영성, 몸-마음, 젠더, 생태, 평화 Scapbook

2021/07/18

가르침과 배움의 영성

To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey Paperback – May 28, 1993

by Parker J. Palmer (Author)

4.6 out of 5 stars 139 ratings

130 pages

This primer on authentic education explores how mind and heart can work together in the learning process. Moving beyond the bankruptcy of our current model of education, Parker Palmer finds the soul of education through a lifelong cultivation of the wisdom each of us possesses and can share to benefit others.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A phenomenon in higher education."-- "The New York Times""An eye-opening critique of contemporary approaches . . . shows in concrete forms how to be a teacher and learner in the search for truth." -- Henri J. M. Nouwen"Palmer's book will engage anyone who's involved in teaching and learning either in secular or religious institutions . . . it compels us to underline and reflect at nearly every sentence and paragraph . . . it unfolds how exciting and joyful the search for knowledge is when guided by heart-seeking teachers." -- James Sparks, University of Wisconsin, Madison"Without a doubt the most inspiring book on education I have read in a long time." -- John H. Westerhoff III, Duke University

From the Publisher

A spirituality of education that challenges teachers to move beyond conventional ideas of instruction and learning to develop vital new teaching methods incorporating insights from traditional contemplative wisdom.

About the Author

Parker J. Palmer, a popular speaker and educator, is also the author of The Active Life. He received the 1993 award for "Outstanding Service to Higher Education" from the Council of Independent Colleges.

Chapter One

Knowing Is Loving

The Violence of Our Knowledge

I have felt it myself. The glitter of nuclear weapons. It is irresistible if you come to them as a scientist. To feel it's there in your hands--to release the energy that fuels the stars. To let it do your bidding. To perform these miracles--to lift a million tons of rock into the sky. It is something that gives people an illusion of illimitable power and it is, in some ways, responsible for all our troubles, I would say--this what you might call technical arrogance that overcomes people when they see what they can do with their minds.1

These words were spoken by a celebrated physicist in The Day after Trinity, a film documentary about the team of American scientists who produced the first atomic bomb. "Trinity" was the ironic code name for that original explosion, and only on "the day after" did the scientists stop to analyze and agonize over the outcomes of their work.

The film is filled with images of horror. For me, the most horrifying is not that mushroom shape that appears in our dreams and lurks just over our waking horizon. Instead, it is the image of intelligent and educated people--the most intelligent and the best educated our society has produced-devoting themselves so enthusiastically to such demonic ends. They appear in the film as people possessed by a power beyond their control-not the power of the government that summoned their services, but the power of their knowledge itself. One scientist interviewed in the film reveals that "prior to the shot, back in the lab, there had been some speculation that it might be possible to explode the atmosphere--in which case the world disappears."2 But the "experiment" went on as scheduled, the irresistible outcome of the knowledge that made it possible.

Watching this film, reliving that history, I saw how our knowledge can carry us toward ends we want to renounce--but we renounce them only on "the day after." I understood then what Jonathan Schell says in The Fate of the Earth: "It is fundamental to the shape and character of the nuclear predicament that its origins lie in scientific knowledge rather than in social circumstances."3 I understood, too, what Robert Oppenheimer meant in his post-Hiroshima pronouncement, "The physicists have known sin."

We need images of hope to counteract our horror, knowledge of grace to counteract our knowledge of sin. That is what I want to offer in this book by describing a way of knowing and educating that might heal rather than wound us and our world. But in my spiritual life I have learned that hope and grace do not come cheap. They require honest self-scrutiny first, and then confession, an offering up of our own inner darkness to the source of forgiveness and transformation.

I am not a nuclear physicist, and I have never participated in a project with such vast implications as "Trinity," but I identify with those scientists. Their story is my story too, and when I am tempted to sit in judgment on them I am only evading the judgment that falls upon me. I value their confession of sin on a large scale because it helps me make my own confession of smaller but similar sins.

For all the differences between those scientists and me, we have one thing in common. We are well-educated people who have been schooled in a way of knowing that treats the world as an object to be dissected and manipulated, a way of knowing that gives us power over the world. With those scientists I have succumbed to the arrogance that comes when we see what our minds can do. The outcomes of my arrogance have been less than world-shaking because my powers are small. But in my own way I have used my knowledge to rearrange the world to satisfy my drive for power, distorting and deranging life rather than loving it for the gift it is.

In my late twenties, still impressed by what I could do with my mind, I wrote a book about how we know the world around us. (By grace, that book was never published--not, I suspect, because it was wrongheaded, but because my wrongheadedness was not packaged well enough to sell.) The themes of that book' may sound distant and abstract, but bear with me for a moment: I want to show how they shaped the way one educated person used his knowledge and lived his life.

In that book I argued that knowledge emerges as we impose a mental order on the chaos that surrounds us. The world, I said, presents itself to us as nothing more than a welter of sensory impressions--colors, tastes, smells, and textures; weights, heights, and lengths. To make sense of this chaos we use concepts to organize our impressions and theories to organize our concepts. The test of truth for any one of these mental constructs is simply how well it fits the data and helps us solve the intellectual or practical problem at hand.

Not only did my book imply that the world has no necessary shape or order of its own; it also suggested that the shape imposed on the world by our minds has no validity outside of a culture that happens to find that pattern congenial. Christians and Zen Buddhists, scientists and artists have different ways of ordering the world because they live in different cultures and have different problems to solve. By my scheme, knowing becomes an arbitrary process, subject only to the rules of whatever culture-game one happens to be playing at the time.

Looking back, I see how my theory of knowing helped form (or deform) my sense of who I was and how I was related to the world.

Customer Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars 139 ratings

Parker J. Palmer

Biography

PARKER J. PALMER is a writer, teacher, and activist whose work speaks deeply to people in many walks of life. He is founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, as well as 13 honorary doctorates, 2 Distinguished Achievement Awards from the National Educational Press Association, and an Award of Excellence from the Associated Church Press. In 1998, the Leadership Project, a national survey of 10,000 educators, named him one of the 30 most influential senior leaders in higher education and one of the 10 key agenda-setters of the past decade. In 2010, he was given the William Rainey Harper Award (previously won by Margaret Mead, Marshall McLuhan, Paulo Freire, and Elie Wiesel). In 2011, the Utne Reader named him as one of "25 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World.” For two decades years, the Accrediting Commission for Graduate Medical Education has given annual Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” and “Courage to Lead” Awards to directors of exemplary medical residency programs. "Living the Questions: Essays Inspired by the Work and Life of Parker J. Palmer," was published in 2005. Born and raised in the Chicago area, he lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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Zach

5.0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal book on knowing (epistemology) and teaching!

