What do we do with the Bible? Does this ancient, sometimes violent and
contradictory text have anything to teach us today?
Selective use of scripture - by preachers and politicians alike - has
been employed to justify violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia...the
list goes on. Still, we believe the Bible has something important to
say. How can we read it in a contemplative and intelligent way?
In What Do We Do with the Bible?, Richard Rohr answers just this
question. He offers a methodology of hermeneutics (interpretation) that
creates a foundation for a hopeful and cosmic vision - incarnation from
beginning to end of time. (He explores this vision further in The
Universal Christ).
In particular, Father Richard focuses on Jesus' own method of using his
Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus read between the lines to find and follow God's
mercy, inclusion, and compassionate justice. For him, everything came
down to relationship and transformation.