Rating: 
Summary: Christianity at its best...
Review: I just finished reading Marcus Borg's new book "The Heart of Christianity" and it's the best book on contemporary Christianity that I've read in a long while. Borg talks about the "earlier paradigm" of Christianity and an "emerging paradigm". He discusses the history of the "earlier paradigm" and provides useful insights such as the rather recent notions of Biblical infallibility (post-Enlightenment) and Papal infallibility (1870) which many may assume have ALWAYS been a big part of the Christian tradition. Borg makes quite clear early on in the book that the "earlier paradigm" can and does WORK, insofar as bringing people into fuller communion with God and can certainly produce lives which work for compassion and justice. However, for various reasons (institutional, scientific, and cultural - for example), many in the modern Western world find the "earlier paradigm" to be uncompelling and "unbelievable". Borg attempts to show throughout the book how much more deep and wonderful the Christian tradition is than merely "believing" certain doctrines or defending the literalness of certain events (creation, the flood, the Exodus, walking on water etc...) in order to "prove" the strength of our faith. Did the Exodus really happen? Maybe not. Is it a true story of the human need for liberation from bondage - certainly. Confusing "did it really happen - could I have videotaped it?" with "Is that story true?" is a big issue. Borg argues that we diminish our faith stories by making them merely literal. He pushes for the "more-than-literal" meanings in the Christian scripture. It is a modern Western mindset which equates "facts and proof" with "truth". Borg is a deeply spiritual person who has experienced God personally, who claims that Jesus is Lord, and that "the Other"/"the Spirit"/"God" is real. He even more or less agrees with the value of intercessionary prayer (as opposed to Spong) along the same lines as Catholic doctrine. The Christianity which Borg portrays in the "emerging paradigm" is very compelling for me. It is deeply spiritual, rooted in historical Christian traditions, non-exclusivist, and transformative on the personal and community level. A brilliant easily readable book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Helped Keep Me in the Christian Faith!!
Review: I was a Christian fundamentalist for many years. But when I began to really analyze and reflect on my beliefs, they simply stopped making sense. I first turned to conservative Christian apologists for answers because I didn't want to leave the comfort of the beliefs I had grown up with. Unfortunately, most of their arguments simply boiled down to, "cause the Bible says so"; as if it doesn't have to make sense as long as it's found somewhere in the Bible. I feared I would have to give up on being a Christian in spite of my strong belief in God. I assumed the only way to be a Christian was the way I had always been taught. This book showed me there is another way of being a Christian, a way that makes far more intellectual sense. So don't give up on Christianity. If you're looking for answers I'd strongly recommend reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: The Heart of Christianity
Review: I've read all of Marcus Borg's books and have recently read "The Heart of Christianity". From a conservative evangelical background, I have always strugged with his approach, yet I keep coming back for more. He has helped me grow in my faith, and be open to see things from other angles. Despite his orthodox/unorthodox theology, there is a spirituality in this book, that cuts to my heart. He is all about actually experienceing Christianity in this life, and I find his writing to have a spiritual quality that, for some reason, comes home to me. I may not ever agree with all he writes, but he lifts the faith beyond the factual to the experiential and to its root. I heartily recommend this book to everyone wishing to grow and struggle in faith.
Rating:
Summary: Borg at his best
Review: I've read several of Prof. Borg's books, and all of them are excellent. In his latest book, The Heart of Christianity, Borg summarizes a lifetime of reflection on the Christian faith.
