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Ideology and Christianity in Japan (Routledge/Leiden Series in Modern East Asian Politics, History and Media)
by Kiri ParamoreIdeology and Christianity in Japan shows the major role played by Christian-related discourse in the formation of early-modern and modern Japanese political ideology. The book traces a history development of anti-Christian ideas in Japan from the banning of Christianity by the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 1600s, to the use of Christian and anti-Christian ideology in the construction of modern Japanese state institutions at the end of the 1800s. Kiri Paramore recasts the history of Christian-related discourse in Japan in a new paradigm showing its influence on modern thought and politics and demonstrates the direct links between the development of ideology in the modern Japanese state, and the construction of political thought in the early Tokugawa shogunate. Demonstrating hitherto ignored links in Japanese history between modern and early-modern, and between religious and political elements this book will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese history, religion and politics.
Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels
by George M. LamsaExplanations of nearly 1,000 ancient idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech in the Old and New Testaments, from a renowned Bible translator.George M. Lamsa, who was raised speaking Aramaic in a community that followed customs largely unchanged since the times of Christ, offers accurate translations of important idioms, metaphors, and figures of speech found in the Scripture—and provides clear explanations of their meaning in biblical context.Just as Shakespeare, Milton, and Browning wrote in the vernacular for English-speaking people, Moses, the prophets, and the apostles wrote for their own people in the plain language of their times, so that even the unlearned might understand God’s Word. Over the centuries, inaccurate translations and misunderstandings of customs and concepts have led to difficulties in bringing the biblical message to contemporary English-speaking readers.For example, when a man says to Jesus, “let me bury my father,” Lamsa points out that this expression means, “Let me first take care of my father until he dies.” Traditionally, scholars assumed that this man’s father was dead and that Jesus was not interested in his burial. Lamsa's scholarship offers a more accurate understanding of the intent and spirit of this passage.Idioms in the Bible Explained and a Key to the Original Gospels goes far in correcting such errors that have crept into Biblical scholarship. Obscure and difficult passages from both Old and New Testaments are listed and compared with the King James version (though it will be helpful when used with any English version). These make clear the original meaning of such ancient idioms and assure that our grasp of the biblical message is more sound and rewarding. To further uncover the original teachings of Scripture, Lamsa discusses at greater length such topics as “The Language of Jesus,” “Aramaic Phraseology,” “The Sayings of Jesus,” “Early Translations,” and more.
Idiot's Guides: Buddhism, 3rd Edition
by Gary GachReach Your Zen Moment! The latest edition of The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Buddhism updates one of Alpha Books's most successful books in the religion/spirituality category, providing extensive information on both understanding the teachings and schools of Buddhism and incorporating the tenets of Buddhism into everyday life. It also includes additional information on Buddhism's effect on popular arts and sciences, the continuing relevance of the Dalai Lama, and an annotated bibliography. • With Buddhism as one of America's fastest growing religions, the audience continues to renew itself • Covers all four schools of Buddhism: Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, and Insight Meditation, which are not in competitors' books • For thousands of years, Buddhism has been a source of inner peace and security for millions
Idiots in Paris: Diaries of Elizabeth and JG Bennett, 1949
by Elizabeth Bennett John Godolphin BennettIn 1949, JG Bennett was engaged in, with Gurdjieff's help, a titanic struggle with his own nature, which he describes in these diaries. However Elizabeth's entries, which make up the bulk of this book, give witness to conditions in Gurdjieff's circle at the end of his life—an impartial description with very little "self" in it. In 2012, when there are few people left alive who met and worked with the Armenian mystic philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff (d. 1949), it is all the more important to have such an honest eyewitness account as the one Elizabeth Bennett presents here. Elizabeth's original introduction, included in this new edition, and the diaries themselves, outline far better than any later commentator can the conditions in which Gurdjieff's pupils lived as satellites revolving round a brilliant sun. This edition contains new material: unpublished entries from Elizabeth Bennett's personal Paris diary, and a 2008 Foreword by Elizabeth and John Bennett&’s son, George Bennett
Idol Anxiety
by Josh Ellenbogen Aaron TugendhaftThis interdisciplinary collection of essays addresses idolatry, a contested issue that has given rise to both religious accusations and heated scholarly disputes. Idol Anxietybrings together insightful new statements from scholars in religious studies, art history, philosophy, and musicology to show that idolatry is a concept that can be helpful in articulating the ways in which human beings interact with and conceive of the things around them. It includes both case studies that provide examples of how the concept of idolatry can be used to study material objects and more theoretical interventions. Among the book's highlights are a foundational treatment of the second commandment by Jan Assmann; an essay by W. J. T. Mitchell on Nicolas Poussin that will be a model for future discussions of art objects; a groundbreaking consideration of the Islamic ban on images by Mika Natif; and a lucid description by Jean-Luc Marion of his cutting-edge phenomenology of the visible.
