Reading the Bible Again For the First Time
Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally
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3.7 • 24 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Reading the Bible Again for the First Time provides a much-needed solution to the problem of how to have a fully authentic yet contemporary understanding of the scriptures. Acclaimed author Marcus J. Borg reveals how it is possible to reconcile the Bible with both a scientific and critical way of thinking and our deepest spiritual needs, leading to a contemporary yet grounded experience of the sacred texts.
Using a method of analysis he calls “historical-metaphorical,” Borg explores what the Scriptures meant to the ancient communities that produced and lived by them. He argues that the conventional way of seeing the Bible’s origin, authority, and interpretation is no longer relevant to contemporary readers, and that we need a fresh way of encountering the Bible; one that takes the texts seriously but not literally.
This unique book invites readers of all religious backgrounds to explore the Bible, ponder its mysteries, and understand its relevance. Borg shows us how to encounter the Bible in a fresh way that rejects the limits of simple literalism and opens up rich possibilities for our lives.
Marcus J. Borg, author of the bestselling Heart of Christianity, is Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, The God We Never Knew, and coauthor of Jesus: A New Vision (with N. T. Wright).
“This welcome book removes many of the barriers that separate thoughtful people from the wisdom of the Bible.” -Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The title of this book comes from the author's experience of "unlearning" his literal reading of the Bible from childhood in favor of a "historical-metaphorical" reading derived from his 35 years of studying the Bible as an academic. Borg, an Episcopalian who teaches at Oregon State University, is a member of the Jesus Seminar, author of The God We Never Knew and the counterpoint to evangelical N.T. Wright in The Meaning of Jesus: Two Views. Borg offers a highly readable and succinct introduction to biblical criticism, outlining the kinds of cultural, theological and historical lenses through which people read the Bible and explaining how those readings affect their relation to God. The historical-metaphorical reading that Borg presents includes both the "historical illumination of a text in its ancient context" and a metaphorical approach that "enables us to see and affirm meanings that go beyond the particularity of what the texts meant in their ancient setting." He applies this approach to the Bible in sections, wending his way from the creation stories to Revelation even as he advocates a journey from "precritical naivete" (the acceptance that the Bible is literally true) through "critical thinking" to "postcritical naivete" (accepting again that the Bible is true even if that truth does not depend upon factuality). The book is copiously footnoted without being in the least stodgy, and is open about Borg's own spiritual journey without being didactic or disrespectful of the tradition he has left.
Customer Reviews
when literal readings don’t make sense to you, read this!
Marcus Borg starts at the beginning and traces the significance and meaning of many books of the Bible so that in total they present a beautiful vision of God’s love for His creation. He starts with what the Jewish (OT) Bible was meant to be to the Jewish culture. He carefully explains that some Books are meant to be metaphorical and not literal and that when we read them too literally, we can miss the larger meaning to us in modern day.
Very conservative Christians may not like this book, but even they would be surprised at how much great information is contained in this scholarly and well-written book for laypeople.