Borg claims that the "traditional paradigm" is losing it's power over people. Here traditional paradigm refers to a Christianity where God is a being out there with a will and who has all the power in the world and who sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins--literally. Christianity is the only true religion, and if we don't get ourselves to believe in doctrines about God and Jesus (and perhaps eschatology) then we're in big trouble when Jesus returns to earth. While the TP is still nourishing for many in the church, others find it harder and harder to accept; they just can't believe that the Bible is a biography of God, of Jesus, and of the end times. There are several reasons, the biggest one being that contemporary Biblical criticism gives us a different picture of the origin of the Bible; instead of the Bible being God's words about humans, its the words of humans about God. This doesn't mean that the Bible is false and doesn't contain anything divine; it just means that humans had a lot of say about what's in the Bible. Borg endorses the "emerging paradigm". Here there's no emphasis on giving intellectual assent to a body of doctrines or creeds in order to be saved, that is, go to heaven. For Borg, this isn't the heart of Christianity. Rather, Christian faith deals primarily with *this* life, and it's a life that emphasizes a *relationship* with God, the key elements being trust in God to provide for all our needs, as well as loving what God loves--in other words, compassion and justice. Thus, as we live a life in God, and take seriously what God takes seriously, which we see in the person of Jesus, we are transformed in this life, saved in this life, so that we bring about the Kindom of God on earth. That's what really matters, not believing in a set of propositions so that we can get to heaven. As I read Prof. Borg's book, I found myself believing in God again. It wasn't the God of the "traditional paradigm", a supernatural being out there who has all the power and knowledge and intervenes and sometimes doesn't intervene; who demands that we accept doctrines and creeds that the mind can't accept--this is just another 'requirement' or 'work'. Also, this God is not the best explanation for the world shown to us by physics and biology, world religions, biblical criticism, and theodicy. I found many of Borg's ideas compatible with process theology (Borg doesn't develop an in depth conception of God, although he says that God is not less than personal. As someone who's in exile from the church--mostly because the traditional paradigm died for me in undergraduate school and failed to re-convince me in divinity school--I found myself, after reading Borg's book, unwilling give up on God. I had a desire to pray, to go to church, and to keep on wrestling with divine matters. If there is a God, I felt close to God as I read Prof. Borg's book; God seemed real again, and when I walked the streets of downtown Lincoln, the world looked different: I had a love for people and I knew what the compassion I felt was the way Jesus felt when he encountered people--and it wasn't belief in doctrines that brought about this transformation. There is another way of being Christian, a way centered in a radical trust in God, the one in whom we live and move and have our being. And it's about taking seriously what God takes seriously--that is, a life of compassion and justice. And when we live in the spirit, both in our private devotions and in the life of the church, God becomes real to us and empowers us to strive for the Kindom of God, where the way of God rules our world and not the Caesars or powers-that-be. Thank you, Marcus. Amen and amen.
Rating:
Summary: Borg at his best
Review: I've read several of Prof. Borg's books, and all of them are excellent. In his latest book, The Heart of Christianity, Borg summarizes a lifetime of reflection on the Christian faith.
Borg claims that the "traditional paradigm" is losing it's power over people. Here traditional paradigm refers to a Christianity where God is a being out there with a will and who has all the power in the world and who sent Jesus into the world to die for our sins--literally. Christianity is the only true religion, and if we don't get ourselves to believe in doctrines about God and Jesus (and perhaps eschatology) then we're in big trouble when Jesus returns to earth. While the TP is still nourishing for many in the church, others find it harder and harder to accept; they just can't believe that the Bible is a biography of God, of Jesus, and of the end times. There are several reasons, the biggest one being that contemporary Biblical criticism gives us a different picture of the origin of the Bible; instead of the Bible being God's words about humans, its the words of humans about God. This doesn't mean that the Bible is false and doesn't contain anything divine; it just means that humans had a lot of say about what's in the Bible. Borg endorses the "emerging paradigm". Here there's no emphasis on giving intellectual assent to a body of doctrines or creeds in order to be saved, that is, go to heaven. For Borg, this isn't the heart of Christianity. Rather, Christian faith deals primarily with *this* life, and it's a life that emphasizes a *relationship* with God, the key elements being trust in God to provide for all our needs, as well as loving what God loves--in other words, compassion and justice. Thus, as we live a life in God, and take seriously what God takes seriously, which we see in the person of Jesus, we are transformed in this life, saved in this life, so that we bring about the Kindom of God on earth. That's what really matters, not believing in a set of propositions so that we can get to heaven. As I read Prof. Borg's book, I found myself believing in God again. It wasn't the God of the "traditional paradigm", a supernatural being out there who has all the power and knowledge and intervenes and sometimes doesn't intervene; who demands that we accept doctrines and creeds that the mind can't accept--this is just another 'requirement' or 'work'. Also, this God is not the best explanation for the world shown to us by physics and biology, world religions, biblical criticism, and theodicy. I found many of Borg's ideas compatible with process theology (Borg doesn't develop an in depth conception of God, although he says that God is not less than personal. As someone who's in exile from the church--mostly because the traditional paradigm died for me in undergraduate school and failed to re-convince me in divinity school--I found myself, after reading Borg's book, unwilling give up on God. I had a desire to pray, to go to church, and to keep on wrestling with divine matters. If there is a God, I felt close to God as I read Prof. Borg's book; God seemed real again, and when I walked the streets of downtown Lincoln, the world looked different: I had a love for people and I knew what the compassion I felt was the way Jesus felt when he encountered people--and it wasn't belief in doctrines that brought about this transformation. There is another way of being Christian, a way centered in a radical trust in God, the one in whom we live and move and have our being. And it's about taking seriously what God takes seriously--that is, a life of compassion and justice. And when we live in the spirit, both in our private devotions and in the life of the church, God becomes real to us and empowers us to strive for the Kindom of God, where the way of God rules our world and not the Caesars or powers-that-be. Thank you, Marcus. Amen and amen.