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2019

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Parker Palmer has written out a fascinating and engaging approach to teaching that unearths the epistemological foundation of that endeavor. Though his approach and points are not necessarily “Christian,” I think his religious background does provide some key values and practices that can uniquely enable and encourage the growth he is calling for in this book. One of the themes which cuts through the book is Palmer’s pushback against and objectivist approach to the world. He really advocates for a personal and relational approach to knowing. He talks about engaging truth in troth, in a sort of covenanted, promissory way that trusts and believes in the relationship with truth.

By the end of the book Palmer is saying some things which might almost feel reminiscent of the “monk in a cave” sort of mysterious talk about knowing and truth, but by the time he gets to those statements he’s established a foundational understanding of what knowing is, so the statements feel less “monkish” and more a pleading to know in this way.

One of the best aspects of this book is its length – it is not very long. The edition (1993) I had was barely 125 pages, with most chapters falling around the 15 page mark. The writing, though rich, is not too deep. This is a book I would highly recommend any teacher (especially high school teachers and above), and I think it would also provide some very good concepts and ideas (and practices) for pastors and church leaders/teachers. All in all, even if you are not a Christian, I think you can take away some really excellent things from this book about what it means to know (epistemology).

thelifemosaic

4.0 out of 5 stars My First Parker Palmer Book and NOT My Last!

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2013

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This is the first book I've read by Parker Palmer although I've read essays, chapter excerpts, and several authors who cite him several times over the years. I was excited to have a full work by Mr. Palmer to take in and I found it exceptional even if I perhaps found myself perplexed from time to time (I'm sure Mr. Palmer would say that's a good thing).

Immediately, Mr. Palmer presents a central metaphor of learning to do life "whole" by opening both the mind's eye which sees "a world of fact and reason" and the eye of the heart to see "a world warmed and transformed by the power of love." (Intro) A teacher, then, uses both eyes and becomes a "mediator between the knower and the unknown." (29) All throughout the book Palmer lends sound wisdom and keen insight into teaching in meaning-filled and meaning-creating ways. He reminds the reader of the need for a learning space to be one that has openness, boundaries, and hospitality. (70) Conventional classrooms offer hurdles of "hidden curriculum" to rethink such as focusing on someone else's (teacher's) vision of reality, a hesitation to be held up for inspection and scrutiny as the teacher / authority / expert, and a structure set up to build isolation easily and often. (34-39) No-brainer wisdom? Perhaps, yet Mr Parker presents these pieces in a whole that is unified in tone and written in accessible, beautiful prose that won't leave the reader saying, "I already knew that!" but instead, "Of course!"

This quote particularly struck me as something I've articulated several times in my life: "Several times in my teaching career I have become someone else's student, and each time the experience has had a marked impact on my own teaching. I was forcefully reminded that education is not just a cognitive process, not just the transmission of facts and reasons." (115) This duality is yet again a way Palmer hopes people will see the value in being a "whole person" seeing and living with both eyes open. It was as if Mr. Palmer looked at my life mixed with playing the student and the teacher role and said, "I know exactly what you mean."

As for occasionally feeling perplexed, I think I was surprised by how often I felt like the text was non-succinct even thought it has a relatively short page count and narrow focus. I had to fight moments when I was tempted to think, "Yes, you said that; please move on." One example is the story of Abba Felix which, while a great story, runs through the book more like a thick scratchy rope than a thread and while I was captivated by the many examples and stories in chapters 5-6 I had to push myself in earlier chapters. With that said, there are too many gems in this book to dismiss it as rough. Thanks for reading.

4 people found this helpful

Alex Tang

4.0 out of 5 stars Knowing as a Journey

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2006

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In a time when the morale of the teaching profession in most countries is at an all time low, Palmer's book stand out as a beacon to warn and draw our attention to what education is truly about. The story about Abba Felix and that there are `no more words nowadays' stands at the heart of this book. In this short story about a Desert Father, Palmer has developed a spirituality of education in which obedience to God's words will lead to spiritual formation of the teacher and the student.

First, Palmer rightly pointed out that objectivism and the pursuit of knowledge without reflection is dangerous. His illustration with the Manhattan project is instructive. However, he should have included the societal, economic and cultural influences in his argument. One of the problems with education today is that instead of being a process of `reunification and reconstruction of broken selves and world', it became a means to obtaining `paper'qualifications. Education has been hijacked to be an instrument in which students can achieve economic success and teachers became clogs in the machine that produce thousands of graduates annually who are only skilled in passing examinations.

Second, he mentioned `a learning space' as an antidote to `objectivist' teaching methods. This learning space has openness, boundaries and hospitality. I wonder how Palmer would translate that into an Asian context. Openness, boundaries and hospitality will be difficult in a culture of shame (`saving face') and hierarchal respect for elders, social ranks and qualifications.

Finally, `transformation of teaching must begin in the transformed heart of the teacher'. Palmer listed the disciplines of studying widely, silence, solitude and prayer as important in bringing about this transformation. However Palmer painted a bland picture of a `generic' God as the focus of these disciplines. I would that he be more Trinitarian in his approach.

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Lucy Skywalker

5.0 out of 5 stars What a definition of teaching!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2014

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Here are the book's Contents:

1. Knowing Is Loving

2. Education as Spiritual Formation

3. The Teaching Behind the Teaching

4. What Is Truth?

5. To Teach Is to Create a Space . . .

6. . . . In Which Obedience to Truth Is Practiced

7. The Spiritual Formation of Teachers

"To teach is to create a space . . . in which Obedience to Truth is practiced" - this is the most stunning aphorism of teaching I've ever encountered. For that alone I would award five stars.

This is a much-needed statement that redeems the heart of teaching in a materialistic, state-dependent educational setup. This book gently and powerfully leads us to reconnect with our own lost / forgotten / unnoticed / denied / hidden heart. Only out of such a place of love of honesty and truth can one grow in understanding and stature as a teacher, keep studying the universe with passion - and keep sharing the precious journey of discovery with integrity.

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フィリップ＆ティモシィー

5.0 out of 5 stars 「霊性」と「教育」を見事に関連付けた良書

Reviewed in Japan on October 16, 2008

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近代教育学は「学習者が学ぶべき事柄を客観的に見つめる」ことを要請してきた。それを１８０度転換し、両者の人格的関係に気づいてこそ、本来の学習が成立するとした。「霊性の涵養」と「教育」の問題を見事に結びつけた良書。邦訳と照らし合わせると更に興味深い学びがなされる。

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가르침과 배움의 영성 (반양장)

파커 J. 파머 (지은이),이종태 (옮긴이)IVP2014-12-12

원제 : To Know as We Are

책소개오늘날 교육에서 영성의 새로운 회복을 제안한다. <삶이 내게 말을 걸어올 때>의 저자 파커 팔머가 오늘날 교육의 위기를 지배욕과 호기심에서 찾고 앎과 가르침과 배움의 영역에서 영성을 다시금 주목한다. 사막 교부들과 수도원, 퀘이커교도 등의 전통에서 영성 훈련을 찾아 소개하는 등 기독교적 지식관, 진리관, 교수 방법 등에 대한 통찰을 담고 있다.

