Inter-religion Talk Time
A Book Review of Shared Stories, Rival Tellings: Early Encounters of Jews, Christians, and Muslims by Robert Gregg (2016)
Robert Gregg’s book , Shared Stories, Rival…
Topic: Scripture
Testimony
The New Testament: A Translation by David Bentley Hart (2017)- A Book Review
D. Hart, The New Testament: A Translation …
Adult Scripture
A Book Review of Simon Loveday, The Bible for Grown-ups: A New Look at the Good Book (2016)
The book’s title, Simon Loveday, The Bible for Grown-ups: A New Look at the Good Book (2016), is intriguing. This book is not about a…
Not Understanding God’s Violence
A Book Review of L. Daniel Hawk, The Violence of the Biblical God: Canonical Narrative and Christian Faith (2019)
L. Daniel Hawk, The Violence of the Biblical God: Canonical Narrative and Christian Faith (2019) seeks to explain divine violence in word…
Scripture Translation 2
A Book Review of John Goldingay, First Testament: A New Translation (2018)
Translation is not an easy task. Translation of documents that have been sacralized as scriptures with a long tradition and necessary for liturgical use is a much harder task. … …
First Testament Scripture Translation 1
A Book Review of Samuel Bray and John Hobbins, Genesis 1-11: A New Old Translation for Readers, Scholars, and Translators (2018)
Translation is not an easy task. Translation of documents that have been sacralized as scriptures with a long tradition and necessary for liturgical use is a much harder task. … …
Testimony
The New Testament: A Translation by David Bentley Hart (2017) - A Book Review
D. Hart, The New Testament: A Translation is an opportunity for Quaker reflection. This translation of the New Testament is a different…
An Exposition of Laozi’s “Essence of Dao”
From a monotheistic culture without direct revelation, Laozi was trying to make sense of what was going on in his time in China, when the country was divided and fighting one another. Is it the will of heaven, or it is just the corruption of humankind?
His ideas are very interesting when compared with those of a monotheistic culture which does describe direct revelations: law given by the God without a name; spiritual communities developed by the law of the Spirit; and a new commandment to love one another according to the love of Christ.
“Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself:” Discourse on the Nature of Christ
Today’s “Christianity,” and the Gospels, do not focus on the true beliefs of the message of Jesus, but instead on his “Resurrection,” his supposed divinity, salvation, and other divine aspects. This focus tends to make the true ethical and moral message of Jesus secondary to an attempt to fulfill the Jewish messianic prophecy. It is not that divine aspects are wrong or bad, but that the message and true values of Jesus are lost to the divine message.
Quaker Universalist Friendly Studies & Bible Translations
6 sets of Friendly study resources (free PDF downloads)
The Quaker Universalist Friendlies are practical procedures for productive Bible study, Faith and Practice Study, and universal scripture study in a manner consistent with Friends’ testimonies. Their purpose and that of the spiritual life inventory is to provide practical assistance to Quakers in their spiritual journeys.
The Bible translations are coupled with downloadable commentaries to assist readers and the participants in discussion. The commentaries emphasize the significant, distinguishing elements of these accurate translations, and should be particularly helpful to children.