Idol Lies: Facing the Truth About Our Deepest Desires
by Dee BrestinRead the Amazon reviews and you'll discover why women are saying: "This is the study to do in your small group!"Women are being delivered fromAnxietyOvereatingAngerand more...
Idolatry
by Avishai Margalit Moshe Halbertal“You shall have no other gods besides Me.” This injunction, handed down through Moses three thousand years ago, marks one of the most decisive shifts in Western culture: away from polytheism toward monotheism. Despite the momentous implications of such a turn, the role of idolatry in giving it direction and impetus is little understood. This book examines the meaning and nature of idolatry—and, in doing so, reveals much about the monotheistic tradition that defines itself against this sin. The authors consider Christianity and Islam, but focus primarily on Judaism. They explore competing claims about the concept of idolatry that emerges in the Hebrew Bible as a “whoring after false gods.” Does such a description, grounded in an analogy of sexual relations, presuppose the actual existence of other gods with whom someone might sin? Or are false gods the product of “men’s hands,” simply a matter of misguided belief? The authors show how this debate, over idolatry as practice or error, has taken shape and has in turn shaped the course of Western thought—from the differentiation between Jewish and Christian conceptions of God to the distinctions between true and false belief that inform the tradition of religious enlightenment. Ranging with authority from the Talmud to Maimonides, from Marx to Nietzsche and on to G.E. Moore, this brilliant account of a subject central to our culture also has much to say about metaphor, myth, and the application of philosophical analysis to religious concepts and sensibilities. Its insights into pluralism and intolerance, into the logic and illogic of the arguments religions aim at each other, make Idolatry especially timely and valuable in these days of dark and implacable religious difference.
Idolatry and Representation: The Philosophy of Franz Rosenzweig Reconsidered
by Leora BatnitzkyAlthough Franz Rosenzweig is arguably the most important Jewish philosopher of the twentieth century, his thought remains little understood. Here, Leora Batnitzky argues that Rosenzweig's redirection of German-Jewish ethical monotheism anticipates and challenges contemporary trends in religious studies, ethics, philosophy, anthropology, theology, and biblical studies. This text, which captures the hermeneutical movement of Rosenzweig's corpus, is the first to consider the full import of the cultural criticism articulated in his writings on the modern meanings of art, language, ethics, and national identity. In the process, the book solves significant conundrums about Rosenzweig's relation to German idealism, to other major Jewish thinkers, to Jewish political life, and to Christianity, and brings Rosenzweig into conversation with key contemporary thinkers. Drawing on Rosenzweig's view that Judaism's ban on idolatry is the crucial intellectual and spiritual resource available to respond to the social implications of human finitude, Batnitzky interrogates idolatry as a modern possibility. Her analysis speaks not only to the question of Judaism's relationship to modernity (and vice versa), but also to the generic question of the present's relationship to the past--a subject of great importance to anyone contemplating the modern statuses of religious tradition, reason, science, and historical inquiry. By way of Rosenzweig, Batnitzky argues that contemporary philosophers and ethicists must relearn their approaches to religious traditions and texts to address today's central ethical problems.
