Yesterday in this series on understanding the literary genres of the Bible, we looked at myths – the big stories around which civilizations, are built. I identified four such stories in the Bible: Creation, Exodus, Deuteronomy/Exile, and, for Christians, the story of Jesus. But of course not all ancient stories told around campfires would have … Continue reading Understanding Biblical Genres: Legends
I’m starting this series on understanding Biblical genres with what is most certainly the most controversial category: Myth. To many people of faith today, even the hint that the Bible could contain ‘myth’ is tantamount to the worst kind of unbelief and disrespect for the text. But that concern is based on a faulty understanding … Continue reading Understanding Biblical Genres: Myth
There can be no doubt that Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus is, to put it plainly, weird. Rising from the dead is simply something that people don’t do. But more than that, the way the Gospels talk about Jesus after the resurrection is also weird: He can appear out of nowhere and walk … Continue reading Scars: A Reflection on John 20.19-31
One of the few things that unites all Christians is a love for the Bible. But, the Bible is a difficult document — or rather, library of documents — to approach, having been written by dozens of voices in different cultures and languages, across a period of roughly a thousand years, the most recent pieces … Continue reading Reading the Bible Better: Understanding Biblical Genres
One of the wonderful symbols of Easter (at least for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) is that this celebration of new life happens towards the start of Spring. And I’m definitely feeling that this year. There’s nothing quite like opening up the windows to a gentle Spring breeze, airing everything out after the … Continue reading Opening up: A Reflection on Bright Week
Matthew Root 