Q&R – What is your take on ‘Original Sin’? Brad Jersak
Question: Good morning, brother. We sure appreciate you and all your hard work! Do you have a talk on “Original Sin”? This is what has messed up Evangelicals like me for 50 years! Response: “Original sin” is a doctrine rooted in Augustine’s misinterpretation of Romans 5:12. The text actually says, “…” Augustine famously interpreted this […]
“If I had been God…” Bradley Jersak
“If I had been God, … I believe I would have done a better job.” -Roger Waters, “Déjà Vu” “I like the song God wrote better. The one that says, ‘If I was a human, I’d do a better job.’ And he did.” -Jason Upton Full disclosure: Pink Floyd fan here. They’re often playing throughout […]
“This is my beloved son. …YIELD to him.” – Brad Jersak
“This is my beloved son. …yield to him.” —Luke 9:35 (Amp) Yield. There’s a word we see a lot but no longer say a lot. We see the word or its symbol on many a residential street corner and it’s implied at every yellow light. But in terms of modern English, the word has narrowed […]
Death: My Orthodox & Existentialist Experience – Brad Jersak
My experience of Christian Orthodoxy (an experience lived through prayer) involves a lot of engagement with death. I have not connected all the dots, but I have identified a few of the dots themselves: Key verse: Hebrews 2:14-15 “Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through […]
Q&R – Harmonizing Judgment & Redemption Texts – Brad Jersak
Question How do we best harmonize the Bible’s ‘eschatological’ texts? Some described unmitigated judgment and permanent destruction for the majority of the human race, while other passages seem to announce the redemption of everyone in the end. How do we hold both descriptions together? Can we? Or are these really contradictory? For example, how can […]
Reading the Scriptures as Gospel: Figuratively – Brad Jersak
“If you aren’t reading the Scriptures allegorically, you aren’t reading them as gospel.” —Fr. John Behr John Behr’s provocative statement surely triggers the Evangelical allergy for allegory, betraying a hermeneutic co-opted by modernism that privileges the literal sense into literalism. Is Behr’s bold claim hyperbole? How far is too far? Has he opened the door […]
Q & R: Is the Bible inspired after all? Brad Jersak (ft. Brian Zahnd)
Question I have heard you say that “The Word of God is inspired, inerrant and infallible and when he was 18, he grew a beard” (I love that). But what DO you actually think about the Bible? What tension do you hold between “It’s not inerrant” and holding it in high regard? I realize you […]
“No fires here” – The Garden of Gehenna – Brad Jersak
This photo was taken by a member of one of Brian and Peri Zahnd’s Holy Land tours. It is a sign at Gehenna (in Hebrew, the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom), which many Bibles translate “Hell.” Gehenna is a valley just south of Jerusalem, once a firepit but now a garden. When people ask […]
Q & R with Little Sages
One of the great challenges for long-time Bible readers is to find ways to read Scripture with fresh eyes. When I open the text, I need to be mindful of the thick, old lenses I bring to the task, including a backlog of previous teachings, experiences and my own temperament and assumptions. My favourite approach […]
The Pastor: A Crisis – Review by Becky Parker
The Pastor: A Crisis – Review by Becky Parker Before I began this book, I knew I’d be uncomfortable with some of the material. I’d heard an interview in which the authors confirmed that the topic of child sexual abuse was discussed. Since I am not a victim of sexual assault, I was not afraid […]