Is our study of the Bible as pure as we think it is? In Free
for All, Tim Conder and Daniel Rhodes show how the way we read
the Bible is held captive by the dominant culture in which we find
ourselves. They aim to expose the cultural authorities that
influence our understanding of the Bible and provide a way for
communities to encounter the text as communities. This journey into
community interpretation of the Bible not only honors the text and
liberates its voice, but also catalyzes transformative practices of
proclamation, hospitality, ethics, mission, and imagination.
Church leaders, pastors, small group leaders, and those interested
in the emerging church conversation will find Free for All an
energizing resource to infuse their study of God's Word with new
life.
Unleash the Scriptures
Say "free-for-all," and most people imagine a brawl. But what if we
had a free-for-all with the Bible? What if we opened up to
aggressive interpretation within the communities of our local
churches?
In this provocative book, Tim Conder and Daniel Rhodes explore the
critical need to encounter Scripture collectively, and then they
invite us to listen in as a group from their church delves into
four Bible passages--the obscure, the emotive, the familiar, and
the controversial.
Free for All makes a compelling case for communities as a
valid authority for biblical interpretation. The authors show that
communities are capable of breaking open the texts in fresh and
surprising ways, unleashing them anew into our lives.
"This is as clear and thought provoking a statement as I have seen
yet of a theology of Scripture for emergence
Christianity."--Phyllis Tickle, author, The Great
Emergence
"A wonderful exercise in biblical hermeneutics. . . . Weaving in
popular culture, well-informed Christian theological insight, and
excitement for the Bible as uniquely revelatory, Conder and Rhodes
lead us into a fresh new encounter with Scripture."--Will Willimon,
bishop, the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist
Church; author, Conversations with Barth on Preaching
"There is, in this book, good news for those of us who are
passionate about Scripture, deeply committed to community, and
longing to experience the power of both with candor and openness in
the midst of our pain, confusions, and disappointments."--Brian J.
Walsh, coauthor, Colossians Remixed and Beyond
Homelessness
"It's not easy to make the familiar odd, but Conder and Rhodes
accomplish that feat by helping us recover what it means to read
Scripture in communion."--Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe
Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke Divinity School
"An excellent guide to recovering the place of the Bible in the
life of Christian communities. . . . Following the wisdom found in
these pages can help unleash the transforming power of the Bible in
the church and in the lives of those who read it."--John R. Franke,
Clemens Professor of Missional Theology, Biblical Seminary
Tim Conder is a founding member of Emergent Village, the
founding pastor of emerging church plant Emmaus Way in
Raleigh/Durham, and the author of The Church in Transition. Conder
lives in Durham, North Carolina.
Daniel Rhodes is a pastor at Emmaus Way and a ThD student at Duke
Divinity School. Rhodes lives in Durham, North Carolina.