I have been reading The Heart of Christianity by Marcus J. Borg. His analysis of the two paradigms is interesting and persuasive. The earlier paradigm sees Christianity as grounded in divine authority. Divine authority for Protestants resides in the bible: for Catholics there is in addition the authority of the church. The later or emerging paradigm sees the bible as historical, metaphorical, sacramental, relational and transformational.
Stark differences, central to which is the opinion (or belief) that the bible is a divine product with divine authority or, contra, it is a human response to God.
Readers of my blog understand I am in the latter camp, the bible is not to be understood as statements of literal fact laid down by God or inspired by God, nor is faith a matter of living life in the belief that we are saved for a heavenly afterlife. Instead the bible is a human guide to living our lives in service to humanity, to bring His kingdom on earth, a kingdom of love and support for the less fortunate, the deprived, the excluded and discriminated against.
My overall impression of the thesis advanced by Borg is one of admiration for a clear exposition of the emerging paradigm. However, there is also a nagging doubt that manifests itself in my sense of disappointment at the emphasis he places on the importance of the bible.
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