그 외 그리스도인 교사의 영성 훈련과 실제 수업 진행을 위한 방법론적 예시 등 수업 운영에 대한 제안도 담고 있다. 2000년 출간된 책의 개정판이다.

한국어판 서문

1993년판 서문_교육에서의 공동체 회복

감사의 글

들어가며

1. 안다는 것은 사랑한다는 것이다

2. 영성 형성으로서의 교육

3. 가르침 배후에 숨겨진 가르침

4. 진리란 무엇인가?

5. 가르침이란 공간을 창조하는 일이다

6. 진리에 대한 순종이 실천되는 공간

7. 가르치는 이의 영성 형성

주

인명·주제 색인

책속에서

교육의 영성에 대한 책, 그것도 기독교적 관점에서 쓰인 이 책이 무슨 이유로 그렇게 다양한 독자들에게 읽혔던 것일까? 나는 그것이 부분적으로, 이 책은 다른 전통들을 존중하며 그들로부터 배울 자세를 갖춘 영성을 제공한다는 사실 때문이기를 바란다. 그러나 나는 더 근본적인 이유가 있음을 알고 있다. 그것은 어떤 분야든 오늘날 모든 교육자들은 극심한 고통에 처해 있기 때문이다. 그 고통으로 인해 그들은 새로운 곳에서 도움을 찾게 되었던 것이다.…나는 교육 전체게 스며 있는 이러한 고통을 ‘단절의 고통’이라고 부른다. (...) 영적 전통은 그러한 고통중에 있는 우리에게 다른 곳에서는 발견되기 어려운 희망을 제공할 수 있다. - 본문 중에서 접기

박성용 성서의 텍스트를 통한 평화영성 사색 첫 번째 언어의 근원과 목적

(6) Facebook

박성용

<성서의 텍스트를 통한 평화영성 사색 첫 번째>

언어의 근원과 목적

내가 너희에게 한 말은 영적인 것이며 생명이다.(요6:63하)

우리가 쓰는 말은 단순히 정보를 교환하거나, 이의나 논쟁이 있을 때 설득이나 가르침을 주기 위하거나, 일이나 과제를 실현하기 위한 소통의 기능만을 갖는 것은 아니다. 사실, 내가 쓰는 언어를 어떻게 생각하는가는 자신과 타자를 어떻게 생각하고, 어느 정도의 수준에서 상대를 그리고 나 자신을 대하고 있는지를 드러내기도 한다.

그러한 기계적인 기능을 넘어서 인격적인 차원을 말에 부여할 때, 말이 지닌 사고의 내용 전달을 넘어 상대와 나 자신이 보이기 시작한다. 물론, 기계적인 기능도 사고의 내용을 전달하고, 이를 알아들음으로써 관계를 형성하는 데 도움이 되고 사회의 유기적인 질서를 세우고 유지하는 데 어느 정도 도움이 되는 것은 사실이다. 적어도 말이 장벽(barriers)이 아니라 창문(windows)의 기능을 함으로써 두려움과 불안을 제거할 수 있기 때문이다.

말이 창문의 기능을 할 때 비로소 우리는 상대방의 모습이 보이고, 그의 모습에 대응하는 나 자신의 모습이 보이게 된다. 이것이 말이 지닌 인격적인 차원이다. 상대방의 얼굴과 전신이 보이기 시작한다는 것은 경이로운 일이다. 왜냐하면 우리는 종종 상대방의 면전에서 사고의 내용에 빠져들어 상대방의 모습을 잃거나 보고 있지 않기 때문이다.

말의 인격적인 차원을 더 들어가 보면 더 ‘깊이’에서 말이 지닌 본래적인 차원과 말 자체가 달을 가리키는 손가락처럼 존재론적인 차원이 있다. 이는 말이 지닌 껍질이 벗겨져서 그 알짬이 드러나는 차원이다. 그것은 성스러움(영적인 것)과 상대방을 세우고 살리기(생명)라는 존재론적이며 구원론적인 차원을 언어가 어떻게 담아서 노출시킬 수 있는가 하는 근원적인 것이다.

정보의 소통이라는 기능적인 측면과 상대방을 잘 대우해 주는 친절한 차원인 인격적인 측면을 넘어 기독교 비폭력 실천가들은 언어의 가장 본질적인 측면인 성스러움과 살아있음의 영역을 어떻게 개인, 조직, 사회에서 드러낼 것인지를 도전받는다. 왜냐하면 폭력은 바로 이 두 기준에 대한 결여나 반작용으로 나타나는 것이기 때문이다.

영적인 것 즉 성스러움은 다양한 의미로 해석될 수 있겠으나, 적어도 한 가지 핵심은 자기 정체성에 있어서 죄, 실패, 결핍, 두려움이 없는 참자아/영혼(“내면의 빛”)을 뜻한다. 생명은 참자아/영혼이라는 본성이 세상(타자와의 관계)에서 활동하는 이치와 그 힘을 의미한다. 즉, 타자에게도 그러한 성스러움의 에너지가 공급(giving)되어 스스로 일어서고, 자기 자신이 되며, 힘을 내어 살아가게 하는 차원을 뜻한다. 요한복음의 이 영과 생명이라는 두 단어는 누가복음에서는 각각 영광과 평화로 표현한다. 신적인 아들/딸됨으로서의 영광과 비유를 통해 거짓신념의 오류 교정과 질병의 치유로 얻는 평화가 그것이다.

이렇게 내가 하는 말이 영적이고 생명을 주는 차원을 담고 있으려면, 말하는 자로서 ‘나됨(I-am-ness)’의 기반이 내적으로 형성되어야 가능하다. 즉, 말하고 있는 ‘나’는 사고나 기억이 아니라 실재에 연결된 ‘존재(I am)’일 필요가 있다. 말하는 주인공이 사고나 기억이 아니라 존재가 말하는 이가 되려면 적어도 한 가지 필요한 것은 판단을 하는 ‘머리’에서 심장으로부터 말하기(speaking from the heart)가 연습되어야 가능해진다.

자극에 대한 충동적인 반응이나 머리의 판단이 작동하는 속도를 점차 줄이고, 가슴으로부터 말하기를 시도함으로써 우리는 점차 사고가 말하지 않고 심장이 말하는 존재력을 회복할 수 있다. 그렇게 함으로서 점차 영과 생명이 머물 수 있는 공간을 심장에 마련하게 된다.

(2021.7.18.)

