Jesus has long remained, and will remain, a mysterious figure. Attempts at find out the “real” Jesus have continued for centuries, and will continue well into the future. Though varied and many, the explanations of who Jesus was often come at the expense of ending questions about the man. Banned Questions About Jesus seeks to foster, once again, questions about Jesus.
This is the second in the Banned Questions series. Banned Questions About the Bible (read my review here) opened up the wide-ranging possibilities and provided a safe place to discuss the Christian holy text. More provocative, perhaps, is the opening of questions about Jesus. Answers to the 50 questions are provided by religious scholars and ministers, and allows for the reader to know that people who have also wrestled with these questions provide answers. These answers, of course, are not the end-all-be-all. At the end of each section there are suggested readings and questions for further discussion.
American Christianity finds itself in a most precarious position. Morphing and changing, the “old way” is slowly fading. Waning is the thought that just because the minister says it makes it right. As a young person in church, I wish my minister had a resource like this. Young people, especially, need to find safe space to ask the questions, and Banned Questions allows this engagement. If Christianity in America seeks a future, then ministers need to bring the questions back into the limelight. Questions are necessary for development of the future.
We live in a globalized world, ever-changing. Innovation is a keyword, and students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. If they are charged to become innovators, why not do the same with Christianity? Why not allow them the space to innovate fresh ideas for Christianity that has for so long failed many in America?
Whether you’re a church leader, church member, or one disenfranchised from the Church, pick up this monograph. You will find your sense of questioning refreshed, and new possibilities awakened. Me? If I ever find myself leading a congregation, this will be required reading material.
This is the second in the Banned Questions series. Banned Questions About the Bible (read my review here) opened up the wide-ranging possibilities and provided a safe place to discuss the Christian holy text. More provocative, perhaps, is the opening of questions about Jesus. Answers to the 50 questions are provided by religious scholars and ministers, and allows for the reader to know that people who have also wrestled with these questions provide answers. These answers, of course, are not the end-all-be-all. At the end of each section there are suggested readings and questions for further discussion.
American Christianity finds itself in a most precarious position. Morphing and changing, the “old way” is slowly fading. Waning is the thought that just because the minister says it makes it right. As a young person in church, I wish my minister had a resource like this. Young people, especially, need to find safe space to ask the questions, and Banned Questions allows this engagement. If Christianity in America seeks a future, then ministers need to bring the questions back into the limelight. Questions are necessary for development of the future.
We live in a globalized world, ever-changing. Innovation is a keyword, and students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow. If they are charged to become innovators, why not do the same with Christianity? Why not allow them the space to innovate fresh ideas for Christianity that has for so long failed many in America?
Whether you’re a church leader, church member, or one disenfranchised from the Church, pick up this monograph. You will find your sense of questioning refreshed, and new possibilities awakened. Me? If I ever find myself leading a congregation, this will be required reading material.
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