Casey and Bob Baggott, executive minister and senior minister of the Community Church of Vero Beach, recently wrote an article for TCPalm about just what it means to call one's self "Bible-believing." In contrast to those who are Biblical literalists, the Baggotts propose: . . . none of us is capable, nor do we choose, to live out every literal dictate of the Bible. Instead, all faithful people must apply some principle by which we are capable of discerning the underlying Read More …
inerrant
How Americans Interpret the Bible (#0424)
According to the latest research by Gallup, within "most major U.S. subgroups, a plurality or majority holds the view that the Bible is the inspired word of God, rather than the actual word of God or a book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts." The chart below illustrates how views of the Bible have changed over time. So What? Currently, 3 in 10 Americans are biblical literalists who believe that the Bible is the actual word of God. Preference for the literal Read More …
How Should We Read the Bible? (#0351)
Timothy Beal is Florence Harkness Professor of Religion at Case Western Reserve University and the author of twelve books and numerous articles on the cultural history of the Bible, religion and popular culture, and relations between critical theory and academic religious studies. He recently shared a portion of an essay from his latest book, The Rise and Fall of the Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book (2011), in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Read More …