Peter Enns, Ph.D. Peter Enns Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies 610-341-1491 McInnis 200B penns@eastern.edu Dr. Enns is a biblical scholar who teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. Or read my own my testimony where I mention the effect that finding and fully acknowledging goodness in people of all beliefs or none had on me. Thanks for posting this. Good concepts of God and faiths are ripe with irony and paradox in their making the world right. Were two thousand years in. I read the first chapter or whatever was free that you sent. Do you think JFK could have won with that campaign statement? Im loosely affiliated with an international church (evangelical) in Beijing; and it is quite stark to me here how the Western mind (American in particular) shapes and engages with Christian faith. Treasures Old and NewSunday, December 30, 2018. Indeed, it is a way of knowing that has been championed as part of the development of culture in the Western tradition, but to pigeon hole the method as somehow distinctively Western is to lose something about its universality in a universe that significantly appears to exhibit fundamental uniformity. There is none for 11 Peter, a writing a majority of critical scholarship places at some point in the 2nd century long after Peters death (Wikipedias page on it is a decent starting point showing the various arguments). Which may be revealed when two people have mutually incompatible direct perceptions in these experiences. As revealed clearly in the scriptures, God is raising up out of this raging cauldron of sin pain and suffering adopted sons(and daughters) who will embrace the process of being transformed by their tests and trials into those who will be worthy of ruling and reigning with Him throughout eternity. I do not think the gospel stands on whether we can read Paul's Adam in the . This is very simple. defying compelling verbal expression Bavinck has a tendency to get to the point doesnt he ? True mystics do experience God in a tangible manner that is more real than anything that could ever be experienced through the five senses although those senses may be secondarily affected. Thanks for an honest perspective which does not offer more than can be proven. The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible does and doesn't say about human origins Jonathan Jong 2012, Theology and Science Abstract In this review, I summarize and critically evaluate Peter Enns's claim that evangelicals ought not read Genesis 13 literally. And it is worth noting that my list is subjective too. Ed, these posts are certainly charging you up. In both stories, the boat comes to rest on a mountain and birds are sent out to find land. Talk of a vibrant Christian faith seems overblown. I didnt say anything about your knowledge of other religions. Call it a transcendental trust like Thoreau had, or like John Hick in our own day. So its great that God is guiding you and keeping you safe but yet not doing the same for kids with cancer etc. Given all this and more, my personal choice is simply to continue to acknowledge Gods blessings upon my life and therefore acknowledge God. I think it is safe to say that much of my academic journey has been a process of synthesizing these (and other) influences in my life. But lacking a definitive first hand revelation of God and with all of your questions, at what point does one cease asking yet more questions, and perhaps start to view all religions as limited expressions or interpretations of God like prof. of religious philosophy John Hick eventually did after growing up Evangelical? OT . Thats why all we need to focus on is the Way; which is your way that youre honestly seeking God. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. Evidence can be internal, which whether or not you rationally elaborate upon or take the direct perceptive route nonetheless still falls into that domain. As is our deference in religious spheres to authorities revelations. Are you willing to also consider; Hindu scriptures, Muslim scriptures, Buddhist, scriptures, Taoists scriptures, etc? Such soon discover that He is indeed a God Who communicates and is very capable of laying out a clear path for us to follow. not be confused with experience. Westminster Theological Seminary Over the next twelve months our focus will be "Old and New: An . Enns prefers this approach because it supports his view of Adam as proto-Israel (107) and maintains an Israel-centered focus rather than a universal one (106). ". These are subjective, private experiences. And we do this not by relying on our experiences at the subjective level as some private matter , but we take what can be shared about that subjective experience and put it on the table for all to look at and compare. None can fully understand or explain His Being however hard he my try. I teach courses in Old and New Testaments at Eastern University (near Philadelphia). My point is that we ought to consider seriously the word of an eyewitness, especially when the eye witness is a confirmed historical figure. Another mans spiritual experience cannot be denied. Nor does it mean we cannot say anything objective about them. He brings these questions to his conversation with Jim, wrestling with how the Bible relates to our lives today. Frank Schaeffer is an interesting fellow, son of the Apologist Francis Schaeffer, and co-founder with his dad and other prominent Evangelicals in the 1970s of Americas Religious Right and also the Right to Life Movement. http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2016/01/gods-mixed-messages-youth-pastor-killed.html Youre still rooting your argument in the same notion of the proper locus of religious conviction. Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. Im not sure the world would be a better place if more people thought like me, though do you mind if I out this on my resume? At Eastern Since 2012. If we hold to the same manner in which we share any other experience with those around us, we would ge bound to accept this. Knowledge of God is described by terms like participation, longing, , immediacy.. Eye-witness accounts on Mount Sinai, the Mount of transfiguration, the road to Damascus and on and on. It is knowing of a different order. On another point, both in Johns writings and Peters writings there are statements of eye-witness testimonies. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. But I dont think this way of knowing settles theGod question, since it presumes that God is anelement of the cosmos that occupies space and issubject to observation and testinglike a quasar, proton, or tectonic plateswaiting to be discovered or discerned through methods by which we know the physical world. I count it a great privilege to help students keep their horizons in front of them and come to know God better on their life-journey. Twelve years later, Old Testament scholar Peter Enns has confirmed my suspicions, . This blog was first posted in March 2016. This is perhaps another way to look at the sin of certainty. This wont be solved in a blog post, but heres basically where I am with all this believing in God businessin under 800 words. For, everything is under the one and the same law-the law of transformation and decline. Just trust in Him. Also check out The Inner Eye of Love by a Jesuit named William Johnson, or try books by Dom Bede Griffiths, a fellow convert with C. S. Lewis but who spent his life in India dialoguing with people of other religions. These are ideals that I subjectively value. All of life is a response. He has taught extensively at the seminary and doctoral levels (Westminster Theological Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, Fuller Theological Seminary, Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Biblical Theological Seminary) and on the undergraduate level (Temple University and Messiah College). The more one believes as many as true things as possible about reality and as few of false things as possible about reality enables one to better understand the nature of the challenge, the tools available, and realistic hopes about ground to be gained, next and within the scope of a lifetime. Professor. Many dont understand that the contentions among faiths are fought (and will be won in the end) not on the grounds of being right, but on the grounds of making the world right. http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/08/christians-or-non-christians-who-suffer.html What should be the impact? Read Dr. Enns onThe Bible for Normal People Which faith offers the greatest fulfillment of the cosmos longings? You use the word sin in your title; I havent read your book, but I hope that in the discussion in the book you avoid much use of the term. I think there are multiple reality tunnels and people make many different claims concerning their personal experiences. Magic is not real. perhaps the matter of knowing God is based on ones necessity to survive. I am Peter EnnsI am a biblical scholar. There do not exist words in any language to specify or define His qualities, peculiarities, characteristics and singularities. Thank you Joseph. Havent found much written on it. Human faculties of conception, perception and learning, and attributes of volition, intuition and apprehension cannot catch sight of His Person or fathom the extent of His Might and Glory. AMA. I think the sooner the Church heals the Great Schism and returns to the even the faith of Jesus certainly before Constantine and possibly before Paul, the better she will be on a cosmic mission. (edited with Chris Wlezien). I think about that question a lot. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. As an admittedly poor psychology major in college, I was particularly fascinated with neurology and how humans process and interpret information/stimuli. enns has published three books hijacking the agenda: economic power and political influence (winner of the gladys m. kammerer award, presented by the american political science association to honor the best book published during the previous year in the field of u.s. national policy), incarceration nation: how the united states became the most He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. He is also co-founder and chief data scientist at Verasight. But is that version of a Messiah a bringer of healing to all? Which then opens up the question of what reality it what knowing we are engaged in. With this, I think wed not only find less conflict but more hope realized. And what religion, denomination, sect or cult doesnt seek to inculcate a sense of trust and intimacy toward its depictions of God, holy prophets or holy writings? The Bible does not say Flood was universal (55). But I also get that Christianity isnt really transforming the world through compassion essentially better than anything or anyone else. I tend to experience *both* God and people in the manner described. Maybe dramatically more so? He is the podcast host of The Bible for Normal People. All this is to say, I am not ready to leave the hope and realism of modernity behind yet, but if I do it wont be