★ 01/23/2017
Borg (1942–2015), a leader in the Jesus Seminar, spent his life teaching, preaching, researching, and writing. He left a legacy of good works and good words, and his provocative messages resonate in this capstone anthology of sermons and essays from 1984 to 2014. Among Borg’s repeated themes are “The passion of God is revealed in Jesus” and “Christianity affirms that Jesus trumps the Bible.” Borg addresses Christian faith and other faiths, awe and wonder, compassion, the voice of God, lived passion, and healing. His words bear the weight of study as they forge—not without humor—through theology, history, and practice. His language also carries the light of his own sagacity, spirit, and mysticism, transcending his work as a historical critic. Through quotations, Borg honors his companions on the way, including American theologian Frederick Buechner, liberation theologian Dorothee S elle, religious studies scholar Huston Smith, and New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan. The foreword by his widow, Rev. Marianne Borg, and the afterword, Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor’s funeral homily, embrace Borg’s profound words, which will inspire much rereading. (Mar.)
Borg left a legacy of good works and good words, and his provocative messages resonate in this capstone anthology.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“In these pages, Borg’s deepest wisdom shines through—framed in the best of biblical scholarship, Jesus shines forth as a ‘spirit person’ who invites all people into lives of awe and wonder for the sake of the world. Read and meet Jesus again and fall into God’s all-encompassing love.” — Diana Butler Bass, Author of Grounded: Finding God in the World—A Spiritual Revolution
“In Days of Awe and Wonder, we get to the heart of why Marcus Borg matters. Borg cracks open Christianity for many of us who felt trapped outside its impenetrable walls of dubious dogmas. With skill and care, he invites us to believe again.” — Carol Howard Merritt, pastor and author of Healing Spiritual Wounds
“You must buy this book. You will be encouraged to, as Marcus says, “go beyond your mind,” to the space of awe and wonder, to the place where our hearts and minds are infused with the Spirit of God, and we are transformed to transform the world. ” — Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, author of The Power of Stories
“A fine memorial collection [covering] Borg’s characteristic themes [as well as] such corollary topics as the New Atheism, the essence of Christianity, the wisdom in other religions, and how to hear the voice of God.” — Booklist
“Borg’s focus is on wonder, that deep-seated conviction and experience that there is more to life than we can know or hope to know, and though beyond our grasp, this knowledge is available to us . . . Portrays a Christianity that is reasonable, full, expansive, and life affirming.” — Library Journal
“Two years after the liberal theologian’s death, Borg still has something to offer those who wish to explore progressive Christianity.” — Mountain Times
“Borg had a profound faith in the Spirit that continues to flow [and] ultimately, that is why I so strongly urge our readers to get a copy of this posthumous collection drawn from Marcus’s writings.” — Read The Spirit
You must buy this book. You will be encouraged to, as Marcus says, “go beyond your mind,” to the space of awe and wonder, to the place where our hearts and minds are infused with the Spirit of God, and we are transformed to transform the world.
Borg has done a great service for all of us in drawing upon contemporary research to present a fresh and imaginative picture of Jesus that has profound implications for contemporary faith.
Marcus Borg shows how Christians can explore contemporary scholarship as a way toward a far more dynamic and meaningful faith.
Marcus Borg brings expert knowledge, insight, and warmth to this re-visiting of Christianity’s heart and soul. All Christians and those interested in Christianity from a distance should read all his books.
In every generation there are a handful of writers of whom it can be said, ‘Read everything they write.’ Marcus Borg is one of these today.
Writing with a simplicity that never becomes simplistic, Borg manages to convey the essence of Christianity in a way that does justice to those who do not share his views and will greatly enrich the understanding of those who do.
Marcus Borg is a key force in the emerging ‘new paradigm’ of Christian faith.
Profound, challenging, and engrossing,
04/01/2017
Borg (religion & culture, Oregon State Univ.; Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time) may be best known for his association with the Jesus Seminar. However, this collection of sermons, book chapters, articles, interviews, and blog posts is only tangentially connected with that endeavor. Instead, it addresses questions that informed Borg's scholarship and practical convictions. Borg's focus is on wonder, that deep-seated conviction and experience that there is more to life than we can know or hope to know, and though beyond our grasp, this knowledge is available to us. Borg, who died in 2015, was a mystic, and his experiences with the numinous animate his writings. His kind of mysticism embraces reason, as evidenced by discussions over the divinity of Jesus, religious pluralism, the new atheists, and issues of social justice. Although Borg starts to repeat himself, the volume manages to portray a Christianity that is reasonable, full, expansive, and life affirming. VERDICT For those interested in Borg's scholarship, this work provides a hand-held guide for understanding him and his critics. It is also valuable for those wishing to engage their own spiritual aspirations.—JW
Two years after the liberal theologian’s death, Borg still has something to offer those who wish to explore progressive Christianity.
Borg had a profound faith in the Spirit that continues to flow [and] ultimately, that is why I so strongly urge our readers to get a copy of this posthumous collection drawn from Marcus’s writings.
In Days of Awe and Wonder, we get to the heart of why Marcus Borg matters. Borg cracks open Christianity for many of us who felt trapped outside its impenetrable walls of dubious dogmas. With skill and care, he invites us to believe again.
In these pages, Borg’s deepest wisdom shines through—framed in the best of biblical scholarship, Jesus shines forth as a ‘spirit person’ who invites all people into lives of awe and wonder for the sake of the world. Read and meet Jesus again and fall into God’s all-encompassing love.
A fine memorial collection [covering] Borg’s characteristic themes [as well as] such corollary topics as the New Atheism, the essence of Christianity, the wisdom in other religions, and how to hear the voice of God.
A fine memorial collection [covering] Borg’s characteristic themes [as well as] such corollary topics as the New Atheism, the essence of Christianity, the wisdom in other religions, and how to hear the voice of God.
