Shuck and Jive


Monday, December 15, 2008

The Meaning of Life, Part 12

"I listen intently to the Book. But I do not acquiesce in it. I rail at it. I make accusations. I censure it for endorsing patriarchalism, violence, anti-Judaism, homophobia, and slavery. It rails back at me, accusing me of greed, presumption, narcissism, and cowardice. We wrestle. We roll on the ground, neither of us capitulating, until it wounds my thigh with “new-ancient” words. And the Holy Spirit is right there the whole time, strengthening us both."

--Walter Wink, "The Myth of the Human Jesus" in When Faith Meets Reason


5 comments:

  1. Now that's what I call a robust faith!

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  2. I like that. It reminds me of what you said one time about having a "lover's quarrel with the Bible".

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  3. It was Walter Wink that opened up that possibility to have a "lover's quarrel" with the Bible. Wink is definitely robust and visceral.

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  4. Walter Wink is a big reason I remained Christian at all a few years ago. Of course, to many, Wink probably isn't even a Christian. But those people probably won't listen to me either. But for me, Wink looms large, and that is a great quote.

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