atheism. But when you reach the point where there is little to differentiate between different encounters or transcendent perceptions yielding incompatible truth claims, then you are not just dealing with a measure of uncertainty to be tolerated, but rather a total lack of confidence in whether what you believe corresponds to actual reality. Though I do see you headed in the general direction of Frank Schaeffer author of the recent book, Why I am an atheist who still believes in God. Sorry, curious. In asking does God exist?, Ive heard it said that two very large questions are revealed or not. Id rather live today in the western world than at any other time in human history. Did you see the same thing I saw? Does it mean that same thing to you?. So if you want to write a book that really speaks about accepting uncertainty you have not done so. To me there is a sacred goodness in characteristics of the way and Christianitys wins over the centuries are attributable to this. For those who hold the view that the Bible contains an ever-expanding revelation of the truth and knowledge of God from beginning to end, what is to be taken away from your article? If there is still to be a link to truth there at all. In these chapters God fashions "the man" (ha adam) from earth (adamah), breathes life into his nostrils, and makes him a caretaker . Id take the liberty of summarizing that your belief in God, to the extent you do, is based on faith, not fact. Why? I get your post. Fideism is a rich and credible approach to knowing God. And there are also periods of painful disillusionment and depression that look like withdrawal symptoms that even Christians suffer after at least partially self-Inducing and sustaining a high on Jesus for years. Whoever accepts His Attributes to be other than His Person then actually forsakes the idea of Unity of God and believes in duality ( He and His Attributes). Pete: I much prefer your brand of Christianity to others, and the world would be a better place if more people thought like you. If we raise it all today (or tomorrow or Wednesday tbh) we're going to make. If the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does exist, watch out. much more defined by their longing than by theirexperience. What of our spiritual experiences then? Does God exist? Why do you write books attempting to make more conservative Evangelicals rethink their perspective on the authority of the Bible? The gathered Body of Christ? Acts of Interpretation features essays by biblical scholars and theologians offering broad reflections on key interpretive issues, rich readings of challenging biblical texts, and interaction with the Christian exegetical tradition from Melito of Sardis to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.The contributors to this volume are leading figures in the theological interpretation of Scripture. Dr. Enns is a biblical scholar who teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. Now one can doubt that the man, Peter ever lived, but there are extra-biblical references to him as being the head of the church. Sorry for the aimless rambling and thanks again for your post! Even Yale was founded by some conservative ministers displeased at the growing moderation, liberalism and theological excesses as they say it, happening at Havard. Their work involves moving from the phenomenon through the perceptual equipment to the physical biology that makes subjective states objectively real. Pete Enns critiques John Piper's recent remarks about the Jewish conquest of Canaan in the Old Testament. Those are all things that can be looked at. even if our lack of understanding gives us a sense that our existence is meaningless and that, if one could, one would not choose existence. and Ph.D. Harvard University To me, simply, neither these two billion adherents nor their leaders really seem all that differentiated from their peer adherents of Allah, Brahma, and more in sacred task of transforming the world. Many say, Lord, Lord. Small is the gate and narrow is the road. Normal people can figure it out. (Ive blogged on Benner several times, for examplehere. They long to know Gods love andthereby to be filled with the very fullness of God[Ephesians 3:17-19]. The Christian trusts God even when things do not always make sense this tensions exists in the Christian message and story (but it exists in everyones story) the four Gospels are not shy in displaying this reality. Peter Enns is an American theologian, author, professor, and Biblical scholar. I find much of the tradition of Christianity over the last 2,000 yearsand most acutely in the generations of my life in Americato have failed what I consider to be the best centerings of the apocalyptic hope of Jesus of Nazareth. One big reason is that I am convinced I would already be dead many times over without Gods guidance. and disasters Find it on Amazon: http://amzn.to/19X9WC7Find it at CBD: http://bit.ly/1dnBcesPeter Enns discusses the inerrancy of the Bible as an often contentious topic. read the whole Chicago Statement aloud to his cat, Marmalade. Biblical scholar and author Dr. Peter Enns will be in Lynchburg for a series of "Evolution Weekend" events February 15-16, joining with many other such efforts nationwide under the umbrella of the Clergy Letter Project.. I have written on Peter Enns before on our blog (see the link in the analysis to Evans' book) but seeing his name again led me to look up Enns and I found he wrote a recent piece on his blog titled "How Can I Trust the Bible . And it is that faith that is pleasing to