Idolatry in America
by Rod ParsleyThere&’s a deadly truth behind our nation&’s famine. After reading this book, you will understand the deadly grip of sin and its destructive nature for your personal life and community. You will learn how you can repent and seek God for a spiritual awakening in our nation. Sin stops the rain. Moses predicted it at Mount Sinai. Solomon prayed about it at the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem. Israel experienced it under the disastrous reign of Ahab and Jezebel. The sin that particularly plagued ancient Israel was idolatry. The drought they experienced was more than just a lack of water. Amos 8:11 says, &“The time is coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.&” Here in America, the megadrought that has gripped much of the West and portions of the heartland has made headlines. The Mississippi River was so low that barges were getting stuck on the bottom. Lake Mead has been at historically low levels. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is disappearing. Negotiations for allocations of water from the Colorado River are becoming more and more contentious. Could it be that these conditions are only harbingers of a more systemic and serious spiritual famine? Sin stops the rain. In Idolatry in America, Dr. Rod Parsley identifies ten major areas of idolatry that have overtaken our country&’s culture. Any one of them is deadly, but together they constitute an unprecedented threat to the very existence of our nation. There is a cure for this cultural epidemic—a way to walk back from the brink of moral and spiritual disaster. The choice is stark. The consequences are severe. The outcome will be stunning.
Idolatry in the Pentateuch: An Innertextual Strategy
by Tracy J. McKenzieIdolatry in the Pentateuch addresses both the manner in which the Pentateuch was produced and how theological intentions can be discerned from the texts that constitute it. <p><p>McKenzie attempts to read the final shape of the Pentateuch while not ignoring the diachronic complexities within its pages. Using a compositional approach to the Pentateuch, he establishes his methodology, analyzes several idolatry-related texts, and traces the theological intentions through an inner-textual strategy. Moreover, McKenzie briefly considers the history of interpretation through the last few centuries and discusses the state of Old Testament studies as he understands it.
Idols Behind Altars: Modern Mexican Art and Its Cultural Roots
by Anita BrennerArt critic, historian and journalist Anita Brenner (1905-1974) is acknowledged to be one of the most important and perceptive writers on the art, culture, and political history of Mexico. Idols Behind Altars is her influential historical and critical study of modern Mexican art and its roots. It was one of the first books to afford Mexican art the same serious considerations as European and Asian art and remains indispensable for anyone interested in the subject. The works of such major figures as Diego Rivera, Jóse Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Francisco Goitia and Jean Charlot are examined in the cultural context of pre-Columbian times through the 19th century. Brenner's astute analysis of Mexican history, her keen insights into revolutionary politics, and her passionate advocacy of Mexican art infuse this book with seminal importance. 117 illustrations--including some early photographs by Edward Weston--enhance the text.
Idols In The East: European Representations of Islam and the Orient, 1100–1450
by Suzanne Conklin AkbariRepresentations of Muslims have never been more common in the Western imagination than they are today. Building on Orientalist stereotypes constructed over centuries, the figure of the wily Arab has given rise, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, to the "Islamist" terrorist. In Idols in the East, Suzanne Conklin Akbari explores the premodern background of some of the Orientalist types still pervasive in present-day depictions of Muslims-the irascible and irrational Arab, the religiously deviant Islamist-and about how these stereotypes developed over time. Idols in the East contributes to the recent surge of interest in European encounters with Islam and the Orient in the premodern world. Focusing on the medieval period, Akbari examines a broad range of texts including encyclopedias, maps, medical and astronomical treatises, chansons de geste, romances, and allegories to paint an unusually diverse portrait of medieval culture. Among the texts she considers are The Book of John Mandeville, The Song of Roland, Parzival, and Dante's Divine Comedy. From them she reveals how medieval writers and readers understood and explained the differences they saw between themselves and the Muslim other. Looking forward, Akbari also comes to terms with how these medieval conceptions fit with modern discussions of Orientalism, thus providing an important theoretical link to postcolonial and postimperial scholarship on later periods. Far reaching in its implications and balanced in its judgments, Idols in the East will be of great interest to not only scholars and students of the Middle Ages but also anyone interested in the roots of Orientalism and its tangled relationship to modern racism and anti-Semitism.
