Peter Enns

"Peter Enns is brilliant at taking the big topics, those Christian ideas that usually scare us or intimidate us or worry us, and then make those very places a meeting place with a God who is bigger and wilder and more wonderful and trustworthy than we ever could have guessed."--Sarah Bessey, author of Out of Sorts and Jesus FeministThe author of How the Bible Actually Works and The Bible Tells Me So explains how our model of God and faith must evolve as our understanding of the world deepens--just as the Bible describes it should. Life throws us "curve balls"--from devastating personal losses to world tragedies. These events often leave us doubting God, the Bible, and our faith. But instead of pushing away our reservations, we should embrace them, Peter Enns argues. A leading biblical scholar and Christian mentor, Enns has never been afraid to question the Bible or Christian beliefs. Such thoughtful inquisitiveness, he argues, is part of God's plan. He wants us to question, because doing so actually leads to a stronger, lasting faith. By reframing how we see these events, we allow ourselves to see how the Bible itself showcases this very process and that "treating curve balls as the enemy" is not only counterproductive but thwarts God's goal of helping us become mature and wise. Enns shares a number of curve balls he's encountered in his own life and the questions he has pondered. Does God care about the millions of people who never heard the gospel? Could I relate to a God who has created a universe this big? If God is so relatable, constant, and caring, how do we explain quantum physics? He reveals how particular biblical passages have helped him find wisdom, and how they can do the same for us. As Curveball persuasively shows, God is bigger and more mysterious than anyone's expectations. We need a faith that can grow just as deeply.

"Peter Enns is brilliant at taking the big topics, those Christian ideas that usually scare us or intimidate us or worry us, and then make those very places a meeting place with a God who is bigger and wilder and more wonderful and trustworthy than we ever could have guessed."--Sarah Bessey, author of Out of Sorts and Jesus FeministThe author of How the Bible Actually Works and The Bible Tells Me So explains how our model of God and faith must evolve as our understanding of the world deepens--just as the Bible describes it should. Life throws us "curve balls"--from devastating personal losses to world tragedies. These events often leave us doubting God, the Bible, and our faith. But instead of pushing away our reservations, we should embrace them, Peter Enns argues. A leading biblical scholar and Christian mentor, Enns has never been afraid to question the Bible or Christian beliefs. Such thoughtful inquisitiveness, he argues, is part of God's plan. He wants us to question, because doing so actually leads to a stronger, lasting faith. By reframing how we see these events, we allow ourselves to see how the Bible itself showcases this very process and that "treating curve balls as the enemy" is not only counterproductive but thwarts God's goal of helping us become mature and wise. Enns shares a number of curve balls he's encountered in his own life and the questions he has pondered. Does God care about the millions of people who never heard the gospel? Could I relate to a God who has created a universe this big? If God is so relatable, constant, and caring, how do we explain quantum physics? He reveals how particular biblical passages have helped him find wisdom, and how they can do the same for us. As Curveball persuasively shows, God is bigger and more mysterious than anyone's expectations. We need a faith that can grow just as deeply.

The second in a series designed to introduce young students to the Bible, Telling God’s Story, Year Two shows children the Kingdom of Heaven as seen in the parables, miracles, and mission of Jesus. Bundled together to provide an entire year of religious instruction: The Instructor Text and Teaching Guide provides content-filled background information for the teacher, a biblical passage to read aloud, and a scripted explanation of the passage designed especially for children to grasp with ease. The Student Guide and Activity Pages provides historically accurate coloring pages, learning projects, and group activities to fill out an entire week of home, school, or Sunday School study.

The first in a series designed to guide young students through the Bible, Telling God’s Story: Year One provides weekly lessons for young elementary-grade students, based on the parables and the Gospels. This bundle includes everything you need for a full year of religious instruction: The Instructor Text and Teaching Guide contains pithy, content-filled background information for the teacher, a biblical passage to read aloud, and a scripted explanation of the passage designed especially for young children to grasp with ease. The accompanying Student Guide and Activity Book provides historically accurate coloring pages, learning projects, and group activities to fill out an entire week of home, school, or Sunday School study.

