The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible by Scot McKnight
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(Hardcover)
- Pub. Date: November 2008
- 236pp
- Sales Rank: 57,423
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Product Details
- Pub. Date: November 2008
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Format: Hardcover, 236pp
- Sales Rank: 57,423
- ISBN-13: 9780310284888
- ISBN: 0310284880
Synopsis
The Blue Parakeet is author Scot McKnight’s deeply reasoned, compelling statement of how to read the Bible in a new evangelical generation. In re-examining the Bible, McKnight provides an exciting “Third Way” that appeals to the millions in today’s church who long to be authentic Christians, but don’t consider themselves theologically conservative or liberal.
Publishers Weekly
Infused with common sense and seasoned with candor, the latest work from McKnight (The Jesus Creed), religious studies professor at North Park College, takes a stand in controversial territory by bravely asking the question: how is it that even Christians who claim to be led by an authoritative Bible read it so differently? In response, the author asserts that believers need to take a fresh look at how they adopt and adapt Scripture before they can read the Bible in a way that renews a living relationship with the God behind the sacred text. Using the analogy of a water slide, McKnight argues that the Gospel is the slide, the Bible and church tradition the walls that both protect and liberate the believer as he or she discerns how to apply Scripture as a living document. In the last section, McKnight tackles the controversial issue of women's role in church ministry in a way that is both scholarly and confessional, documenting his own journey alongside that of the apostle Paul and other biblical characters. Enriched by folksy anecdotes, this volume could be very useful for evangelical readers and any others wanting a safe place to ask the same bold questions. (Nov.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. More Reviews and RecommendationsBiography
Scot McKnight (PhD, Nottingham) is Karl A. Olsson professor of religious studies at North Park College, Chicago, Illinois. He is the author of several books, including Galatians and 1 Peter in the NIV Application Commentary series, and the award-winning The Jesus Creed.
Customer Reviews
A blue parakeet is anything that unexpectedly inserts itself into our lives and acts in an unfamiliaby JaniceByrd--RadioBookTalk
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June 20, 2009: "Rethinking How You Read the Bible" is the subtitle of Scot McKnight's book THE BLUE PARAKEET. Since everyone picks and chooses, adopts and adapts from the Bible, the issue for McKnight is the how and why of what we choose from the Bible to apply to today. "How are we to live out the Bible today?"
God gave us the Bible in order to transform us, and He wants us to move the biblical principles into our relationships, personal character, and actions. That process is called discernment, and it is facilitated by the Holy Spirit and our community of faith. "Until we learn to read the Bible as Story, we will not know how to get anything out of the Bible for daily living. Biblical principles are trans-cultural, but specific expressions are not," says McKnight.This concise, well-organized, and often humorous book is easy to read and understand. McKnight uses metaphors, personal examples, stories from his college students, and historical data to illustrate his points. One case study he uses throughout the book, and in a special section in the last one hundred pages, is "women in church ministries." In it, McKnight demonstrates what he means by "discernment" as he examines the critical biblical passages that deal with this controversial topic.The tone of THE BLUE PARAKEET is gentle, reasoned, and entertaining. It made me see myself as the backyard sparrow, often afraid to deal with the strange, unexpected parakeets that occasionally fly into my world, as I hide out and wish them away. I will not be so quick to silence the blue parakeets now as I try to live out the Bible, in my day, in my way.I Also Recommend: Fixing Abraham.
It Will Make You Thinkby Curtis_W_Lindsey
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October 18, 2008:
McKnight begins by observing we all want to know what the Bible says on a variety of issues such as homosexuality, charismatic gifts, and women in ministry. But the truth is, when it comes to the answers, we all pick and choose what portions of the Bible to follow. Most of us, to some degree or another, give lip service to the Bible?s teachings in favor of convenience, political correctness, or social sensibility.
The book is divided up into four parts. The first deals with answering the question ?what is the Bible.? Here McKnight argues we are to read the Bible ?through? tradition. That is, we understand how the Bible has been historically read but we do not allow ourselves to be boxed in to the past. Part two is an encouragement to interact with the person who wrote the Bible, not the pages it?s written on. In part three, McKnight writes about the need for discernment as we ?pick and choose? which portions of Scripture are directly applicable to our 21st century lives. And finally, part four gives an example of discernment by investigating the role of women in the church.
The book will make you think. Many of the best points in the book force you to take stock of how you interpret (or ignore) certain portions of the Bible. I do not agree with all of McKnight?s conclusions, but I appreciate his honesty when it comes to interpretation. In the end, the book serves as a reminder of the needed humility and grace when it comes to following what the Bible says.
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