That's a great question. There are too many to name really. Some of them include The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, The Resurrection of the Son of God by Tom Wright, One Bible, Many Voices by S.E. Gillingham and The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann.
My views on Science Fiction seem to be rather ambivalent. On the one hand, I disliked some of the foundational works in the genre. On the other, I enjoy Star Wars very much.
Many years ago I read Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. I still remember the climactic scene vividly. The two main characters are traveling fast through what appears to be the inside of a volcano. The younger of the two panics like crazy. He (rightly) thinks their lives are in danger. The elder is calmness personified. This elder gentlemen is preoccupied with trying to determine whether the said volcano is about to erupt just now! To me, that felt wrong at the time and it still does somehow.
C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy did not improve matters for me. It is actually one of the very few book-cherries which I have failed to finish reading. I stopped roughly half way through Paralandra. I don't remember why exactly.
Having said that, I have become a huge Star Wars fun of late. Although I have never read the comics or the books, I have enjoyed the original trilogy greatly. It is truly one of the masterpieces of cinematography. I even had mild appreciation for the prequel trilogy. The new trilogy actually served to introduce me to the whole thing. Still, I think my appreciation is for the story line and the characters, rather than the technical details involving x-wings, tie fighters, death-stars or midichlorians.
So, I guess I am saying that I am open to reconsidering my initial impressions of the genre.
Thanks everyone. That is some good advice right there. I certainly agree that studying the Bible is a life-long commitment and it is a challenge for all of us. Also, doing just the gospels for a year sounds like great fun. And so does the John 15 challenge. Unfortunately, I have very little practical experience with topical studies. I've always found them difficult for some reason. May be worth a go through.
A few days ago I began flowing a reading plan which will allow me to read the entire Bible by the end of 2018. Basically,, I have been reading a Psalm, a chapter from the New Testament and a couple of chapters from the Old Testament.
Has anyone else made a similar commitment?
What do you think of this way of reading the Bible?
I do believe this. Yet, I'll be the first to hold my hand up and admit I struggle to put it into practice.
I strongly believe two things. First, the wisest man I know taught me that what is true today will be true tomorrow, will be true in a year etc. This applies to love as much as it applies to anything else. Secondly, not waiting can sometimes be an act of desperation. That, in turn, shows lack of trust in God's will for us. Yet, there is all the difference between passive hiding away and active waiting, praying, hoping and meeting new people.
So, I guess the verse which would sum my attitude on this one would be "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief."
That is a great question. There are at least three things to bear in mind when thinking about it.
First, plenty of comparative material from the Ancient Near East shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the narratives recorded in the Old Testament can be regarded as historically possible. Evidence ranges from archeological discoveries in Israel and elsewhere, to literature which shows close similarities with the biblical text. Also, serious students of biblical history have shown that the narratives of the Old Testament are as historical as the accounts of Herodotus, regarded by many as the father of history.
Secondly, it is always useful to be aware of the various literary types (laws, narratives, poems, proverbs, genealogies etc.) which make up the Old Testament. All of them communicate God's truth in ways which are subtly different. Yet, there is little doubt that we are talking of the same truth. For example, to read the parable of the talking trees in Judges 9 as an actual account of what happened does not falsify the historicity of the text. It just shows one's incompetence as a reader. It's the same as trying to pretend your phone book was actually a great novel.
Thirdly, "fact" and "myth" are incredibly misleading when applied to the Old Testament. If one uses them to make a distinction between what is true and what is false, they are not too beneficial. Christians through the centuries have believed that the written Word of God is true in its entirety. If, on the other hand, these two terms are used to separate "historical" from "made up" things, we return to not being able to distinguish literary types. Knowing how to do that will allow us to read the Old Testament in the same spirit in which it was written.
Finally, speaking as a believing and practicing scholar, I would like to encourage everyone to give the Old Testament the time it deserves. As the new year approaches, allow God to speak to you through it as you ponder not whether it is true, but HOW it is true.
If you could be a Character in The Lord of the Rings ...
Posted : 10 Dec, 2017 02:10 PM
On the subject of trilogies, which character resembles you most in what has been called the greatest book of the 20th century? Answers in Quanya or Sindarin please :)
If you could be a character in Jane Austin's novels ...
Posted : 10 Dec, 2017 01:41 PM
Which of Jane Austin's extraordinary characters resembles you most and in what ways?
If I had to be a male character, I'd definitely choose Colonel Brandon. He is both aware and not ashamed of his emotions. He kniows what he wants. He has suffered a deal and that has taught him compassion. I also admire Edmond Bertram a great deal for much the same reasons.
If I had to be a female character, I think I'd go for Miss Dashwood. Elinor looses her home, her lover and (almost) her sister. Yet, she is as solid as a rock. She would have been happy with Brandon but I suppose all's well as ends well. I have some sympathies for Fanny Price. Her marrying her cusin, though, felt a bit artificial to me.
With the Last Jedi almost upon us, many of us, I am sure, are reviewing their trilogies, original, prequel and sequel. So, a natural question to ask is the following: Which SW character resembles you and why? Answers in a holocron please :)