1 comment

황필규

빈들녁~

말은 대화는 창문이 되어야, 영과 생명( 영광과 평화), 판단의 머리가 아닌 가슴의 언어로 말하기, 주일 아침에 나됨을 위한 성찰의 단상에 감사합니다.

알라딘: 동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색

동학의 재해석과 신문명의 모색

김용해,김용휘,성해영,정혜정,조성환 (지은이)모시는사람들2021-05-31

288쪽

책소개

다섯 명의 학자가 “회심, 소통, 공동체, 생태, 영성”이라는 키워드를 중심으로 동학과 서양의 여러 사상적 맥락을 교차시켜 가며 재해석하고, 이를 토대로 신문명을 모색하는 작업을 담아냈다. 동학을 한쪽 축에 놓고 그리스도교(회심), 신비주의(소통), 사회주의(공동체), 토마스 베리(생태), 인도의 오르빈드(영성) 등을 배치하여 두 사상의 접점을 찾아 가는 과정에서 상호 이해와 내적 심화-확장을 통한 창조적 재해석이 일어난다.

이들 동학과 서학의 만남과 그로부터 파생한 제 사상은 수세기에 걸친 세계사의 갈등과 격변을 야기하는 과정과도 맞물린 것으로, 오늘의 세계가 새로운 지구적-인류적 과제에 직면한 상황에서 성실하게 공부하고 실행해야 하는 지혜를 제공해 준다.

회심/김용해

회심이 왜 중요한가?―동학 천도교와 그리스도교의 대화

1. 서언: 회심과 시대정신

2. 종교와 회심

3. 회심 여정의 전제조건들

4. 회심의 동인(動因): 초월과 은총

5. 결언: 동귀일체를 향한 회심

소통/성해영

인간 내면에서 찾은 소통의 근거―동학의 신비주의적 보편성과 윤리성

1. 서언: 소통과 공존의 근거를 찾아서

2. 수운 최제우와 동학, 그리고 종교적 돌파구의 모색

3. 수운 최제우의 종교적 해답

4. 수운의 종교적 보편주의와 종교 다원주의

5. 결언: 인간 내면에서 찾는 역설적 중심

공동체/정혜정

동학의 신문화운동과 공동체론―서구 자본주의에 대한 대응을 중심으로

1. 서언: 인류의 위기와 자본주의

2. 중국 신문화운동 통찰과 조선 신문화수립의 방안

3. 이동곡의 조선 신문화건설론과 서구 문예부흥운동

4. 이창림의 동양 신문화수립과 한살림 공동체

5. 결언: 인내천의 사상혁명과 한살림 공동체

생태/조성환

생태문명에 관한 동서양의 대화―토마스 베리와 해월 최시형을 중심으로

1. 서언: 관점의 개벽

2. 현대인의 우주상실과 지구소외

3. 토마스 베리의 지구인문학

4. 해월 최시형의 생태문명론

5. 결언: 지구를 공경하는 신앙

영성/김용휘

오로빈도와 최제우의 인간 완성과 새로운 문명의 길

1. 서언: 전환이 이미 시작되었다

2. 스리 오로빈도의 사상과 신문명론

3. 동학과 신문명론

4. 비교: 새로운 문명의 비전과 의식의 진화

5. 결언: 과제와 전망

접기

책속에서

P. 63 회심이란 인간의 마음을 한울님(하느님 또는 절대지평)께 돌려 합치시켜 한울님의 뜻을 이루기 위해, 자신의 인식과 능력의 한계 속에서도 자신이 관계 맺고 있는 다양한 영역에서 더 큰 책임을 지려는 내적 결단이자 실행이라 할 수 있다. 이러한 회심의 수행은 의미 내용적 차원에서 그리스도교와 동학 천도교에서 핵심이라는 점에서 공통적이라는 사실을 확인하였다. 동학 천도교의 비전을 인간의 한울님과의 소통성, 천지인 삼재의 일체성, 모든 존재자의 평등성, 행위 주체로서의 인간의 소명으로 요약하였는데 우리는 이 비전을 관통하는 지향이 곧 회심의 수행임을 이해하게 되었다. 접기

P. 77 수운의 종교적 해답은 다음에서 살펴볼 세 가지 구체적인 주장으로 이루어져 있다. 첫째, 보편주의적 진리관이다. 수운은 동서양의 모든 문명이 동일한 천도(天道)를 소유한다고 굳게 믿었다. 그리고 동일한 천도가 시공의 맥락에 부합하도록 각기 다르게 표현된 것이 동서양의 다양한 종교라는 입장을 견지했다. 둘째, 개인 체험에 근거한 신비주의의 강조이다. 수운에 따르면 보편적 천도는 우리 모두의 내면에서 발견될 수 있다. 그 점에서 우리 모두는 어느 문명에 속해 있든지 간에 동일한 천도에 가 닿을 수 있는 존귀함을 태생적으로 가진 존재이다. 셋째, 실천적 윤리의 강조이다. 수운은 각자가 자신의 내면에서 체득한 보편적인 천도를 현실에서 구현하는 일이 무엇보다 중요하다고 역설했다. 접기

P. 117 수운이 품었던 꿈은 비록 현실에서 좌절되었지만 오늘날에도 여전히 통찰의 원천이 될 수 있다. 우리는 종교의 다름이 빚어내는 갈등과 긴장을 경험 중이며, 종교가 더욱 전면적으로 만나게 될 미래에 불협화음은 커질 위험이 있다. 그러니 수운의 종교적 보편주의는 매력적이다. 또 그가 종교의 제도화된 형식이 아닌, 인간 종교성의 근원에 가 닿으려 했다는 점도 중요하다. ‘무종교의 종교(religion of no religion)’나 ‘영적이지만 종교적이지 않은(Spiritual But Not Religious)’과 같은 표현이 암시하듯, 제도 종교 밖에서 인간의 종교성을 발견하려는 움직임이 본격화된 상황에서 수운의 가르침은 새로운 돌파구를 제시할 수 있다. 접기

P. 160 이창림은 동학을 “민중의 철학”으로 규정했다. 일찍이 수운 최제우는 ‘새로운 세상의 개벽(新世開闢)’을 창도하여 조선민중뿐만 아니라 장차 세계 민중에까지 계급해방운동의 길을 개척하는 민중철학을 전개하였다는 것이다. 동학은 사회의 부패, 혼돈, 암흑 속에서 죽어 가는 모든 민중에게 「새 세상은 다 잘 살아보자」고 외치는 고함소리로 계급투쟁의 전선에 나서서 갑오동학농민혁명(1894), 갑진개화운동(1904), 3·1운동(1919)의 대 풍운을 일으켰다. 그리하여 민중운동과 계급해방의 새로운 길을 열어나갔던 것이 동학이다. 접기

