For centuries the Bible has been the backbone of Christianity and of
Christian theology. Yet it has also been the subject of fierce
controversy. Truth be told, theorizing about it (as opposed to reading
it) has been the cause of massive loss of faith among Christians. An
inflated and exaggerated vision of the Bible has caused believers to
stumble rather than grow in the faith. In turn lovers of the Bible have
turned in hostility against those who do not share their supposedly high
vision of its worth and role. In 'The Bible: Beyond the Impasse'
William J. Abraham tracks the problem back to its source. Astonishingly,
well-meaning theologians invented an approach to Holy Scripture that
backfired with a vengeance by fostering skepticism about the place of
the Bible in the life of faith and in theology itself. Happily, more
recent scholarship, represented by leading evangelical scholars like
Bishop Tom Wright, has tried to find a constructive way beyond the
battle for the Bible. However, as the diagnosis does not go deep enough,
the solution remains incomplete and fragile. Abraham argues for a more
accurate account of what has gone wrong and develops a more fruitful way
forward. The result is a book that will provide a vision of the Bible
that is spiritually liberating and intellectually bracing.
