Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Meaning and Power - and How They Can Be Restored

by Marcus J. Borg

Overview

In Speaking Christian, acclaimed Bible scholar Marcus Borg, author of Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, argues that the very language Christians use has become dangerously distilled, distorted, and disconnected from the beliefs which once underpinned it.

Stating a case that will resonate with readers of N. T. Wright’s Simply Christian, Borg calls for a radical change to the language we use to invoke our beliefs—the only remedy that will allow the Church's words to once again ring with truth, power, and hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061976582
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/30/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	243,843
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Marcus J. Borg (1942–2015) was a pioneering author and teacher whom the New York Times described as "a leading figure in his generation of Jesus scholars." He was the Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University and canon theologian at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland, and he appeared on NBC's The Today Show and Dateline, ABC's World News, and NPR's Fresh Air. His books have sold over a million copies, including the bestselling Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Jesus, The Heart of Christianity, Evolution of the Word, Speaking Christian, and Convictions.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Speaking Christian 5

2 Beyond Literalism 21

3 Salvation 35

4 The Bible 55

5 God 65

6 God's Character 75

7 Jesus 85

8 The Death of Jesus 97

9 Easter 107

10 Believing and Faith 115

11 Mercy 125

12 Righteousness 133

13 Sin 143

14 Forgiveness and Repentance 153

15 John 3:16 161

16 Born Again 165

17 The Only Way 171

18 The Ascension 175

19 Pentecost 183

20 The Rapture and the Second Coming 189

21 Heaven 197

22 The Creeds and the Trinity 203

23 The Lord's Supper 217

24 The Lord's Prayer 223

25 Conclusion 231

Acknowledgments 239

Notes 241

Discussion Questions 245

What People are Saying About This

Anne Sutherland Howard

“This book could start a revolution. Borg cracks open the encrusted words of faith and pops them into fresh language that people can understand and trust. The last time this happened, we got the Reformation.”

Editorial Reviews

This book could start a revolution. Borg cracks open the encrusted words of faith and pops them into fresh language that people can understand and trust. The last time this happened, we got the Reformation.” — Anne Sutherland Howard, Executive Director of The Beatitudes Society

Speaking Christian correctly may seem like it’s just a fuss over semantics, but it’s ultimately about something bigger: defining Christianity… When Christians forget what their words mean, they forget what their faith means. — CNN

“Ranks with his earlier volumes as efforts to renew and rebuild Christianity by healing long-standing wounds and welcoming millions of alienated men and women.” — Read the Spirit

“A primer to help correct misunderstandings and help those unfamiliar with Christian language become fluent. . . . An important figure on topics from the historical Jesus to religion and culture, he challenges Christians to live for God’s justice in the world and not just focus on the next world.” — Englewood Review of Books

From the Publisher

A primer to help correct misunderstandings and help those unfamiliar with Christian language become fluent. . . . An important figure on topics from the historical Jesus to religion and culture, he challenges Christians to live for God’s justice in the world and not just focus on the next world.

Englewood Review of Books

This book could start a revolution. Borg cracks open the encrusted words of faith and pops them into fresh language that people can understand and trust. The last time this happened, we got the Reformation.

Anne Sutherland Howard

Ranks with his earlier volumes as efforts to renew and rebuild Christianity by healing long-standing wounds and welcoming millions of alienated men and women.

Read the Spirit

Speaking Christian correctly may seem like it’s just a fuss over semantics, but it’s ultimately about something bigger: defining Christianity… When Christians forget what their words mean, they forget what their faith means.

CNN

Borg (Canon Theologian, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Portland, OR; Reading the Bible Again for the First Time) is an esteemed and much-published author in theology and biblical criticism. As a member of the Jesus Seminar and chair of the Historical Jesus section of the Society of Biblical Literature, however, he is not without his detractors. His latest book will delight his friends and continue to confound his adversaries. Here, he makes a convincing argument for a contextual reading of the words and experience of the New Testament. To Borg, we face a choice between a faith mesmerized by our fate in the next world and a faith that focuses on the transformation of this world. VERDICT Borg's approach makes the complexity of his ideas transparent; his ideas will appeal strongly to individual Christians, as well as the unchurched.

Library Journal