P. 208 동학을 사상적 차원에서 좀 더 깊게 들여다보면, 단순히 외세에 대한 ‘항거’나 정치적 ‘혁명’의 수준에 머물러 있었던 것만은 아님을 알 수 있다. 동학이 표방한 ‘개벽’은 보다 큰 ‘문명전환’의 차원을 말하기 때문이다. 무엇보다도 ‘개벽’이라는 말 자체가 ‘시대의 전환’이라는 메시지를 담고 있다. 이러한 점에서 개벽을 표방한 동학을 ‘한국적 근대’라고 부르기도 한다. ‘modern’의 번역어로서의 ‘근대’에는 ‘새로운 시대’라는 의미가 담겨 있기 때문이다. 다만 여기에서 주의할 점은, 이때의 ‘근대’가 서구 유럽이 추구한 ‘근대’와 반드시 일치하지는 않았다는 점이다. 동학농민혁명이 ‘척왜양’을 외쳤다면, 오히려 동학이 지향한 근대는 그것과는 반대의 성격을 지니고 있었으리라는 점은 쉽게 짐작할 수 있다. 접기

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ - Kindle edition by Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney, Richards, E. Randolph. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ - Kindle edition by Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney, Richards, E. Randolph. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ Kindle Edition
by David B. Capes (Author), Rodney Reeves (Author), & 1 more Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

Who is your Jesus? Matthew's teacher? John's Word made flesh? Hebrews' great high priest? What if it turned out that your Jesus is a composite of your favorite selections from the New Testament buffet, garnished with some Hollywood and Americana?

Rediscovering Jesus takes us on a gallery tour of biblical portraits of Jesus, from Matthew through Revelation. Our expert guides point out the background and highlights of each New Testament image of Jesus. Then we hit the streets to visit other houses of worship and their scriptures, examining the Jesus of the Book of Mormon and the Qur'an. Popping into a bookstore, we browse the latest on the Gnostic and the historical Jesus. Then we're off on a walking tour of Jesus in America, followed by a film festival of Jesus movies.

All along the way our tour guides describe and interpret, but also raise questions: How is this Jesus different from other portraits? If this were our only portrait of Jesus, what would our faith be like?

Rediscovering Jesus is an enjoyable, informative and challenging look at how we encounter Jesus in Scripture and our culture. With ample sidebars exploring contexts and the "so what?" questions, it takes us beyond other surveys by probing how our understanding of Jesus can make a difference for faith and life. From the authors of Rediscovering Paul, this is a textbook introduction to Jesus that guides us in our pilgrimage toward seeing Jesus truly.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(I) found myself deeply engaged in a beautifully written, biblically sound, and theologically informed book on the person of Jesus. . . . I highly recommend this book for audiences of all sorts. I can see myself using it as a supplementary textbook to a course on Jesus or the Gospels. I can also see this material being implemented in a local ministry setting at a book study or Bible study. Do yourself a favor and go order a copy."-- Mike Skinner, Cruciform Theology, September 12, 2015

"Although written as a textbook, this work will benefit pastors, church leaders, and all students―formal and informal―who wish to understand Jesus more deeply."-- Kelley Mathews, Bible Study Magazine, Jan/Feb 2016

"I recommend Rediscovering Jesus wholeheartedly. It was a phenomenally interesting read, and one which will challenge you to rethink how you have conceived of Jesus, while calling readers back to biblical portrayals. I can't really recommend it highly enough."-- J.W. Wartick, "Always Have a Reason", November 2, 2015 --This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Review

"The more Jesus we present the more gospel we present. Rediscovering Jesus is on that list of what I can enthusiastically recommend that is pure gospel! In this book you will encounter one description after another that is shaped by and focused on Jesus himself. What a gift this book is to the church and school!"-- Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament, Northern Seminary --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

David B. Capes is professor of New Testament in the department of theology at Houston Baptist University. Rodney Reeves is dean of the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies, Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. E. Randolph Richards is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies, Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. Together they have also written Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology (IVP Academic).

Rodney Reeves (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Southwest Baptist University, both in Bolivar, Missouri. Previously a pastor with churches in Arkansas and Texas, Reeves is author or coauthor of A Genuine Faith: How to Follow Jesus Today, Spirituality According to Paul: Imitating the Apostle of Christ and Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to his World, Letters and Theology. His articles have appeared in journals such as Perspectives in Religious Studies, Biblical Illustrator, Southwestern Journal of Theology and Preaching.

E. Randolph Richards (PhD, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean and professor of biblical studies in the School of Ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is a popular speaker and has authored and coauthored dozens of books and articles including Rediscovering Jesus, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, Rediscovering Paul, The Story of Israel and Paul and First-Century Letter Writing. Early on in their ministry he and his wife Stacia were appointed as missionaries to east Indonesia, where he taught for eight years at an Indonesian seminary. Missions remain on the hearts of Randy and Stacia. Randy leads mission trips and conducts missionary training workshops and regularly leads tours of the Holy Land, Turkey, Greece and Italy. He has served as interim pastor of numerous churches and is currently a teaching pastor. He and Stacia reside in Palm Beach, Florida.--This text refers to the hardcover edition.
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013U7NNWG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Academic (August 8, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 8, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1812 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0830824723
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,555 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
#1,138 in Religious Studies - Comparative Religion
#1,280 in Christology (Kindle Store)
#1,298 in Jesus, the Gospels & Acts (Kindle Store)
Customer Reviews:
4.6 out of 5 stars 28 ratings

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Sweetwater Larry
5.0 out of 5 stars 14 Different Views of Jesus in the New Testament and BeyondReviewed in the United States on November 14, 2016
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In the first section of the book, the three Bible-professor authors show the New Testament has eight distinctive portraits of Jesus as painted by a variety of first century writers. This enables the reader to see the individual perspectives of the author of each Gospel as well as that of St. Paul, those who wrote other epistles, and the author of Revelation. In the familiar analogy of several witnesses to an accident or other public event, we can see different understandings of Jesus as each reporter tells things a bit differently from the others. Each chapter includes a section that asks how we would think of Jesus if this one writing were the only interpretation we had of Him. The second section follows a similar pattern with six post-biblical pictures of Jesus: Gnostics in the early Christian centuries who saw Jesus either as not truly man or not truly God; Muslim, Mormons, Enlightenment scholars who seek the historical Jesus outside the pages of the Bible; the Jesus of movies, and the All-American Jesus. The writers of this book combine scholarship and wit in their high view of the inspiration of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Though written to answer questions their college students asked, thoughtful non-collegians can also read it with benefit.

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JR. Forasteros
5.0 out of 5 stars Like Meeting Jesus for the First Time, All Over AgainReviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015
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Everyone has a "composite Jesus". By reading each NT picture of Jesus separately, examining how this Jesus is unique, and then imagining how Christianity would be different if this were our only Jesus, the authors help us to see how we have constructed our own composite Jesuses (Jesi?).