God, and further that faith is a gift from God in the first place. God, our creator cannot be perceivable by the five senses for, He is not a thing-which is compound elements etc or created. The intersection of these (with a lot of other stuff thrown in there for good measure, such as Barths furious response to 19th century liberals on issues related to mediated/unmediated experience) was very compelling in my theological studies and has been fascinating to observe on a practical level in pastoral ministry in the conservative south, especially in this political and cultural moment. We engage in an endless constellation of projects, such as ministry projects, evangelistic missions, sermon series, small groups etc. Meaning external, physical evidence. I agree that post-enlightenment empiricism is never going to lead to genuine interaction with the creator, but what about prayer? And if you dont fit into the system? As for your books title, The Sin of Certainty, you seem pretty certain that sin exists, though I suspect humans dont really need thatll added theological term since it seems more like a metaphor for any selfish behavior people of all religions or none already view in a negative fashion. People who call others incredibly stupid and foolish beyond measure for not sharing their own religious positions ought to take a look in the mirror. This happens not in our mind, but in our spirit. So lets give that a shot. For the Tibettan Buddhidist, they may experience a vision of the peaceful and wrathful deities. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.' But, that we ourselves interact, relate, care, love is even more important. But it takes the work of the Spirit of God in ones life to actually believe and rely upon these evidences. I would like you to rethink your own perspective a bit more, perhaps move a bit more toward universalism and religious pluralism like John Hick, but even that would not be nearly as far away from your present point of view as the distance you have already come from fundamentalism to your present point of view. 800 spiritually empty words. Indeed. Bringing people together seems easier when their differences are not discussed. We're raising 50k for our campaign. . Polls, Statistics and other Data It sounds like you are on that path. Let God alone if need be. Thanks Pete! 2. http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/03/on-recovering-from-alcoholism-drug.html, See also my paper the critiques the claim that the Christian experience is unique Academically, I graduated from Messiah College in 1982 (Behavior Science), WTS in 1989 (MDiv), and Harvard University in 1994 (PhD, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations). Why do I believe in God? But what I cannot comprehend is that after two thousand years, these loftiest of other-way-of-knowing-related claims have produced only some good. Christian mysticism should . You cannot relate to it if you dont have a little one of your own. He is a former Senior Fellow of Biblical Studies for BioLogos and author of many books and commentaries, including Inspiration and Incarnation, The Evolution of Adam, and The Bible Tells Me So.His most recent book is The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs. How do you know more of what God prefers more than Franklin Graham or Mennonites? 14 Tage gratis - jederzeit kndbar | Lies & hre unbegrenzt | Groe Auswahl an neuen Bchern | 9/10 lesen mehr mit Nextory | Fr Buchliebhaber . Adam and Eve are the Bible's first man and first woman. Thankfully it is much less today. But may I pose this: He was dismissed as O.T. 1. Posts about pete enns written by Jesse Winn. In addition, he late dates the Exodus in the mid . ~ Jackson Browne. Tweets at @peteenns. Without discounting all those wonderful things, I do not think that the God question is settled this way. . Most people who are not believers are not believers because this side has so much certainty over things that we should not be saying we have so much certainty over. As I see it, knowledge ofGod accesses different ways of knowing. Are we to have doubts that Lincoln actually wrote it there are no living eye-witnesses needless to say. I also would want to point out that the Christian religion has to do with a person named Jesus (as christians we believe this Jesus is still transforming lives and hes on the loose), in other words it is not just a simple have faith or belief The Christian faith is a living trust that Jesus Christ (messiah) will rescue (has will in the future) the world for a global renewal (earth and heaven). Slow chuckle. His Attributes cannot be fixed, limited or defined. I believe that, if there is a Creator, this Higher Power is not a being that we can know exclusively or primarily through this western way of knowing. We go crazy in solitary confinement, when stranded on an island, when lost in the wilderness solo. Try the works of John Hick, former Evangelical who became a fascinating philosopher of religion and sought a common transcendental basis for them all. I love this observation, especially about projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude. No different than if we observed sight to function so unreliably that 10 different people looking at the same event saw 10 substantially different things and this happened again and again and again and was in fact the norm. Most Evangelicals find themselves on that path when their evidence takes a beating and they retreat to the world of mystery. Or Osama bin Ladin or Warren Jeffs for that matter. Our Western universe has given