Rating:
Summary: A Vision of Hope
Review: In the first part of THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY Marcus Borg describes the challenges facing many people who are trying to remain Christians today. It is no longer possible for great numbers of the followers to believe for instance that the Bible or the creeds are literally or factually true. It is still possible, however, to find much that is true if one views them metaphorically. Borg explains why he chooses to be a Christian and he makes several practical suggestions on such topics as worship and meditation based on a historical, metaphorical and sacramental approach to Christianity. Although Borg reviews some material from his earlier works, his writing and insights remain fresh. His growth as a creative thinker seems to know few limits - particularly when he is writing about the value of Christian worship for him personally. Above all Borg is an inclusive Christian who appreciates the practices and beliefs of other religions in our increasingly pluralistic society. For me Borg is one of the most inspiring writers associated with the Jesus Seminar. This is especially true because of his ability to take the reader beyond the spiritually dry places one may find after deciding Christianity no longer makes much sense.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Led me to Christ
Review: In this book Borg describes Christianity with a warmth that nurtures the heart, yet he doesn't ask us to believe things that are difficult for scientific-oriented people to believe. Borg seems to be a sort of cross between Bishop Spong and an evangelist such as Billy Graham--having all the best characteristics of both. Unbelievable, but true. After reading this book carefully I made the decision to join a church and be baptized. This has greatly enriched my life.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Borg...
Review: In this book, Marcus Borg condenses the insights he's shared in his books on Jesus and the Bible, and presents a guide to what he sees as the core of Christian living. This is a quick read--as are most of Borg's books--I read it in a few sittings at my campus bookstore. He disusses having Christian faith in a pluralist world, and reinterprets certain scriptural passages that have all to often led to Christian exclusivism. He re-emphasizes the importance of the Christian metaphor of being "born again" and tries to wrest it from the clutches of fundamentalists. He reminds us that our Christological titles (Son of God, messiah, Light of the World, etc.), in the end, are always metaphors pointing us to the truth of God in Christ. Borg sees the Bible and Jesus as sacraments of God, and reminds us that when we stop communicating with Scripture and struggling with God as disclosed in Jesus, we cease to be Christian. I enjoyed his use of the Celtic concept of "thin places", but disagreed with his suggestion that the words of our hymns and creeds are unimportant--that we should say and sing them solely to create a "thin place". While I see this as an important part of worship, I think the words are also important, and often find deep meaning in them. I also might contest a few of his "de-literalizations", but as always, he has made me think, and his book is recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Why scholars think they are finding something new
Review: In this work Marcus Borg reminds me of conversations I have had with Bishop Spong: as we get older we think we are finding something no one else knew about Christianity. The new paradigm described seems the point of view of Saint Thomas if you look for it. What do you say to someone who asks if the Bible is true? Yes. If that is the kind of question they ask, then that is the best answer you can give. But as you become a scholar you begin learning what a metaphor is and you realize that all anyone could mean by "literal" is interpretation. So this new paradigm comes with age -- everyone's age. The fundamentalist seeks the concrete descriptions that they can interpret. The more educated adult sees something else, and, God willing, the old see still other things.
But this does not mean this is not wonderful Borg. I recommmend this for a beautiful restatement of an ancient way of thinking about Jesus. But I was hoping for something else. A new paradigm there should be. With everything we have learned there should be new interpretations. We have Robert Funk in "Honest To Jesus" but is that the new paradigm? What would Hegel say? It sounds like an old heresy and that is all.
We shall need to keep looking.
Rating:
Summary: A View of Christianity that Jesus would love
Review: Marcus Borg is opening the world of Christianity to people who have been previously unable to claim it with their whole hearts because of tremendous shortcomings as it is most commonly known. My grandmother, a devout Christian, would have loved his books and recognized in his views that he fully understands the huge difference in the 'religion about Jesus' and the 'religion of Jesus'. This is an understanding of Christianity that Jesus would recognize and I believe he would have loved. Marcus Borg writes with deep spirituality, deep conviction, deep compassion, and the knowledge of history that is needed to truly enter the Christian faith. I, for one, appreciate his writing tremendously. His books are not for 'fundamentalist Christians' unless they are willing to reconsider some of their most strongly held views, but for those who are willing to take a deeper look at this Faith, this book is wonderful.
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