He recently published The Aramaic and Egyptian Legal Traditions at Elephantine: An Egyptological Approach (T&T Clark, 2009); co-edited “The Bible and the Hermeneutics of Liberation,” Semeia Studies 59 (Society of Biblical Literature, 2009); and is presently working on an Aramaic Namebook from Ancient Egypt (with Bezalel Porten) and on a commentary on the Book of Chronicles.
"It was common practice in the ancient world to use an event (or memory of an event) and retell it in a figurative way to communicate a message to the hearers. There is good scriptural and historical evidence that the Flood story is an interpretation of an actual historical event retold in the rhetoric and theology of ancient Israel. ...the purpose of the biblical story is not to give a list of facts about that flood, but to communicate a message about God and humanity to the original hearers (and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to all God’s people throughout history)."And the writers at BioLogos go on to affirm the basic tenents of the Christian faith, despite a non-literal interpretation of the early Genesis story:
"The story of Noah, the Ark, and Flood speaks an inspired and powerful message about judgment and grace, that has instructed God’s people throughout the ages about God’s hatred of sin and his love for his creation. Most importantly, we see God’s promise never to destroy the Earth again fully realized in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, where God takes the judgment for sin upon himself rather than humanity. Thus, through the lens of Christ, the biblical Flood story proclaims the marvelous news of God’s grace and love for his people."I also very much appreciate this perspective from Jewish Rabbi, Norman Solomon:
"Does that mean that the story of Noah’s Ark is a fantasy? Not at all. The truth behind the words is more wonderful than the plain meaning, and reaches far back in time."...
"Some sources – there are traces of at least two, differing in animal count and divine names – were crystallized into the beautiful narrative of Genesis, fitted to the new revelation of the One God, just and merciful, who saved Noah whom he had found worthy, and made the ‘rainbow covenant’ with all humanity and with nature (9:11), guaranteeing that ‘While earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will not cease’ (8:22)."Solomon goes on to describe the flood story as one of our dependence on God, and God's compassion for those who trust God.
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Christine (Chris) has headed First Presbyterian since 2005. She enjoys serving as our primary spiritual leader and is committed to “equipping the saints” for daily life. In addition to preaching, teaching and pastoral care, she is a prolific author. Her book, Worship, Fellowship, and the Work of the Kingdom, explores the history of our over 150–year-old congregation; her more recent book, Cryptomnesia: How a Forgotten Memory Could Save the Church, shows how challenges facing Christianity are similar to the early church’s. She is the video co-host of Abingdon Press’s “Covenant Bible Study” and a frequent speaker on “30 Good Minutes.” Chris is married to John Shustitzky and they have a daughter, Anna. (https://firstchurchlf.org/staff/)The article Inside the Thriving Ministry of Lake Forest's Christine McCormick, gives a bit more on Chakoian's personality and values:
Staying in the same Presbyterian circles with people who all think along similar lines can lead to narrow-mindedness, Chakoian said. She found discussing ideas and struggles with a more diverse group of peers in her cohort group extremely helpful as she moved from one congregation to another.And...
"A believer in Barth’s idea that faith should be expressed with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, Chakoian challenges those in her congregation to engage the world that God loves."*****
1) Stanford serves as the Co-Host (with Dr. Maxie Dunnam) of We Believe in Memphis, a issues, interview based television program in the Memphis metro area.
2) He is the author of numerous books. Most recently: What the Prayers of Jesus Tell Us About the Heart of God. Abingdon, and scheduled to publish in 2017: If You Heart Is Like My Heart. Leaf wood Publishers.
3) Stanford is an ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church and a member in full connection of the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
4) Dr. Stanford travels extensively sharing his personal testimony as an HIV and Hep C positive hemophiliac. He has spoken across the nation including at the 2006 Saddleback Global AIDS Summit in California and at the Global Gathering for AIDS Awareness in Texas.
5) Dr. Stanford is married to his highschool sweetheart, Dr. Pokey Stanford, and they are the parents of three children—Sarai Grace (19), Juli Anna (16) and Emma Leigh (11).A much more complete biography can be found at the "Making Life Matter" link above.
Creating the Covenant, examines how the covenant community is created and established—highlighting several examples throughout scripture.
It discusses the story of our origins in Genesis, the Exodus narrative, the teachings of Moses, the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, as well as other books from each Testament that focus on the foundation of Christian faith.
As a whole, the Covenant Bible Study takes participants through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It is our plan to cover the second and third segments of the study over the course of the study year.In doing so, it lays out the framework for a life lived in concert with God and others.
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I will only give you this snippet of the article because I want you to go read the whole thing for yourselves! Enjoy!...many who read Claiborne and his contemporaries do feel guilty. And in response, they either feel paralyzed and do nothing, or try to atone for their sins by doing everything.Perhaps this is what the church at large struggles with, the pervading sense of both legalism and shame that can haunt “radical” conversion stories. Just as 1 Corinthians warns us about those who sell all that they have but do not love, Claiborne describes what too often happens to social justice types: they simply trade one form of moralism (“I would never drink alcohol”) for another (“I would never wear Nikes”).
You can find more information about Doug Pagitt, including his blog, books, and podcasts here:Doug Pagitt is the national director of the CANA Initiative, a collective of faith-engaged organizations, individuals, institutions, and networks that seek to embody a generous Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States. He's also the founding pastor of Solomon's Porch, a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis, Minnesota and a speaker and consultant for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of inventive age culture, social systems Christianity, and leadership.Five fast facts
- Is married to Shelley and the father of four young adult children
- Runs ultramarathons
- Hosts a weekly radio show and has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, and the prestigious Edina community magazine
- Wears a size-16 shoe
- Pastors a holistic missional Christian community in Minneapolis
Born in New York City, Enuma Okoro is a Nigerian-American author and speaker raised in four countries on three continents. Her academic background and training is in Psychology, Communications, Theology, and Counseling. She is a former Editor-in-Chief for SpotLight™ Quarterly Magazine, a certified Spiritual Director in the Ignatian tradition, and she holds a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University Divinity School, of which she is the former Director for the Center for Theological Writing. Enuma has written two books and co-authored two others. Her first book,The Reluctant Pilgrim: A Moody Somewhat Self-Indulgent Introvert's Search for Spiritual Community, was recognized by USA Book News as a 2010 Best Books Award-Winning Finalist in "Religion-Christianity."
Five fast facts
- Lives between America, Nigeria, and France
- Once dressed up as a poem for Halloween
- Has been featured on ABC's Good Morning America, NPR, The Atlantic Monthly,The Guardian, The Washington Post, and CNN's In America
- Was the first Black woman to preach at the historic American Church in Paris–Martin Luther King Jr. was the first black man to preach there in 1965
- Loves dogs, sometimes more than humans