Can Christianity and evolution coexist? Traditional Christian teaching presents Jesus as reversing the effects of the fall of Adam. But an evolutionary view of human origins doesn't allow for a literal Adam, making evolution seemingly incompatible with what Genesis and the apostle Paul say about him. For Christians who both accept evolution and want to take the Bible seriously, this can present a faith-shaking tension. Popular Old Testament scholar Peter Enns offers a way forward by explaining how this tension is caused not by the discoveries of science but by false expectations about the biblical texts. In this 10th anniversary edition, Enns updates readers on developments in the historical Adam debate, helping them reconcile Genesis and Paul with current views on evolution and human origins. This edition includes an afterword that explains Enns's own theological evolution since the first edition released.

UNA INTRODUCCI N DESCONTRACTURADA AL LIBRO DEL G NESISDadas las pol micas controversias sobre la evoluci n, Ad n y Eva, y la evidencia cient fica del diluvio, la persona promedio podr a sentirse intimidada por el libro del G nesis. Sin embargo, detr s de los debates vertiginosos hay una historia tremenda; una que todos pueden entender y que ha cautivado a las personas durante siglos. Si no eres un erudito de la Biblia pero quieres ser capaz de leer G nesis y entenderlo a grandes rasgos, este libro breve e ingenioso es la gu a que has estado esperando. Res menes claros y preguntas que estimulan al pensamiento proporcionan direcci n para la reflexi n personal y la discusi n grupal. Entonces... qu ? Peter Enns, profesor de Estudios B blicos, y Jared Byas, profesor de Antiguo Testamento, resumen las claves del libro y nos ayudan a ver a G nesis como una historia antigua; una con relevancia continua para la experiencia humana de hoy. G nesis para Gente Normal ilumina a los personajes que llenan el primer libro de la Biblia, haciendo que resonemos con sus elecciones y luchas, mientras nos maravillamos con su mundo tan distante. Eso es lo que encontrar s aqu . Nada de pruebas cient ficas del texto o simples relatos moralistas, sino un mundo distante a disposici n y una historia que, a menudo, resulta extra a, a veces peligrosa, y siempre llena de ricas posibilidades. Es una gu a para gente normal. En un sentido, podr as preguntarte si calificas o no como normal. Si te conoci ramos, tambi n nos lo preguntar amos. Pero lo que queremos decir es que este libro es para personas comunes, la persona que nunca fue a un seminario pero siente curiosidad acerca de c mo leer el libro de G nesis.

'Seldom will you encounter such a fine combination of historical scholarship, interesting reading, and clever humour in one Biblical study. And then filled with faith and hope besides! Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling UpwardFor many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth, argues Bible scholar Peter Enns. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us.'The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter', writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that 'being right' is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God - which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

Bible scholar Peter Enns recounts his spiritual odyssey: how he came to see beyond restrictive doctrine and learned to embrace God's Word as it is actually written.

Bible scholar and author of The Bible Tells Me So Peter Enns explains how Christians mistake 'certainty' and 'correct belief' for faith when what God really desires is trust and intimacy.

Controversial evangelical Bible scholar, popular blogger and podcast host of The Bible for Normal People, and author of The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty explains that the Bible is not an instruction manual or rule book but a powerful learning tool that nurtures our spiritual growth by refusing to provide us with easy answers but instead forces us to acquire wisdom. For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. But the Bible is not static, Peter Enns argues. It does not hold easy answers to the perplexing questions and issues that confront us in our daily lives. Rather, the Bible is a dynamic instrument for study that not only offers an abundance of insights but provokes us to find our own answers to spiritual questions, cultivating God's wisdom within us. "The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible's true subject matter," writes Enns. This distinction, he points out, is important because when we come to the Bible expecting it to be a textbook intended by God to give us unwavering certainty about our faith, we are actually creating problems for ourselves. The Bible, in other words, really isn't the problem; having the wrong expectation is what interferes with our reading. Rather than considering the Bible as an ancient book weighed down with problems, flaws, and contradictions that must be defended by modern readers, Enns offers a vision of the holy scriptures as an inspired and empowering resource to help us better understand how to live as a person of faith today. How the Bible Actually Works makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that "being right" is the most important measure of faith, Enns's freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God--which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

