Blessed Contradictions
This month, Eric Peterson offers a review of Pastor Mike’s new book. The Library will have several copies available for check out once our building is back in operation. In the meantime, the book is available for purchase on Amazon.com.
Blessed Contradictions: How the Bible Contradicts and Completes Itself
by Michael Anderson Book review by Eric Peterson, Director, HSLC Adult Chancel Choir
Adapted from the forward of the book: For thirty years Pastor Mike has used the Crossways Bible Study guide, developed by Rev. Harry Wendt, to introduce many members and friends of HSLC to the Bible. This program led many of us to a form of Bible study which considers the breadth of Biblical history – how scripture is to be read as a grand, integrated story where one part of the Bible relates to other parts. Some amazing discoveries result from using this “overview” method of study, none more important than the realization that the writers of the Bible often contradict each other.
This book explores a few of the larger contradictions within the Bible. Is God transcendent (distant and separate from creation), or immanent (close to us, a part of creation)? Is God’s vision for us expressed as strict rules to be followed, or as an unrelenting call for justice, grace, kindness and forgiveness? Do we bring God’s blessing and curses down upon ourselves through our (in)actions, or is that even a question that we can answer? Does God want us to closely guard who is “allowed into the club”, or are God’s promises offered equally to everyone? Did Jesus come to emphasize God’s closeness to humanity, or to demonstrate God’s power and control over death, or to be a builder of a radically inclusive community? In the end, will humanity be subject to a separation of those saved from those lost, or is God’s vision ultimately for reconciliation of all humanity and creation?
Underpinning much of the discussion is the revelation, at least to those of us steeped exclusively in modern western culture, that only relatively recently have “truth” and “fact” been equated. Once freed from evaluating and judging based only on observable, provable facts, we as students and readers are encouraged to appreciate the valuable truths found in each side of each “blessed” contradiction. Rather than attempt to awkwardly reconcile the differences, or to choose sides in an “either/or” battle, Pastor Mike highlights that we are able to learn from and revel in a “yes/and” approach to evaluating and appreciating the sometimes wildly differing perspectives of the Biblical authors.
Beyond the historical, conceptual, and theological explorations, Pastor Mike also offers Contemporary Application discussions, showing how applying the gentler approach of blessed contradiction thinking to some of today’s apparently intractable issues can reveal startlingly simple paths to understanding.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in gaining a broader perspective on many of the “big questions” of the Bible and of our world today.
Other books Eric is reading or has recently read
Educated by Tara Westover
Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. When another brother got himself into college, Tara decided to try a new kind of life. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet
At a time when Vancouver Island was still an extremely remote and sparsely populated backwater, a young widow packed her five children into a 25-foot boat dubbed The Caprice and set off on an adventure. Summer after summer the brave young mother, who became known as "Capi," would set sail and explore the rugged coastline for months with her young crew. Although the hazards the family faced were numerous-tides, fog, storms, rapids, cougars, and even grizzlies-Capi brought them through it all. The Curve of Time is Capi's poignant, thoughtful, and poetic recollection of these days.This classic coastal tale has been a bestseller since it was first published in 1961. That was also the year of the author's death.
Dear Church: A Love Letter from a Black Preacher to the Whitest Denomination in the U.S. by Lenny Duncan
Lenny Duncan is the unlikeliest of pastors. Formerly incarcerated, he is now a black preacher in the whitest denomination in the United States: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Shifting demographics and shrinking congregations make all the headlines, but Duncan sees something else at work - drawing a direct line between the church's lack of diversity and the church's lack of vitality. The problems the ELCA faces are theological, not sociological. But so are the answers. It is time for the church to rise up, dust itself off, and take on forces of this world that act against God: whiteness, misogyny, nationalism, homophobia, and economic injustice. Duncan gives a blueprint for the way forward and urges us to follow in the revolutionary path of Jesus.
Red State Christians, Understanding the Voters who Elected Donald Trump by Angela Denker
Donald Trump, a thrice-married, no-need-of-forgiveness, blustery billionaire who rarely goes to church, won more Evangelical Christian votes than any candidate in history on his way to winning the 2016 US presidential election. Veteran journalist Angela Denker set out to uncover why, traveling the United States for a year, meeting the people who support Trump, and listening to their rationale. In Red State Christians, readers will get an honest look at the Christians who gave the presidency to the unlikeliest candidate of all time.
Sounds like Me: My Life (so far) in Song by Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles shares the joys and the struggles that come with creating great work, all while staying true to yourself. Imbued with humor and marked by Sara’s confessional writing style, this collection tells the inside story behind some of her most popular songs. More than a privileged view inside the experience of a remarkable musical talent—this is a moving tribute to the universal search for growth, healing, and self-acceptance.
Library Notes
Unless noted, all book descriptions are from Amazon.com
A complete library catalog is available at www.hslckirkland.org (under “Programs” select “Library at HSLC”)