Inspired Imperfection: How the Bible's Problems Enhance Its Divine Authority
In Inspired Imperfection, Gregory A. Boyd adds another counterintuitive and provocative thesis to his corpus. While conservative scholars and pastors have struggled for years to show that the Bible is without errors, Boyd considers this a fool's errand. Instead, he says, we should embrace the mistakes and contradictions in Scripture, for they show that God chose to use fallible humans to communicate timeless truths. Just as God ultimately came to save humanity in the form of a human, God chose to impart truth through the imperfect medium of human writing. Instead of the Bible's imperfections being a reason to attack its veracity, these "problems" actually support the trustworthiness of Christian Scripture. Inspired Imperfection is required reading for anyone who's questioned the Bible because of its contradictions.
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Gregory A. Boyd (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary) is a pastor at Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Previously, he was a professor of theology at Bethel University, also in St. Paul. His books include Recovering the Real Jesus in an Age of Revisionist Replies, Letters from a Skeptic, God of the Possible, Repenting of Religion, Seeing is Believing, Escaping the Matrix, The Jesus Legend, Myth of a Christian Nation, Is God to Blame, God at War and Satan and the Problem of Evil.
"In this masterful yet deeply personal work, Gregory A. Boyd leads us along a third way between the always-literal Bible of fundamentalism and the noninspired Bible of liberalism, straight toward Jesus as the authoritative, inerrant Word of God." --Bruxy Cavey, senior pastor at The Meeting House, author of The End of Religion and (Re)Union: The Good News of Jesus For Seekers, Saints, and Sinners
"In Inspired Imperfection, Gregory A. Boyd recovers the belief in the plenary inspiration of Scripture for our time. After reading this book, all of us are more grounded in the Bible as God's inspired words and even more in awe of this God who has revealed Godself in the crucified Jesus Christ." --David Fitch, BT Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology, Northern Seminary, Chicago, author of Faithful Presence
"While Boyd's story of struggle with the Bible will resonate with many, his determination to face the challenges with intellectual honesty and spiritual humility set him apart. Boyd drives to the heart of Scripture's 'scandal' to reveal the God who draws dazzlingly, perilously close." --Meghan Larissa Good, author of The Bible Unwrapped: Making Sense of Scripture Today
"How do we read and trust a supposedly sacred book when its contradictions and moral ambiguities are so apparent? For all who struggle with these questions, this book is for you. Gregory A. Boyd's theological sojourn has imbibed various communities, experiences, and theological paradigms, all evident in these pages about his life-long grappling with Scripture." --Amos Yong, dean of the School of Theology and School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary
"The Bible has errors. Let's just admit it. But let's also ask, What kind of God would inspire a Bible with errors? Read this book for Boyd's personal testimony, persuasive arguments, and winsome proposal." --Thomas Jay Oord, Author of God Can't, The Uncontrolling Love of God, and Rethinking the Bible
"In this intriguing book, Boyd argues that the problem passages of the Bible are evidence of its inspiration rather than reasons to reject it. Just as God stoops and becomes identified with sinful humans in the cross of Jesus, so God stoops and becomes identified with sinful humans throughout the pages of Scripture." --John Sanders, professor of religious studies, Hendrix College