The second section of the book is even more beautiful, as the authors examine non-Christian portraits of Jesus honestly and respectfully.

This is a great book that will cause you to reexamine your picture of Jesus, enrich your faith, and sharpen your ability to engage those whose belief differs from yours.

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dxrxkediri
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book full of insights, challenges and direction!! Highly recommend!Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015
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Excellent book full of insights, challenges and direction. Thanks! I am giving this to our pastor so I expect some sermon insights in upcoming sermons.

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Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
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Thoroughly enjoying the book.

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David Shaffer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five StarsReviewed in the United States on October 22, 2015
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Excellent and thought provoking!

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Deb Mc
5.0 out of 5 stars Reid preach at our church and this book is wonderful!! Highly recommend itReviewed in the United States on August 17, 2016
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We had the privilege of having Dr. Reid preach at our church and this book is wonderful!! Highly recommend it; the seller was quick to deliver and book was in great condition.

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sojotheo
5.0 out of 5 stars An inviting book that will make you ponder long and hard about your understanding of JesusReviewed in the United States on February 15, 2016

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious, and Cultural Perspectives on Christ by David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, and E. Randolph Richards is a calculated investigation into nearly every corner of today’s Christological landscape. The perspectives presented in this book are numerous and the presentation is everything but boring. From the opening pages, the authors captivate the reader with illustrative narratives that are easily relatable and appropriately placed.

Each chapter of the book has three specific parts. First, the authors seek to clarify who Jesus is in relation to a particular perspective discussed. Second, the authors aim to articulate the more unique features of Jesus from within that perspective and how it is distinctive. Third, the authors attempt to discuss a hypothetical situation where that perspective of Jesus is the only perspective available to the conversation.

Rediscovering Jesus is divided into two major parts: (1) Jesus in the Bible and (2) Jesus outside the Bible. In the former, the authors guide the reader through the New Testament as they examine the portrait of Jesus painted in (1) Mark, (2) Matthew, (3) Luke-Acts, (4) John, (5) Pauline literature, (6) Hebrews, (7) James, Peter, and Jude, and (8) Revelation. In the latter, the reader is guided through various sketches of Jesus in (9) Gnostic literature, (10) the Quran, (11) history, (12) Mormonism, (13) America, and (14) the cinema.

The authors are sensitive to the fact that the majority understanding of Jesus is traceable back to either Paul, John, or some closely knit combination of both. I found the work shown on this observation to be accurate and important to the topic. The authors provide excellent guidance through each New Testament book. The discussion is informative and displays a keen eye of surveillance regarding the variegated portraits of Jesus presented therein—especially when one considers some of the more unusual books surveyed.

As the attention is directed to religious and cultural views of Jesus outside the Bible. I personally found the selection of perspectives for this section interesting and well-intended. Each of these perspectives could be encountered with some level of frequency by the average Christian in America, and the conversation and examination are all too appropriate. Still, I would have loved to have seen a chapter on the Jehovah Witnesses or Judaism. Of course, I am well aware that perspectives of Jesus outside the Bible could produce a volume much longer than that here.

There are a number of things about this book that I really enjoyed. First and foremost, it was extremely readable and highly engaging. I found myself unable to put it down as I became more familiar with the format and anticipated the outcome of each chapter. Second, I really thought the authors made an excellent choice to wrestle with the hypothetical of each perspective being our only source of information about Jesus. It was well-thought and interesting to ponder. Third, each chapter has a number of call-out boxes that provide additional content on the specific perspective that is both informationally and practically oriented.

Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious, and Cultural Perspectives on Christ by David B. Capes, Rodney Reeves, and E. Randolph Richards is an easy candidate for a supplementary textbook for a seminary course. However, this does not mean that it is purely an academic work. In fact, you will find that it is quite the opposite. Rediscovering Jesus is an inviting book that will make you ponder long and hard about your understanding of Jesus—or lack thereof. If you are interested in a book that will challenge you to contemplate your answer to Jesus’ question—who do you say that I am?—then this is a book you will indeed not want to miss.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible - Kindle edition by Richards, E. Randolph, O'Brien, Brandon J.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible - Kindle edition by Richards, E. Randolph, O'Brien, Brandon J.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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What was clear to the original readers of Scripture is not always clear to us. Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:

When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.

Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himself."

Western individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.

Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways.

Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Whether rules over relationships or correctness over community, respective Western and non-Western worldviews may differ on appropriate conduct, discretion, and exceptions. Randolph and O'Brien write with grace and clarity. Though evangelical, they steer clear of moral or political agendas and give no hint of anti-Western sentiments; they even suggest someone write a complementary sequel: Misreading Scripture with Eastern Eyes. Their extensive range of biblical and contemporary samples makes this an excellent resource for confessional Bible study contexts or an entry-level textbook in undergraduate courses on biblical interpretation."-- Martin W. Mittelstadt, Religious Studies Review 39, no. 2, June 2013

"Written in engaging prose, Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is a must-have for students of the Bible, and especially students of biblical apologetics. Any seasoned traveler knows that when someone visits a foreign country for the first time, he or she will be well served by a competent guide. When it comes to the social world of the Bible, Richards and O'Brien serve as tour guides par excellence."-- James Patrick Holding, Christian Research Journal 36, no. 5

"For many, [this] book will offer a dose of humility with hope. One is encouraged to admit, 'I don't know' while at the same time is spurred on to study the Bible more. Missionaries will be challenged to think more theologically and to listen respectfully to nationals who live around them. Theologians will be forced to consider how the adage 'context is king' applies to their own worldview. This is a perfect book to discuss within small groups at church or as teams on the mission field."-- Jackson Wu, Evangelical Missions Quarterly, July 2013

"This is an outstanding treatment of a complex and important topic. . . . This would make a good textbook for courses in hermeneutics or biblical interpretation, cultural studies, prolegomena, or theological method, as well as small-group studies in a local church. The book is written at a level that educated laypeople as well as pastors, teachers, and scholars will find helpful."-- Glenn Rl. Kreider, Bibliotheca Sacra, October–December 2013

"A politely confrontational book that bids you trade in your cultural spectacles and rethink how your worldview distorts your scriptural conclusions. Sex, money, food, self-focus, prejudices, and much more: developed with apt storytelling and enlightening examples."-- Worship Leader Magazine, May 2013

"A fascinating guide for any serious Bible reader! Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes reveals the 'habits of the mind' that might blind us to the Bible's intended message. Richards and O'Brien unpack the intricacies and nuances of cultural communication to help people better understand the Bible. To help you know--and live--the Christian life more faithfully."-- Nikki Toyama-Szeto, Urbana program director, coauthor of Partnering with the Global Church

