Download Free The Biblical Inquirer Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online The Biblical Inquirer and write the review.

This is a bible study designed to introduce God as a person. A study to help one understand God and have access to him.
Living by a biblical faith requires of us a yes, a yes to the God continuously present to us within the life opportunities continuously offered us. Questions of 'belief', in contrast, require a yes 'and' no. Genuine faith, declares Brother David Steindl-Rast, holds its beliefs firmly, yes, but ever so lightly. And the I 'don't' mean maybe!? This has to do with the intensity in our questioning. Our ultimate concern, after all, is living a relationship in which we know ourselves not just as those who ask questions but as those who 'are' the question, and seek to know God not just as the one who gives answers but the one who 'is' the answer. This book consists . . . of a series of questions about basic Christian beliefs, the answers to which have been, and continue to be, controversial. Each chapter will try to make clear why the answer to its particular question has to be a yes 'and' no and how the response can also include, nevertheless, an emphatic And I 'don't' mean maybe! For those with some knowledge of Christianity but finding themselves confused about certain beliefs they have been led to identify as Christian, this book can provide a greater clarity in their understanding of this familiar yet strange religion--thus addressing, perhaps, what pollster George Gallup, Jr., identifies as the knowledge gap in the religious experience of Americans: the often vast difference between Americans' stated faith and their lack of the most basic knowledge about that faith. Non-Christians may find here a useful survey of Christian belief presented in nontechnical style and noncoercive rhetoric.
In a day when most religious leaders were known for their efforts to discredit the ministry of Jesus, there came one who earnestly sought Him. In a day when most religious leaders mocked Jesus as He hung on a cross, there came one who meekly helped bury His body. And in a day when most religious leaders felt threatened by Jesus, there came one who courageously chose to take a stand for Him.This is the story of a teacher called Nicodemus who God used to teach what it means to seek God, not only in word, but also in deed. Just as his life was a testimony to the people of his day, it remains an example to us today.There is an adage that says, "if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything." Nicodemus was a humble man who willingly stood boldly for truth. Explore his story through this novella - the portion you may already know, and the rest of the story that could have been.
In this sweeping narrative, Michael Satlow tells the fascinating story of how an ancient collection of obscure Israelite writings became the founding texts of both Judaism and Christianity, considered holy by followers of each faith. Drawing on cutting-edge historical and archeological research, he traces the story of how, when, and why Jews and Christians gradually granted authority to texts that had long lay dormant in a dusty temple archive. The Bible, Satlow maintains, was not the consecrated book it is now until quite late in its history. He describes how elite scribes in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.E. began the process that led to the creation of several of our biblical texts. It was not until these were translated into Greek in Egypt in the second century B.C.E., however, that some Jews began to see them as culturally authoritative, comparable to Homer’s works in contemporary Greek society. Then, in the first century B.C.E. in Israel, political machinations resulted in the Sadducees assigning legal power to the writings. We see how the world Jesus was born into was largely biblically illiterate and how he knew very little about the texts upon which his apostles would base his spiritual leadership. Synthesizing an enormous body of scholarly work, Satlow’s groundbreaking study offers provocative new assertions about commonly accepted interpretations of biblical history as well as a unique window into how two of the world’s great faiths came into being.
A concise account of the whole biblical narrative and what it means—as well as the beliefs and lifestyle it inspires—for those observing Christianity from the outside, especially those who think there are good reasons not to believe. A Doubter's Guide to the Bible charts a biblical roadmap from the story of creation to the fulfillment of creation, answering many of the most frequently asked questions along the way: How can we read the creation account in Genesis in light of modern science? How should Old Testament law be understood when it appears inconsistent and irrelevant? Isn't the story of Jesus' birth a little far-fetched? What is the Gospel? Why are there four accounts of the same thing, and what are they really saying? John Dickson provides a readable and inviting Bible primer for anyone interested in informing themselves about the most widely read book in the history of humanity. By presenting the whole of the Bible as an account of God's promise to restore humanity to Himself, and humans to one another and to creation, Dickson allows believers and skeptics alike to gain insight into why the Bible has been a compelling, life-changing, and magnetic force throughout the ages—and why it still matters.
The study reported in this volume grew out of some theoretical work, one phase of which bore specifically on the behavior of individuals in social movements that made specific (and unfulfilled) prophecies. We had been forced to depend chiefly on historical records to judge the adequacy of our theoretical ideas until we by chance discovered the social movement that we report in this book. At the time we learned of it, the movement was in mid-career but the prophecy about which it was centered had not yet been disconfirmed. We were understandably eager to undertake a study that could test our theoretical ideas under natural conditions. That we were able to do this study was in great measure due to the support obtained through the Laboratory for Research in Social Relations of the University of Minnesota. This study is a project of the Laboratory and was carried out while we were all members of its staff. We should also like to acknowledge the help we received through a grant-in-aid from the Ford Foundation to one of the authors, a grant that made preliminary exploration of the field situation possible.