The Evolution of the Idea of God - Softcover

Jim Dollar

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0976088215 ISBN 13: 9780976088219

Publisher: Outlands Press, 2006

Synopsis

With The Evolution of the Idea of God, Jim Dollar explores the pertinent questions of Christiantity from a Progressive Christian perspective. The book assumes that the task of the church in every age is anticipated by Jesus with the parable of the net of fish, where fishermen sort their catch into what they will keep and what they will throw away. What will we carry forward? What will we leave behind? What has eternal value? What has outlived its usefulness? What will stay with us as an abiding presence? What belongs in a museum showcase? In answering these questions, we decide what is important, and become the church of the next generation.

About this title

From the Publisher:

The Evolution of the Idea of God, like any true word of God, forces some issues. It asks, "Are you going to be the prodigal's father, or not?" And, "Are you going to be gracious, or not?" It inquires, "Are you going to bring to life the qualities that are essential to life, or not?"

The church has too often, and for too long, attacked books like this one and their authors as heretical, scandalous, blasphemous, outrageous and obscene. The church has defended itself and its view of the gospel, and of God, with threats, and charges, and inquiries, and investigations, and trials, and defrockings, and excommunications, and burnings at the stake. And, in so doing, it was, in its view, maintaining the purity of the gospel and defending the truth. But, in truth, it was simply protecting itself from that which called its perspective into question, and refusing to grow beyond where it has been.

This book is an invitation to examination, exploration, reverie, wonderment and play. It is an invitation to conversation.

From the Author:

Everyone knows what he, what she, is supposed to think about God, who God is supposed to be, who we are supposed to be in relationship with God, and we work hard to keep the "supposed to be's" in place. Which is interesting in light of the Scruptures, where, never once in the entire Bible does God do the expected thing. Every time God speaks, the people are dumfounded. The prophets can't believe their ears. Every time God acts, the people are undone. Nothing is ever as it is supposed to be with God. God is always up to something. New.

The source of tension and conflict between false and true prophets is at the point of the predictability of God. The true prophets were always saying things that couldn't possibly be true. The false prophets were always saying things that couldn't possibly be false. God was always surprising everybody with a new dance and appalling moves.

In the Bible, the god that is "infinite, eternal, and unchanging," is always an idol. Always a stick or a stone. Always immobile. Always rooted in the past. Chained forever to how and who he or she is supposed to be. The God Who Is, on the other hand, is like the wind that blows where it will. If you think you can pin that God down, or pen that God up, or define that God with a beautiful Elizabethan Catechism, perhaps, or Confession of Faith, which nails down for all time who and how God is supposed to be, all you will have done is create an idol. This book is not about idol worship.

About this edition

• Publisher: Outlands Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0976088215
• ISBN 13: 9780976088219
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 230