Chapter 1 - An Emerging Christian Way
1. Marcus Borg is no stranger to our Panera group. His book, The Heart of Christianity, is the source of today’s reading. Drawing distinctions between the two major expressions of contemporary Christianity, he reframes them as the “Belief-Centered Paradigm” (BCP) and the “Transformation-Centered Paradigm” (TCP). Which of these did you grow up with? How was this overview of the faith expressed in your family, church, and community?
2. Borg briefly highlights the core values of each paradigm. Within the BCP, take a brief minute to discuss how each of these were understood in your particular context:
- The uniqueness of Christianity
- Salvation as afterlife
- Requirements and rewards
- Sin, guilt, and forgiveness
- The Bible
- Faith as believing
3. Borg does not view this paradigm favorably. He writes on page 17 that it “has become an intellectual and moral stumbling block for millions of people in our time, inside the church and outside of it.” And, “Indeed, the belief-centered paradigm is the single biggest reason for the decline of mainline denominations over the past 40 years.” Where do you see evidence of these conclusions today? What damage do they continue to inflict upon the church?
4. On page 18, Borg notes that “instead of rejecting modern knowledge when it conflicts with the Bible, it (the TCP) involves an appreciative and discerning integration of what we have learned in the last several centuries about nature, history, culture, religions, and ourselves.” Where have we been stretched in these particular areas of our faith of late? If applicable, what has your process of re-thinking or re-framing these issues been like?
5. I appreciated Borg’s description of the Bible within the TCP, including the Bible’s authority & interpretation, historical interpretation, and metaphorical interpretation. I’m especially fond of his statement on page 23, “These stories, to echo Thomas Mann, are about the way things never were but always are.” What does that perspective mean in terms of Scripture’s usefulness to us?
6. Borg concludes his essay by emphasizing “transformation as the central dynamic of the Christian life…of the self and of the world.” Again, take a brief minute to review how each of the following lead to transformation within the TCP:
- Salvation
- Faith
- Adult theological re-education
- Christian practices
- Compassion and a passion for justice
- Political consciousness
- Living deeply into the Bible/Christian tradition
- Commitment and intentionality
7. Finally, Borg writes on page 32: “It is trust and loyalty that transform us. Beliefs may precede them or follow them or remain quite unconnected to them. But beliefs do not save us, do not transform us. Trust and loyalty do. This centering is the purpose of the Christian life.” How does this reality both free us and equip us for discipleship to Jesus and service to the world?
