Speaking Christian

by Borg, Marcus J.

• ISBN13: 9780061976551
• ISBN10: 0061976555
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-04-12
• Publisher: Harperone

Summary

Modern Christians are steeped in a language so distorted that it has become a stumbling block to the religion, says internationally renowned Bible scholar Marcus J. Borg. Borg argues that Christianity's important words, and the sacred texts and stories in which those words are embedded, have been narrowed by a modern framework for the faith that emphasizes sin, forgiveness, Jesus dying for our sins, and the afterlife. Here, Borg employs the #x1C;historical-metaphorical#x1D; method for understanding Christian language that can restore for us these words of power and transformation. For example, Redemption: now narrowly understood as Jesus saving us from sins so we can go to heaven, but in the Bible it refers to being set free from slavery. Savior: now refers to Jesus as the one who saves us from our sins, but in the Bible it has a rich and wonderful variety of meanings having nothing to do with the afterlife. Sacrifice: now refers to Jesus's death on the cross as payment for our sins, but in the Bible it is never about substitutionary payment for sin. In Speaking Christian, Borg delivers a language for twenty-first-century Christians that grounds the faith in its deep and rich original roots and allows it once again to transform our lives.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Speaking Christian	p. 5
Beyond Literalism	p. 21
Salvation	p. 35
The Bible	p. 55
God	p. 65
God's Character	p. 75
Jesus	p. 85
The Death of Jesus	p. 97
Easter	p. 107
Believing and Faith	p. 115
Mercy	p. 125
Righteousness	p. 133
Sin	p. 143
Forgiveness and Repentance	p. 153
John 3:16	p. 161
Born Again	p. 165
The Only Way	p. 171
The Ascension	p. 175
Pentecost	p. 183
The Rapture and the Second Coming	p. 189
Heaven	p. 197
The Creeds and the Trinity	p. 203
The Lord's Supper	p. 217
The Lord's Prayer	p. 223
Conclusion	p. 231
Acknowledgments	p. 239
Notes	p. 241
Discussion Questions	p. 245
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