Hermeneutics Quiz

Scot McKnight has posted on the Jesus Creed a link to a hermeneutics quiz he developed. It is quite an interesting quiz.

I scored a moderate, which is defined by the quiz as being:

The moderate hermeneutic might be seen as the voice of reason and open-mindedness. Moderates generally score between 53 to 65. Many are conservative on some issues and progressive on others. It intrigues that conservatives tend to be progressive on the same issues, while progressives tend to be conservative on the same issues. Nonetheless, moderates have a flexible hermeneutic that gives them the freedom to pick and choose on which issues they will be progressive or conservative. For that reason, moderates are more open to the charge of inconsistency. What impresses me most about moderates are the struggles they endure to render judgments on hermeneutical issues.

It is a fun little quiz, with a link to an article explaining the results.

Free Books

OK...so technically they aren't free books, but they feel free.

I often save my change in the ash tray of my SUV and in a coffee container. Once they add up to a significant amount, I take them to a coin counting machine and cash them in. There is one problem with this approach: I lose about 9 cents on the dollar. That's a big chunk of it. But hallelujah, there is another option.

One of the options at the Coin Star machine is to cash in your change for an Amazon Gift Certificate. When you do that, there is no fee for the coin count. So today, I took my coffee can of change and received a certificate for $79.35 for Amazon.

Now, I get to tell myself that I am getting free books. I'm in the Austin, TX area, so I hope this is something you can do in your part of the world to treat yourself to feeling like you are getting free books.

I am torn as what to buy. Part of me wants to get a lot of books, and part of me wants to splurge on mindless DVD comedies. A couple of seasons of Futurama just might be in my future. If that is what I do, then I guess this post should have been called, "Free DVDs."

Update: I just found out the new Roger Olson book, How to Be Evangelical Without Being Conservative is in stock at Amazon. That is a definite buy!

Endorsements

Remember when Wayne Grudem came out endorsing Mitt Romney calling him a consistent conservative? That was laughable. It's hard to believe he actually believed Mitt Romney was a consistent conservative. Gotta scratch your head over that one. I don't care what Grudem or most people have to say. Maybe I'd pay attention to who Billy Joel endorses, but certainly not Oprah. We can't ignore Mike Huckabee benefiting from the Colbert Bump.

Now here's a ticket: Billy Joel/Jimmy Buffet for president campaign! Yeah! I'd vote for that. Heck, I still want Stephen Colbert to be president. Now that would be great...we'd all be able to laugh even in the face of tragedy. Oh, South Carolina, why did you let me down?

Here is my question for you: Do you care about endorsements? Does it matter if it is a theologian? Does it matter if it is a politician? A newspaper? A celebrity?

Bible Meme

Ryan tagged me with the Bible meme. So, here we go:


1. What translation of the Bible do you like best?

You know, I just love Scripture and I am thankful for any translation I can get a hold of...ok...enough of the self-righteousness...

NIV...it's readable and I'm just used to it because it is used so much. I'm also fond of the TNIV.

2. Old or New Testament?

New Testament.

3. Favorite Book of the Bible?

John or Philippians

4. Favorite Chapter?

John 1, 2 Cor 4, and Phil 2 or 3

5. Favorite Verse? (feel free to explain yourself if you have to)

Jeremiah 20:9
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,”his word is in my heart like a fire,a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in;indeed, I cannot.

6. Bible character you think you’re most like?

I don't think I'm really like any Bible character, so I took two quick online profiles...came out as Peter and Solomon. The profile that came out with Peter says, "You are Peter! You are a natural leader, always with something to say, always ready to take charge. You're someone who can get things done. Sometimes you put your foot in your mouth, however..." I don't know about the rest of it, but the "foot in your mouth" part is absolutely right!

7. One thing from the Bible that confuses you?

Just one? 1Ti 2:15 But women will be saved through childbearing

8. Moses or Paul?

Hmmmm....Paul. Moses is scarier. I keep imagining him breaking the tablets.

9. A teaching from the Bible that you struggle with or don’t get?

End times stuff, fer shure.

10. Coolest name in the Bible?

Mephibosheth.

If there were someone named Chimichanga, I would have chosen that.

Now tag five people...

I tag people whose names begin with B, J, M, S, and R.

About Hell

I have a Christian friend who was once dating a non-Christian female. He was witnessing to her, and she would not accept Christ. In his frustration, he told her to go to hell.

I recently purchased a T-shirt from Book People in Austin that says, "Go to hell, I'm reading." Sorry if I offend, but it couldn't be resisted. (Along with that I bought the shirt that says, "Will work for books.")

Here is my question: What do you believe about hell and why? Is it literal? Does it exist? Eternal? Torment? Annihilation?

Pop Reading

Here is my confession: I have trouble communicating at a popular level. I often hear that speak over people's heads.

In an effort to remedy that situation, I am going to start reading more lay level books and less academia for awhile. I recently read one lay level book, and there were times I thought my head was going to explode. (But there were times it was really inspiring.)

I am very fond of John Ortberg and Chuck Swindoll on the lay level. Other than that, I can't really think of anyone.

Can you help me out? Who do you enjoy reading on a popular level?

Faith and Trust

I went to a service the other night where prayers were offered up for different topics. I was kind of confused when they had a prayer on trust and then they had a prayer for faith. I have a problem with being overly analytical, so during part of the service I just sat there thinking about the topics going, "That doesn't make sense."

Here's my question for you: Is there a difference between faith and trust? If so, what is it?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Weird Meme

I got tagged by BryanL for a very strange meme.

Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 5 people.

From N.T. Wright's Jesus and the Victory of God, here it is:

This relativizes some Third Quest work, to be sure, with its potential for materialist reductionism. But it hits far harder, as Schweitzer saw, at the anti-historical idealism of the iconographers on the one hand an the silhouette-makers on the other. To put it bluntly, we can know quite a lot about Jesus; not enough to write a modern-style biography, including the colour of the subject's hair, and what he liked for breakfast, but quite a lot.

Hmmm...I don't know who to tag, so if you haven't done this--Tag, You're It!