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Study Questions – Chapter 1
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What are some religious
beliefs that you used to have that no longer hold true for you?
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What do the labels
“conservative Christianity” and “liberal Christianity” mean to you? Do
you think they are still helpful categories or not? If not, why not?
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Dr. Borg says that these
are the issues that divide the contemporary church: the ordination of
women, full inclusion for gay and lesbian Christians, and whether or
not there is only one true religion. What do you believe about these
topics and what is the biblical foundation for your belief?
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Dr. Borg states that the
“earlier paradigm” or traditional way of understanding Christian faith
does these things: it interprets the Bible literally, it sees faith as
a matter of believing some doctrines, focuses primarily on the
afterlife, and sees the Christian life to be about requirements and
rewards. The more progressive faith that he is stating has these
characteristics: it sees the Bible as a human response to God, sees
the Christian life to be about following a path and about living with
a changed heart, and emphasizes this life now instead of the
afterlife. What parts of these make more sense to you and why?
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In a footnote in chapter
one, Dr. Borg says that half of the students in his religion classes
at Oregon State University have no church background. When he asks
those “unchurched” students to tell of their impressions of
Christians, they consistently use five adjectives: literalistic, anti
intellectual, self righteous, judgmental and bigoted. Why do you think
people have that impression and how would you address those
perceptions if you had a chance to talk with some of those students?
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