Wednesday, 26 January 2011

Stark choices (2)

John Collins
"... biblical scholars, especially those of a more theological bent, have engaged incessantly in an enterprise of apologetics, to try to explain away apparent mistakes or to justify ethical attitudes that we now find unacceptable in the modern world.
"Human sacrifice and genocide are atrocities, whether we find them in the Bible or not. Attempts to save Jesus from apocalyptic delusion are unpersuasive. Those who strive to evade that conclusion only become "enablers," who are complicit in the negative effects of these texts on modern communities."

John J. Collins in the foreword to The Human Faces of God.
Posted by Gavin R at 09:37
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11 comments:

  1. you'd be surprised26 January 2011 at 11:29

    So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view.
    Luke: A certain point of view?
    Obi-Wan: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view...

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  2. Apostle Paul26 January 2011 at 11:47

    In his 268 pages of What Scripture Reveals When It Gets God Wrong and Why Inerrancy Tries To Hide It, author Thom Stark footnotes John Collins, more times than just about anybody else, including our favorite punching bags William Craig and Hector Avalos.

    If Thom Stark quoted me that many times, I'd be inclined to write a forward for him, too.

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  3. Gavin R26 January 2011 at 14:31

    William Lane Craig... another cheap apologist in an expensive suit. Hector Avalos - a prophetic voice who, like all good prophets, riles the apologists. Nothing new under the sun.

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  4. Thom Stark26 January 2011 at 14:51

    Actually, Paul, Dr. Collins agreed to write the foreword after reading the blog series and book proposal, prior to the writing of the book in its current form; he wasn't aware I'd be citing him so much. The blog series didn't cite him once, to my recollection.

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  5. Apostle Paul26 January 2011 at 16:25

    Well, Thom, as a sinner, I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and my fervent hope is that you find eternal peace with God by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

    Paul

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  6. Gavin R26 January 2011 at 16:46

    Thom, great to have you following the discussion. Look forward to any comments you might want to offer as the series continues.

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  7. Gavin R26 January 2011 at 17:18

    AP, you get the sanctimonious arrogance award for presumptious smugness. Congratulations.

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  8. Thom Stark26 January 2011 at 17:30

    AP,

    Thanks! I hope so too.

    Gavin,

    Thanks for hosting the discussion! I'm very much looking forward to following along, and if I have something substantive to say (doubtful), I'll be sure to chime in. Regardless, at the end of your series I will link to the whole thing and write a response on the book's website.

    All the best!

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  9. Anonymous24 February 2011 at 19:56

    I've just begun to hear things about this Collins and his book.

    Does he pass himself off as an evangelical?

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  10. Gavin R24 February 2011 at 20:10

    I believe he's Catholic.

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  11. Thom Stark24 February 2011 at 21:59

    Collins is a Roman Catholic.

    I come from an Evangelical background.

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