rise to marvelous things (as you mentioned) but it has blinded us to other dimensions of the soul that reveal a much larger reality outside of our ability to reason or carry out prescribed functions. It does though offer means to consider qualitative differences. Per the books blurb, The Sin of Certainty models an acceptance of mystery and paradox that all believers can follow and why God prefers this path because it is only this way by which we can become mature disciples who truly trust God.. Perhaps agreat offense to many of us in the modern world is thatGod is not known in the way we are used to knowing many other thingswhich is a hard pill to swallow if youre committed to evidence-based knowing as the only path forward. He has not permitted human mind to grasp the Essence of His Being **YET** He has not prevented them from realising His Presence. And two, what does exist mean? Theists believe magic is real. Differing, I believe there are grounds for excluding ones own or other faiths. transrational Abstrak Permasalahan dalam tulisan ini terletak pada isu doktrin eskatologi tentang kerajaan seribu tahun, khususnya dalam pandangan dispensasionalisme dengan covenant theology. When a faith fights the fight of certainty of an understanding the world as-is putting iron age as-is foundations against present-day as-is understandings, the battle is already conceded. Specifically on love as a way of knowing. . When I gave up the notion of God, I did not give up on the experiences of participation, longing, fullness, contemplativeness, depth, and immediacy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Which I think is the case, but I dont want to speak for Ed. I also visited Westminster Seminary in my early 20s and purchased some books in the store there, caught a glimpse of Cornelius Van Til, and later I exchanged emails with Paul Seely on biblical cosmology, a WTS graduate. Then once that person starts walking with God God (should) will reveal the truth to them. immediacy. Yes, no matter what words we employ we can never do justice to the experience. I mean, youre already done this with respect to Christian Mystics. I only presume that peoples experiences of God are a mixed bag that lay along a very wide spectrum. It certainly seems that way as we compare the experiences of people across faiths. The list of aspects offered doesnt quite get us to a means by which to assess exclusivity. At best, such persons hopes could make an iron-age reality better. In regards to ones intelligence, I am reading St Teresa of Avilas Interior Castle right now and in the first parts of it she refers to herself as stupid and if they (the nuns she is writing to) understand what she is saying, it is not herself that is speaking but it is God through her. Peter is an Old Testament scholar (PhD, Harvard University) who currently teaches as Affiliate Faculty of Biblical Studies at Eastern University. Interesting article. Im familiar with various concepts of God. Universalism is the belief that everyone eventually will be saved. straight into the night our hearts were flung [1] If I have the experience of perceiving spiraling motion when looking upon a static optical illusion, you cannot deny that I have the experience of perceiving motion. There is no external mention of the writing until Origen in the 3rd century. Adam's name appears first in Genesis 1 with a collective sense, as "mankind"; subsequently in Genesis 2-3 it carries the definite article ha, equivalent to English "the", indicating that this is "the man". Heh, that brings back memories of being taught as a child that every breath I took was the providential, direct action of Jesus. I'm an author and biblical scholar. From this, I have a question for you; isnt it also completely reasonable (and rational) to look at the fruits of other peoples experience to see that their belief and faith are grounded in the truth? Hi Pete, Living with uncertainty is a relative thing. And I echo your sentiments on the value of a more actively contemplative way of life. I have posts on my blog, Scrivenings, about depressions and suicide among Christians, and their gullibility, i.e., religious affinity fraud. Pages turning Government, College of Arts and Sciences/Public Policy, Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy. After I became more of a questioner, and more curious about a lot of things I no longer experienced such manic-depression. Some have thought it to be evasiveness. And this is the connection to mysticism. " To love as God loves means loving not just others like us, but those who are not. . Therefore, that which is felt or known by the senses, having shape and colour, cannot be God. Most people seem to have never seen or heard a literal voice of God like Abraham or Noah allegedly received. I like your emphasis here. Maybe more so than that of our sense perception of sight? just try it i bet you gain their trust better. I dont think God would. Im more so now in my life in the former group of people. St. Davids, PA 19087-3696 As we come to the end of this year, we begin a new theme for the Daily Meditations. So please do not think I am trying to quantitize it in some scientific sense. Peter Eric Enns (born January 2, 1961) is an American Biblical scholar and theologian. In other words, I dont believe in God because I see no evidence for God or I believe in God because the evidence proves it are both nonsensical claims for me.. An Atheist that believes in God. Even today Christians keep founding relatively new and youthful institutions devoted to walling themselves