Embracing and Challenging Scripture - A Conversation with Brian McLaren
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มี.ค. 2022
- The perennial struggle to read and understand the Hebrew Bible--that strange and wonderful collection of books we call the Old Testament--has captured our collective attention this year as we dive back into its pages. The text presents profound challenges and questions to Christians and to people with modern sensibilities generally. Among those challenges are stories and accounts of what seem to be divinely sanctioned violence.
To get some perspective on these challenges, and on how broader Christianity has faced these same challenges, we decided to bring writer, teacher and public theologian Brian McLaren into the conversation by inviting him on our podcast. Brian is well-known within evangelical Christianity. Once a prominent pastor, in 2015 he was named by Time Magazine as one of evangelicalism’s most influential figures. He became a leader in the “emerging church movement.” These days, in addition to his speaking and writing, he works with Father Richard Rohr at the Center of Action and Contemplation.
For McLaren, as for many Christians, his relationship with the Bible itself has been an integral part of his faith journey. We were curious to hear how that relationship has changed over time, how he reads the Bible differently than when he was younger, how he sees people sometimes abuse the Bible (especially the Hebrew Bible), and where he continues to find beauty and inspiration in its pages. He explains how much of the Christian world arrived at the idea of Biblical inerrancy, and why we need not just re-translation but continuous re-interpretation of the text.
We found his thoughts on the creation narrative of Genesis particularly fascinating. He even shared his thoughts on a famous story from the Book of Mormon. We think you’ll enjoy this conversation with a wise and good soul, our friend Brian McLaren.
Among Brian’s outstanding books are Faith After Doubt: Why your beliefs stopped working and what to do about it and The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey. You can check out all his work at brianmclaren.net.
This channel is criminally under rated. Great work guys!
I was raised evangelical, now I'm LDS, he was very kind to include others' thoughts and beliefs
So refreshing to hear an honest yet respectful conversation between people from different backgrounds. I have many regrets that it has taken me so long to understand the bible in the way that Brian McLaren indicates. The idea that anyone possesses absolute truth is terrifying; none of us has the character to use such hypothetical power with integrity. I have wasted far too much time, and made way too many enemies, in using the bible as a weapon to defend the indefensible and to shore up my insecurities.
Resonates so much, love how he goes deeper into the dynamics of religion. I think spirituality is searching and processing your inner self, and having the depth to question black and white.
Thanks so much for this episode. Probably one of the best ones you've ever done. Excellent, thought provoking questions and amazing discussion. Keep bringing in people outside the Latter-day Saint tradition to your podcast. We have so much to learn from other perspectives.
What a great discussion! It put so much in context and opened the door a little wider to understanding each other and the Holy Mystery.
This man is fascinating
Would love to hear this conversation in light of Michael Heiser's research on the spiritual realm. I think the perspective on war and killing may shift a bit. Not condoning such today but understanding why and what occurred then.
That’s what we’ve been taught too! Thst the prophets can’t make a mistake. And people are leaving because they see the mistakes!
People are going to make mistakes. If we accept thst, and those fallible people are put in authority. And authorities still are mortal who make mistakes!
Love this!!
Love this interview
Just discovered your channel and this is the best episode thus far. Thank you!
I grew up evangelical. When I heard that God the Father was separate from his Son I said "that makes sense!" and I was converted to the latter-day saint Way! But this is exactly what distresses my family! We don't talk about my family history and the temple. That's the differences between the two religions.
I love listening to you. We are studying your Great Migration in our Methodist SS class!
Wow!!! That is exactly right
People think in the LDS church
You have no authority unless you are inerrant
Exactly!!!!!!
Amazing insight into how we understand and appreciate the Bible. But, can the Book of Mormon be seen as a library of books where we see people's thinking maturing over time, or is it a single book from the imagination of Joseph Smith?
💗💕
Brian's writings fall into the category he is talking about
Just 15 minutes in, but good stuff
Science has become our God
Hello Brian, Jim Hoerst here. I like my atheism better than your semi-Christian rationalism.
I agree with your assertion that literature arises to meet human needs.
What makes literature beneficial to humanity is whether it makes us more rational and humane.
Unfortunately, the Bible's overall impact on humanity did not meet that standard.
Thanks for making the video. I understand you better.
Exactly!!!!
We are using the Bible unbiblical ly!
And we are looking at the Church in biblically too!
How do we look at prophecy? At authority?
What does scripture teach about these things?
For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Tim 4:13
Could be referring to things like the prosperity gospel or to televangelists. I don’t think it’s referring to people who are trying to be more kind and empathetic and use the brain God gave them to question things.
Love thought 🤔 outside Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints like Jerry Root helps me be a better LDS follower of Jesus
Benjamin Spackman speaks of this!! Creation genres…
It’s not possible!
what utter bunk !!