What Does the Bible Say?: A Critical Conversation With Popular Culture in a Biblically Illiterate World

This book is a collaboration between a biblical scholar (Mary Ann Beavis) and a practical theologian (HyeRan Kim-Cragg) who are concerned with the way that the Bible is portrayed and interpreted in popular culture, including but not limited to the movies. This concern points to a need for a conversation, examining what the Bible actually says, in order to uncover transformations and distortions of the biblical stories in the wider culture--including Christian culture. Our conversation is counter-cultural, not in an oppositional way, but taking an alternative posture that aims to provide different insights by drawing from and closely looking at the Bible. The chapters take a Christian canonical approach, articulating ""what the Bible says"" (and doesn't say) with regard to culturally pervasive themes such as sin and salvation, Christ and Antichrist, heaven and hell, in contrast to popular understandings as disseminated in (primarily) film, advertising, television, etc. We hope that together we will open up fertile academic, ecclesial, and secular space for disclosing loaded cultural and ideological views towards offering positive and intriguing insights embedded in the Bible. ""Are you looking for exciting new program ideas for your church's youth and young adult group leaders? A text to add cultural relevance to your courses on ministry or Bible study? A resource to recommend to graduates wishing to update their access to the latest biblical scholarship? Or a stimulating volume for yourself that, incidentally, requires you to watch a few movies? Look no further. To the rescue comes this offering from a pair of cross-disciplinary scholars who engage you in conversation, challenge you to re-examine your assumptions, and equip you with fresh understanding for your own teaching, ministry, and scholarship. That the volume's global reach includes specific contributions out of the Canadian context is simply that much bonus."" --Greer Anne Wenh-In Ng, Professor Emerita, Emmanuel College, Victoria University in the University of Toronto ""I recommend What Does the Bible Say? to pastors and church teachers as a fine resource to assist in focusing Bible study for the people of God. HyeRan Kim-Cragg and Mary Ann Beavis have courageously addressed some crucial theological and biblical issues facing the church. Through careful and engaging scholarship, they demonstrate to teachers how the richness of the biblical witness can be clarified and communicated. Indeed, they clarify 'what the Bible says' and help the people of God freshly and faithfully read the Bible."" --Jack L. Seymour, Professor of Religious Education, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Mary Ann Beavis is Professor of Religion and Culture at St. Thomas More College, Saskatoon, Canada. She is the author of many academic articles and several books. HyeRan Kim-Cragg is Lydia Gruchy Professor of Pastoral Studies at St. Andrew's College, Saskatoon, Canada. She is the author of Story and Song (2012) and the coauthor of several books, including The Encounters (2013), Hebrews (2015), and The Authority and Interpretation of Scripture in the United Church of Canada (2016).Read less