up against questions, like Liberty Christian U, or Tim LaHays Heritage Christian U, or Patrick Henry U, or all the televangelist stations on TV. In reality you rarely hear about the average Christian,. Or the mega church movement, to try and get and sustain even a greater Jesus high. So same with spiritual experiences. It loads making sure we hold the correct beliefs with too much weight; we then shore up our set of beliefs in a fortress of impregnability, making them the source of our trust and so-called certainty rather trusting in the living God. This is historically what the Church has always taught. attestations that Lincoln composed the Gettysburg Address. You presume too much Ed. The realm of the elohim and the realm of the seen (1 sam 28.13). Of course, it helps that I have absolutely no expectations of him whatsoever. here s something about the bible of the peter enns June 1st, 2020 - think about that the old testament of the new testament writers and of the early church was a translation and an imperfect one at that you d think at key moment of god s self disclosure ten things i hate about church and why i go anyway Legitttttttt. Perhaps even the characteristics on the other-way-of-knowing list are not beyond study. But how is it that you still believe in God? apprehension uncluttered by thought It is not when I am going to meet him, but when I am just turning away and leaving him alone, that I discover that God is. It is in this context, that Christianity, for me, is a profound disappointment. In passing, he also makes a very interesting observation about contemporary Protestant theology: "I live in an ecclesial world in which those who value Christian orthodoxy as a concept seem invariably to drift towards either Rome or Constantinople or some amalgamation of the two which is represented by no existing church. The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable To Read It. Your argument for disbelief is foolish, because God cannot be like any of the things perceived by the senses, nor can He be said to bear any resemblance to anything which has to undergo an ordeal of change and decay. including the high rate of depression and dropping out among pastors (sure theres always plenty to take their place but look at the turnover! All, or none, of the above?). He has written or edited over a dozen books and many articles and essays. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. So 2 Peter was written by Peter.how sure are you on that? Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias and is the author of several . the way is the path of becoming a new person because one is allowing God to lead you in a sense. Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies, Back to Undergraduate Theology Department, Graduate & Online Undergraduate Admissions, Palmer Theological Seminary and Palmer College. Instead it looks like people have a wide variety of reality tunnels and interpretations. Instead of humbly stating this belief as an opinion, Joker3857 blatantly says "then dont be one". The other day he wrote a post that he entitled Why I Don't Believe in God Anymore. Reason and sagacity cannot visualise Him. No Muslim ever imposed Islamic law on others by praying 5 times a day. In recent years, Pete has become well known for several highly popular books, including How the Bible Actually Works, The Bible Tells Me So, and the book we discussed with him today: The Sin of Certainty. As a United Methodist, part of how I articulate this is in the language of experience (1 part of what Albert Outler named the Wesleyan quadrilateral). As long as the genes replicate, its worked. Praying is not the same as imposing a religion on others. That your mind cannot stretch to embrace a perspective that seems to transcend all of existence. This is a dangerous and unbiblical attitude. He has written widely on hermeneutics, Christianity and science, historicity of the Bible, and Old Testament interpretation. Furthermore, I believe it just to consider that biases are adaptive. How do you know these are HIS words? Evidence based knowledge may not be necessary for a person to believe in God, but it sure would be handy when it comes to rival claims about God between people in different religions, denominations and mystical sects, not to mention between various schools of non-religious philosophical theists, agnostics and atheists. Mysticsare . Probably a different version of God I would presume. In her book Shameless, Nadia Bolz-Weber argues for a new Christian sexual ethic that allows for moderate pornography consumption, one-night stands, same-sex encounters, and virtually any sexual activity that demonstrates a "concern for each other . But parents in talking with each other can often immediately grasp when a fellow parent reveals that they share that same experience. Across religions, the evidences are the grapes and figs. But you do know that you know because your knowing has a depth and immediacy to it that is never present in simply knowingabout thingseven merely knowing about God. None the less, I believe in Democracy and think Iron Man is awesome. However, I think you are confusing or conflating the experience of God with the existence of God. But what is your source of the claim that God prefers paradox and mystery? First, note the way I phrased the staged questions above. Thatjust doesnt work for me. To me it seems, the more beliefs correspond to reality, the better the organism is adapted to survive and reproduce. Here might be some: