when I drive past churches that say “Bible-believing church”. I used to know what that meant. I am thankful today I can say with great peace, I am a God-believing person. I’m not saying these two statements are mutually exclusive; I’m just not sure the first one is actually helpful.

And so I end where I began. I understand the struggle and I am thankful for the authority to lead me into the quest that the Bible has in my life.

Previous Post

February 14, 2013

The Idolatry of God - Doug Pagitt in conversation with Peter Rollins

Next Post

February 15, 2013 Toothpick Kingdom

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What animal did Peter see in vision?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Clean and unclean animals Goats Sheep Lions