"Richards and O'Brien open our eyes to the crosscultural nature of the Bible. Their book is a helpful resource in understanding Scripture on its own terms, without imposing our assumptions on the biblical authors and their first readers."-- Lindsay Olesberg, author, The Bible Study Handbook, and senior associate for Scripture engagement, Lausanne Movement

"The authors of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes make a convincing case that those who trust in the Bible should (for biblical reasons) be more self-conscious about themselves. Their demonstration of how unself-conscious mores influence the understanding of Scripture is as helpful as the many insights they draw from Scripture itself. This is a good book for better understanding ourselves, the Christian world as it now exists and the Bible."-- Mark A. Noll, Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History, University of Notre Dame, coauthor, Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia

"Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes is an important book that comes along at a critical moment in global evangelical history. Helpful examples reveal our cultural tendencies and biases that could hinder a deeper reading of Scripture. The authors help us to recognize our blind spots and offer insight that honors the intention of Scripture to be read in the context of community. I am grateful to the authors for their effort to be self-reflective and engage in a critical examination of our engagement with Scripture from within Western culture."-- Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary, author of The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity

"This is a revolutionary book for evangelical Bible-believers. If its readers end the book motivated to ask the questions it invites and even inspired to identify other possible misreadings because of Western cultural blinders that have not been discussed, they will be more ready to live out the kind of biblically faithful, Christ-honoring and God-fearing lives that they desire to and that the world needs."-- Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia

"Randy Richards and Brandon O'Brien have written a useful and enjoyable book, which makes excellent use of good stories to illustrate the points they make. The reader will leave the book with plenty of challenging questions to ask about approaches to Scripture. Interesting, thoughtful, and user-friendly."-- Philip Jenkins, distinguished professor of history, co-director for the program on historical studies of religion, Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, author of The Next Christendom --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
About the Author

E. Randolph Richards (Ph.D., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is dean of the School of Ministry and professor of biblical studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida. He is a coauthor of Rediscovering Paul and the author of Paul and First-Century Letter Writing.

Brandon J. O'Brien is editor-at-large for Leadership and an instructor of religion at the College of DuPage. He is completing his doctorate in theological studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. O'Brien is the author of The Strategically Small Church.--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
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Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BL3JXYE
Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Books (July 31, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 31, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 629 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 241 pages

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Top reviews from the United States

James Veihdeffer
2.0 out of 5 stars Misreading Indonesian Culture with Western EyesReviewed in the United States on July 12, 2018
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While very earnest and well-meaning, this book would be more aptly titled: "Misreading Indonesian Culture with Western Eyes." This is because the book continually references Indonesian culture with Western culture in order to show how things — words, events, customs — can mean very different things in different parts of the world. This is certainly an admirable goal and the book makes a very strong case for multicultural understanding. But it’s basically Anthropology 101. This would be great if we were studying anthropology, but the book promises, and mainly fails to deliver, much in the way of understanding biblical scriptures in any meaningful way. (There is at least one notable exception…below). Lack of a subject index is particularly vexing, esp. considering there is an author index, a scripture index and footnotes.

The authors, both well-credentialed evangelistic theologians, have each spent significant time in various locales ranging from Arkansas (Brandon) to Indonesia (Randy) and use their experiences in far-flung stations to make good points about how an expression in one place is interpreted quite differently in others. “The most powerful cultural values are those that go without being said” (12). Unfortunately, most of the cross-cultural examples come from 21st century Indonesia (Randy), not 1st century Palestine. Arguably, the collectivist, family-oriented Indonesia of 2002 is a good place to make a case for not assuming that all people understand things the same way, but gives little insight into what may have been going on in Nazareth 2,000 years ago. Although there are hundreds of scriptural references, from Genesis to Revelations, very few of them actually provide any insight into how we moderns are supposedly misreading scripture based on our 21st century mores. And many of the putative insights are little more than minute, nitpicky differentiations, as in the discussion of 1st C “modesty” where they make a big deal out of the difference between “sexual modesty” and “public modesty” in the matter of women covering their heads (43). Another notable example is the discussion of what it means to be “first” (relating to Paul’s letter about Adam being born first and thus having authority over women in teaching). The authors claim that it’s our modern understanding of ‘first’ as meaning “better” which leads us astray, since in biblical times the rules of primogeniture simply meant the firstborn received the greater inheritance, the family title, assumed responsibility etc.….the authors say (13). But if that doesn’t somehow mean “better” or “preferred” it’s hard to know what would. In fact, its seems to the modern reader to be a rather dodgy apologetic for giving women 2nd-hand status.

That said, one excellent insight has to do with the use of the Greek word 'makarios' in the Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes), usually translated as “blessed” or “blessing.” But the Greek more properly translates as “a feeling of contentment” or “when one knows one’s place in the world and is satisfied with that place” (75). The English language prefers clear subjects for its verbs, so it goes without saying (for us) that God blesses people. So we interpret the verse at Matt 5:9 as “If you are a peacemaker, then God will bless you.” But what the Jesus figure really meant was: “If you are a peacemaker, then you are in your happy place.” In other words, you will experience the feeling of contentment with your life if you are a peacemaker. This is part of a discussion on the important Whorfian hypothesis (aka Sapir-Whorf) to account for how our language shapes our worldview and in turn filters what we notice and how we interpret reality (71). Unfortunately, having made the point about makarios, the book doesn’t then go ahead and relate this wonderful theme to the actual subject matter of the book. We do however get a delightful example of the many distinctions of the word ‘rice’ in Indonesia compared to Western society (73) — as well as the Indonesian ideas of “privacy” and “quiet time.”

Interestingly, we also learn that the term 'Galatae' (as in the epistle to the Galatians) was used by the Greeks to denote Celtic tribes in the 270s BCE. The "Land of the Celts" is the Latin transliteration of the Greek 'celtica.' However, the authors don’t even get this quite right, calling the Roman term for Galatia a “mispronunciation of the word Celts” (57).

Alas, along the way the authors make what we might politely call “rookie mistakes,” considering that one (Randy) is a Ph.D. and dean of the School of Ministry at Palm Beach Atlantic University and the other (Brandon) is completing his doctorate in theology. For example, they try to introduce a point saying, “assuming the first gospel was written by the disciple Matthew” (79) — yet most biblical scholars acknowledge, and have for decades, that Mark was the first gospel composed (despite the conventional order presented in the N.T.) . Furthermore, Matt is usually dated toward the last quarter of the 1st C, attributed to a Greek-speaking anonymous Jew in Syria, not an Aramaic-speaking contemporary of Jesus. This is first-year theology school stuff.