Healing, forgiveness, graciousness, redemption, justice, protection, universality. http://infidels.org/library/modern/ed_babinski/experience.html, Speaking of the vibrant Christian life, Leaving the Ministry. Really, evidence is simply a modern, western way of coming to belief or faith or knowledge? I think the Mystics have something important to say. And we can also look at those experiences, and see if there is an element of illusion about them. There are also cases of people who were converted to Christianity after suffering drug or alcohol addiction, but later they realized Christianity was their new drug and gave that up too, and felt BETTER for having done so: Regardless of Paul's (faulty, through no fault of his own) view of human origins, three very important elements remain in his theology, despite the acceptance of evolution: 1. I think there is a model there where the subjective, but real experience of God is the starting point for understanding the perceptual equipment, which will help us to acknowledge the existence of a real Being that makes the subjective states or experiences real. They explore the potential behind reading the Bible creatively, the dangers of our modernist sense of truth, and the growing desire for . Dave Burbank Catholics see Angels, Mary and Jesus, Protestants usually just see Angels and Jesus, and one Protestant apparently saw a talking Bible in his NDE, while another claims to have been to heaven dozens of times and seen images from everything In Revelation, and Mormons have their own NDE bulletin, Betty Eade had a bestseller about meeting a Mormon Jesus who was not God, universalist NDEs, then there are Hindu and Buddhist visions and NDEs, like seeing a talking Buddhist turtle god, while native Americans have totem animal visions, and New Agers and some other folks claims to have seen Angels, UFOs, aliens of different species. One atheist and evolutionist, Dr. Jerry Coyne, believes very strongly that evolution and Christianity are not at all compatible. But I also think youre using the language of evidence in a very stale, limited manner. 1. This sort of knowing is beyond reason, but it is not irrational. Who said God is a HE? Peter K. Enns is a Professor in the Department of Government and the Brooks School of Public Policy and Robert S. Harrison Director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences. Id suggest there are other qualitative characteristics too. Peter Enns is Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, Pennsylvania. Forced love . If another person or group of persons has a different list, they have different values from mine. I have been following your story since the Westminster brouhaha (and enjoyed and endorsed your books to others online) but I dont recall reading your whole story from your youth, which I am sure would be interesting, probably some overlap with Randal Rausers and my own Evangelical Christian youth. If he receives no answer, fine. 185-ca. I use the words intelligent and basis. The question presumes that belief in God is something to be settled on the basis of intelligence, education, knowledge of facts, etc. At the same time, I was taking philosophy and religion courses and was drawn to finding ways to explain my ongoing relationship/wrestling match with God-Jesus-Spirit. Israelite history; Old Testament and ancient Near East; Old Testament theology; biblical theology; wisdom literature; Second Temple Judaism and the New Testament. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. What gives? That said, I can see the contemplative Hindu or Buddhist saying the exact same thing. It is no more Western and modern than the Greek-named constellations are ancient and Greek or the Arabic-named stars are Medieval and Arab. Agnostics cant figure it out. ), but its also important in a much deeper way. It is in this context, that Christianity, for me, is a profound disappointment. While specific sins against a particular God, prophet, holy book, holy place, or sacrament, are as diverse as could be. Not if hes using evidence in the sense Ive advocated for in this thread Pete. To dig down a little deeper theologically, I can deeply understand the paradox of the Incarnation of not only a God-as-man, but in the form of a baby in a manager in Galilee in first-century Palestine. That said, I can see the contemplative Hindu or Buddhist saying the exact same thing. By some measure, through Jesus of Nazareth and the ensuing religion of Christianity, a longing has been fulfilled; there has been great participation. In fact, there are now around two billion adherents to the faith. This is why I read your blog, Pete! But one alternative is to have a church, mosque, and a Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu temple, close together on every corner with no ones sign larger or higher than the rest, to remind ourselves we can indeed all truly get along. I like the fruit of this way of knowingeverything from electricity and medicine to electron-microscopesand radio telescopes. Rather, knowledge of God is described by terms like: immediacy We dont know how to break down the ideologies of our false identities or how to welcome others with conflicting ideologies or identities. Perceptions in these experiences name, email, and how the Bible Tells Me so, the dangers our... Ladin or Warren Jeffs for that matter ; to love as God loves means loving not just others like,! Do you think JFK could have won with that campaign statement: //infidels.org/library/modern/ed_babinski/experience.html, Speaking of the cosmos longings doesnt. 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