The Heart of Christianity, By Marcus Borg

I just finished reading The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering A Life Of Faith, by professor and scholar Marcus Borg.

Borg, Hundere Distinguished Professor of Religion at Oregon State University, is one of the most widely known and influential voices for progressive Christianity out there today. Prior to this book he has written over a dozen books including the best seller, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.

In a way, The Heart of Christianity seems to be a synthesis of much of Borg's writings as well as answers to frequently asked questions in his seminars.

Borg sets out in this book to address the growing divide between conservative and liberal Christianity, which he refers to as the Earlier Paradigm and the Emerging Paradigm. At the heart of this book is the question of how we understand the Bible. Here, Borg says plainly, "I think the single most divisive issue in American-Christianity today concerns the nature of the Bible." And I think Dr. Borg is on to something.

In a growing number of "little theological discussions" I'm having with family and friends, I often find my thoughts tracing the core issue for the topic at hand back to how we view the Bible. Is the Bible inerrent (without error, infallible)? Or is it something else? Is it the product of men and women doing there best to make sense of and write down what they interpreted as experiences with the sacred. Is the Bible "God's Handbook" as I've often heard it described? Did the Biblical authors simply take divine dictation, writing down exactly what God told them too. I doubt it. Something tells me the process was much messier than that.

When I entered seminary I was exposed to "the inerrancy debate." Is frightening how aggressively people can argue over this issue. I quickly became fed up with it and thought, "Why can't we just ignore this small issue and get on with following Jesus?" And while this isn't a bad approach, I am becoming more aware that how we understand the Bible affects virtually every aspect of Christian belief.

But, back to the book review stuff...

Because, most are familiar with the conservative or earlier paradigm, Borg writes on behalf of the emerging paradigm, tactfully presenting the Christian lens through which progressive believers see their faith system. The book is divided into two sections, 1) a more doctrinal but very readable section where he presents his view of faith, God, the Bible and Jesus; and 2) several chapters on how this paradigm is lived out on topics such as salvation, Christian practice, and religious pluralism.

To any Christian raised in the conservative stream of the tradition, one thing will be true: this book is challenging. It's not challenging to read or to understand, but rather Borg will likely confront you with ideas that threaten to rattle some foundational elements of your faith. In my opinion, more people need such experiences that stretch their faith. One sad aspect of conservative Christianity is that too few people have spent time thinking for themselves about their faith, and too many people will put down such a book once it becomes a theological threat.

The writing is very smooth, and Borg is decidedly articulate, leaving no vagaries or questions as to what he actually means. Though the book covers a wide array on the theological spectrum, it is not exhaustive, so there is still room for discussion on most of the issues.

As a life-long student of theology and a bit of a theologian myself, I give this book the ever-coveted "Nathan-two-thumbs-up" and recommend it to anyone ready to think for herself about God and faith and life.