Another oddity has to do with the question of whether there were female apostles in the early church. The authors bring up Junia and co-laborer (or husband?) Andronicus, whom the authors say are “both called apostles” in Rom 16:7. The effort to show how our modern culture clings to “rules” rather than “relationships” is laudable but once again their scholarship is lacking. They do acknowledge that scholars hotly debate about Junia/Junias, but then make the wild claim that “scholarship has now shown conclusively that Junia is a feminine name” (172). But that’s either a red herring or simple lack of awareness of the debate since the question has never been whether ‘Junia’ is feminine, but whether the Greek word Paul uses is ᾿Ιουνιᾶν or ᾿Ιουνίαν [‘iounia(s)] and is therefore best translated as Junia or Junias. Further, the real debate questions whether Paul was saying “of note among the apostles” to mean “prominent among” or “well known to the apostles.”

This IVP publication is full of gross over-generalizations (“In the West, rules must apply to everyone and they must apply all the time”) (168) and, many people thought the world was going to end in 2000…so we called it Y2K (145); and Westerners think mainly in terms of 'chronos' (like clock time) whereas ancients thought in terms of 'kairos' (seasons, situations) (142). Of course we get an excellent Indonesian example of the difference there (139).

Nevertheless, while the concept of this book is excellent — because the Middle Eastern bible was written in terms of collectivism, honor and shame, and family expectations, we need to be sensitive to the differences in cultural outlooks — there are much better treatments of the theme like Spong’s Biblical Literalism: A Gentile Heresy or his Liberating the Gospels: Reading the Bible with Jewish Eyes. or Scott Korb's Life in Year One. These (and others) address the “misreading” issues in a much more scholarly and on-topic way with fewer diversions into well-meaning but generic Intro to Anthropology discussions.

Finally, a style note. Because there are two authors with different missionary experiences, the authors chose to write incessantly in first person mode with “I (Randy) was often struck that telling stories for Indonesians…” (147) or “My (Brandon’s) acting career…” (100). This was fine for a while but after about a hundred instances, we yearn for a simple 3rd-person style: “Brandon’s acting career…”

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M.A. Singa
1.0 out of 5 stars Completely ridiculous, a major disappointmentReviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018
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I was really excited to get this book, but the absolute best part is the Introduction. As the book progressed, I found myself wondering how on earth people who so seriously misunderstand basic gospel principles ended up teaching at a Bible college (one of the authors) or teaching world religions at a secular college (the other author). For example, they try to say that the reason anyone mentioned where someone was from in the Bible is because they were racist - I’m sorry, but Rebecca does not bring up the place Esau’s wife is from because she’s racist, she brings it up because it means they are not the same religion, and Esau has therefore married outside of the covenant! They twist things in scriptural passages so intensely (both in what they think most people understand them to say and in what they claim the passages “really” say) in their effort to make a point, that I could barely finish the book. There are so many missed opportunities to point out differences in Eastern and Western thought, it’s almost absurd that the authors focused on what they did. This book is completely ridiculous, a major disappointment, and ultimately a waste of money. Definitely do NOT recommend.

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Browning
1.0 out of 5 stars About Indonesia and not Ancient Near EastReviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018
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I thought this would give a good new prospective on the themes surrounding the writings of the New Testament instead, I got The West is wrong in pretty much everything and other cultures got it right. Plus, they go very near total multicultural PC hating on the West. They do not actually prove that other cultures are correct instead it is inferred. Heck they even brought up how they were "Both White Males" and therefore couldn't understand other cultures. It appeared more of a "you are wrong and therefore should just shutup and listen to how others do it" vibe. Not what the title presents this book as. Beware.

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James M. Brennan
1.0 out of 5 stars The Title is a Lie.Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
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My men's group was excited to dig into this one, but quickly grew disappointed and annoyed. The title is a misnomer. While there are a few examples of how folks with a Western way of thinking sometimes misunderstand specific passages of the Bible, that's not what this book is about. These authors have a very clear agenda of how they think Christianity should be more collectivist, and it's cultural relativism gone too far. Over and over, they talk about how other cultures do things (most prominently Indonesia), and infer that the Western way is not just different, but wrong. They're welcome to think that. And some of it is interesting. But it doesn't support the premise of the book. It's really too bad, because we were looking forward to being challenged and shown how some passages can be read in a new (old) light. But there's actually very little scripture quoted in the book. More often, the authors make a claim that scripture says 'such and such', but then don't back it up, or they quote some verses that clearly don't mean what they are inferring. Instead, they give more examples of how other cultures do things, as if that backs up their premise of what they claim the Bible says. If anyone is misreading, it's the authors. They should read the title of their book.

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Mr R J Madeley
5.0 out of 5 stars An essential book for real biblical studyReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2019
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This is a superb book for anyone who is seriously interested in studying the bible to discover what it really teaches. It looks at all the context elements that can lead us to misread biblical passages. It addresses the elements that "go without being said", either for the historical writers but not us (which mean we are missing vital pieces of the jigsaw to help our understanding) or for us (which means we layer our own world view on top, distorting the meaning). In the course we also see how our western world view and assumptions are not the same as those held by the many non-western christians - leading to differences in our understanding of scripture. Particularly informative are the sections on Honour / Shame cultures, which characterised biblical times but which are mostly misunderstood by modern western readers. The explanation of the story of David and Bathsheba in these terms is like scales falling from your eyes.

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LunarE
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book! Of course it cannot cover every verse ...Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 27, 2018
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Excellent book! Of course it cannot cover every verse in Scripture that Western eyes may misread, but it encourages the reader to think again when he reads the Bible and not just adopt the "obvious" view. Some parts are truly eye-opening when one realizes how far removed the Biblical culture is to ours today. Recommended read to anyone, not just Bible scholars, teachers and students!

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stefanus
4.0 out of 5 stars good for the laymanReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2020
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it was fine, great for the layman or someone with little or no knowledge of scriptural back ground, i would recommend it anyone starting out. But there is nothing new in there that i snot readily available elsewhere. I would however highly recommend the books by Kenneth Bailey which are excellent even for the more mature Scripture reader

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D. C. Bowen

5.0 out of 5 stars A transformationalReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2019
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If you are interested in understanding how the world you grow up in influences how we interpret the bible, how their society affected how and what the disciples wrote: and how to understand it then this is the book for you.
Well written, engaging and thought provoking this is the book that can ignite a real voyage of discovery.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars An important development in Social Science Biblical CriticismReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 7, 2019
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Although mainly writeen for a United States audience, this is an important book and developes and balances the work of the Context Group by widenning the scope to include social reality as well as cultural trends.
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2021/07/18

가르침과 배움의 영성To Know as We Are Known: Education as a Spiritual Journey: Palmer, Parker J

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Rediscovering Jesus: An Introduction to Biblical, Religious and Cultural Perspectives on Christ - Kindle edition by Capes, David B., Reeves, Rodney, Richards, E. Randolph. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible - Kindle edition by Richards, E. Randolph, O'Brien, Brandon J.. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.