Peter Enns's Blog, page 14

Ken Ham blasts God for not taking the Bible seriously

In a recent statement from his Creation Museum office, Ken Ham blasted God for “not taking the Bible seriously and undermining its authority.” “Only someone with liberal leanings would write a Bible like this,” Ham exploded. “Placing next to each other in the Old Testament two blatantly contradictory histories of Israel [1 Samuel-2 Kings and 1 and 2 [Read More...]

evangelicalism, evolution, and the facts

A recent article in the NYT talks about the collision between “beliefs and facts.” It struck a chord. The author, Brendan Nyhan, argues that simply “knowing” scientific data, for example on evolution or climate change, isn’t as important as one’s beliefs and group identity–be it political or religious. The force that determines where people eventually wind up is their ideology and the [Read More...]

“aha” moments: a pastor tells his story (15): anonymous

I have long thought that the #1 factor in bringing about theological change is that “life happens”–new experiences that cannot be held in old containers. Many (but not all) of the “aha” moments posted thus far, including my own, have centered on some moments of intellectual clarity concerning Scripture that led to rethinking one’s view of the Bible, faith, and life. [Read More...]

“aha” moments: biblical scholars tell their stories (14): Lindsey Trozzo

Today’s “aha” moment is by Lindsey M. Trozzo (BA, Biola University, Biblical and Theological Studies;  MA, Talbot School of Theology, NT). Trozzo is ABD in her PhD work at Baylor University, where she is writing her dissertation is on ethics in John’s Gospel and utilizing Rhetorical Criticism to uncover John’s non-propositional ethic. Trozzo is also working at Texas Christian University as the Research [Read More...]

want to read an excerpt from The Bible Tells Me So? (of course you do)

The release of my upcoming book The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It is now less than a month away, and I know many of you–millions of you, perhaps billions, who can really tell after all?–are experiencing all sorts of emotional and physical symptoms while waiting to get [Read More...]

“We are all heroes of our own stories”: interview with Brandon Withrow on academic freedom in evangelicalism

Today’s post is an interview with Brandon Withrow, who teaches religious studies at the University of Findlay, about his latest book Consider No Evil: Two Faith Traditions and the Problem of Academic Freedom in Religious Higher Education (co-authored with Menachem Wecker). Withrow and Wecker examine seminaries affiliated with two faith traditions–Christian and Jewish–and explore the challenges, as well as prospective solutions, confronting [Read More...]

“aha” moments: biblical scholars tell their stories (13): Carlos Bovell

Today’s “aha” moment is brought to you by Carlos Bovell, a frequent contributor to this blog (for his last post go here and work backwards). Bovell is a graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary and The Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto. He is the author of Inerrancy and the Spiritual Formation of Younger Evangelicals (2007), By Good and Necessary Consequence: A [Read More...]