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