Who Wrote the Bible...

"...if we can find God in the imperfections of our lives, then maybe we can find him in the messiness of the text."

Dr Robert Beckford - academic theologian - intrigues me in the way he constantly deconstructs his Christian faith. Asking questions that take him on a journey of discovery yet he always ends up at a place where his faith is all the stronger and believable.

I've just watched his Channel 4 documentary from 2004 Who Wrote the Bible (you can watch it here). His journey starts with his acknowledgement of the importance of the bible - where he says 'The Bible shaped what I thought, said and did. But that simple belief gave way to the realisation that it's not that simple.' I imagine that there will be those that will have watched this documentary and will have written him off as selling out. I imagine that there will be those who will have watched and who will have spat venom at his questioning and non-acceptance. I imagine that there will be those who will have watched and would have been insulted at his assumptions and incisive insinuation, those who would have felt discomfort with his analysis of the long accepted, and those who would have switched off long before his intriguing concluding statement.

"...if we can find God in the imperfections of our lives, then maybe we can find him in the messiness of the text."

The vulnerability I see in his searching as a Christian is appealing - but not often seen in a Christian Community keen to be seen with the right answer. I guess what I find appealing is that what he deconstructs he builds back and up stronger.

Comments

youthwork southwest said…
Thanks for that, Gordon. I'll try to watch it at some point (when I've got 107 minutes!!). I think this is where we have to work so hard in communicating that those who are deconstructing are doing it to reconstruct an even stronger faith. Sadly, not all "emerging" (sorry...had to use that word!) folk are good at deconstructing gracefully or even trying to reconstruct at all!

I worry about the vehmence with which Christians deal with those who dare to explore beyond the well lit highway of theology...those who dare (like the Luther's of their day) not to accept the status quo. I think many wonderful Christians would have been tried for heresy and dispatched if we were still in the middle ages!

Apologies for the long comment - hope you're well!
3:54 PM
Gordon said…
It is a bit worrying because it means that people are fearful of putting their heads above the parapet!!

We're all fine - hope you are settling well in your new role?
7:22 PM
youthwork southwest said…
Settling in really well...in many ways a whole new life...

Meeting an awful lot of very interesting people with all sorts of theology going on. Learning so so much!
7:31 AM
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