Given the fever-pitched controversies about evolution, Adam and Eve, and scientific evidence for the Flood, the average person might feel intimidated by the book of Genesis. But behind the heady debates is a terrific story-one that anyone can understand, and one that has gripped people for ages. If you are not a Bible scholar but want to be able to read Genesis and understand its big picture, this brief, witty book is the guide you've been waiting for. Clear summaries and thought-provoking questions provide direction for personal reflection and group discussion. Peter Enns, a Biblical Studies professor, and Jared Byas, an Old Testament professor, summarize the book's key themes and help us see Genesis as an ancient story, one with continued relevance for human experience today. Genesis for Normal People illuminates the characters that fill the book of Genesis, causing us to resonate with their choices and struggles even as we marvel at their distant world. And that's what you'll find here-not scientific proof texts or simple moral tales, but a distant world made available, and a story that is often strange, sometimes dangerous, and always filled with rich possibilities. WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GENESIS FOR NORMAL PEOPLE: "This book is a welcome antidote to the mystification about the book of Genesis that goes around. It is accessible for readers who want to take the plunge into this old text. It is gentle in leading readers to a critical sense of the text in response to a "late" trauma in Israel. It is imaginative in its articulation of a book that might otherwise be off-putting. The convergence of accessibility, gentleness, and imagination make this a very fine read."- Walter Brueggemann, Professor Emeritus, Columbia Theological Seminary "Genesis for Normal People is the perfect starting point for Christians who want to read the book of Genesis more faithfully and honestly. Enns and Byas break down the history, genre, culture, and context of this fascinating book of the Bible, so that "normal people"-you know, those who can't read ancient Hebrew-can get a better sense of its purpose, meaning and relevance. The authors manage to simplify without dumbing down, challenge without confusing, and dig for deep truth without compromising their intellectual integrity. A must-read for anyone who care enough about the Bible to want to read and understand it on its own terms."- Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood "The stories in the book of Genesis are among the most well known in the Bible-so much so that it's easy to lose sight of the fact that Genesis is an ancient document from a cultural setting very different from our own. Enns and Byas have provided a highly readable volume that reminds readers of its reality while explaining the meaning and significance of Genesis in light of its ancient context. An ideal book for individual and study groups interested in understanding Genesis on its own terms."- John R. Franke, General Coordinator for The Gospel and Our Culture Network "Evangelical Old Testament scholarship has come of age and is now coming out from behind the shadows of suppression and secrecy. No one represents this fresh coming of age more than Peter Enns, who, with co-author Jared Byas, makes available to any Bible reader a fresh engagement with Genesis-readable, responsible, and recognizably fresh."- Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary

How can an evangelical view of Scripture be reconciled with modern biblical scholarship? In this book Peter Enns, an expert in biblical interpretation, addresses Old Testament phenomena that challenge traditional evangelical perspectives on Scripture. He then suggests a way forward, proposing an incarnational model of biblical inspiration that takes seriously both the divine and the human aspects of Scripture. This tenth anniversary edition has an updated bibliography and includes a substantive postscript that reflects on the reception of the first edition.

Can the Bible be approached both as sacred scripture and as a historical and literary text? For many people, it must be one or the other. How can we read the Bible both ways? The Bible and the Believer brings together three distinguished biblical scholars--one Jewish, one Catholic, and one Protestant--to illustrate how to read the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament critically and religiously. Marc Zvi Brettler, Peter Enns, and Daniel J. Harrington tackle a dilemma that not only haunts biblical scholarship today, but also disturbs students and others exposed to biblical criticism for the first time, either in university courses or through their own reading. Failure to resolve these conflicting interpretive strategies often results in rejection of either the critical approach or the religious approach--or both. But the authors demonstrate how biblical criticism--the process of establishing the original contextual meaning of biblical texts with the tools of literary and historical analysis--need not undermine religious interpretations of the Bible, but can in fact enhance them. They show how awareness of new archeological evidence, cultural context, literary form, and other tools of historical criticism can provide the necessary preparation for a sound religious reading. And they argue that the challenges such study raises for religious belief should be brought into conversation with religious tradition rather than deemed grounds for dismissing either that tradition or biblical criticism. Guiding readers through the history of biblical exegesis within the Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant faith traditions, The Bible and the Believer bridges an age-old gap between critical and religious approaches to the Old Testament.

The second in a twelve-year series designed to take young students from elementary through high school, Telling God’s Story, Year Two provides scripted weekly lessons for second graders and the adults who teach them. Each weekly lesson provides pithy, content-filled background information for the teacher, a biblical passage from one of the four Gospels to read aloud, and a scripted explanation of the passage designed especially for children to grasp with ease.