If All the Seas Were Ink: A Memoir
by Ilana Kurshan**WINNER of the 2018 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the 2018 Sophie Brody Medal for achievement in Jewish literature****2018 Natan Book Award Finalist** **Finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in Women's Studies **The Wall Street Journal: "There is humor and heartbreak in these pages...Ms. Kurshan immerses herself in the demands of daily Talmud study and allows the words of ancient scholars to transform the patterns of her own life."The Jewish Standard:“Brilliant, beautifully written, sensitive, original."The Jerusalem Post:"A beautiful and inspiring book. Both religious and secular readers will find themselves immensely moved by [Kurshan's] personal story.”American Jewish World: “So engrossing I hardly could put it down.”At the age of twenty-seven, alone in Jerusalem in the wake of a painful divorce,Ilana Kurshan joined the world’s largest book club, learning daf yomi, Hebrew for“daily page” of the Talmud, a book of rabbinic teachings spanning about six hundredyears. Her story is a tale of heartache and humor, of love and loss, of marriageand motherhood, and of learning to put one foot in front of the other by turningpage after page. Kurshan takes us on a deeply accessible and personal guided tourof the Talmud. For people of the book—both Jewish and non-Jewish—If All theSeas Were Ink is a celebration of learning, through literature, how to fall in loveonce again.
If Animals Celebrated Easter (If Animals Kissed Good Night)
by Ann Whitford PaulA must-have for any nursery! If Animals Celebrated Easter is another charming picture book in the bestselling If Animals Kissed Goodnight series that imagines springtime celebration from creatures all across the animal kingdom – making it a perfect gift for Easter baskets.What if animals did what YOU do?Colt would weave a basket of hay. Calf would splat-splatter his eggs with spots. Mama and Lamb would lead their friends in a parade. All the farm animals would celebrate Easter in their own special way. Featuring playful rhymes and adorable art, little ones can see how creatures, great and small, celebrate Easter. Families will giggle along as they imagine the critters that inhabit places near and far. A wonderful gift for baby showers, birthdays, new parents, or any occasion!Don't miss the other books in this adorable series: If Animals Kissed Good Night, If Animals Said I Love You, If Animals Celebrated Christmas, If Animals Went to School, If Animals Gave Thanks, If Animals Tried to Be Kind, If Animals Trick-or-Treated, and If Animals Went to Work.
If Animals Could Talk
by Dr Werner GittIf animals could tell us about themselves, using our scientific knowledge, if they could tell us about the way they live, the special way they are made and many details about their individual design - what they would say would be unique praise to the Creator. Did you know that while in flight, the sparrow's heart can beat up to 760 times per minute? Or that a baby blue whale grows at a rate of 7.28 pounds an hour while it's nursing, a grand total of 17 tons by the end of the nursing stage? How about that glow worms have a light output efficiency of 100% as compared to only 4% for our incandescent bulbs? Dr. Werner Gitt, one of the foremost creationist speakers in the world, uses his scientific expertise in this book to show the unique design features of some of God's most captivating creations. All people, young and old, layperson or expert, will be able to understand and enjoy this straightforward book. Told from the perspective of the animals being described, If Animals Could Talk clearly shows the impossibility of life without design. Dr. Gitt uses simple language to provoke a sense of wonder and awe at the marvelous design of the Creator.
If Christians Were Really Christian
by John KillingerIn the world today churches and church members are often diverted from their central mission of loving others and interpreting life through the vision of Jesus Christ. If Christians Were Really Christian shows that with the message we have been given and the spirit of God to lead us we should have led everyone to the kingdom of God. The book is a reminder of how often we have broken trust with Christ in the most essential elements of our discipleship, and how effective our churches can become if we recover the central thrust of our ministry--following Christ and modeling his message in our deeds as well as our words.
If God Is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation
by Trillia J. NewbellIf the Bible were a mountain range, it is said, Romans 8 would be its highest peak. I can say after reading this study that Trillia Newbell is a sure-footed mountain guide that will help you climb this great passage and get some of its best breathtaking views of God and our salvation in Christ. I highly recommend this volume!-Tim Keller, cofounder, Redeemer City to CityWhat would change if you really understood all that God has done and is doing for you?Sure we know in our head that God is for us, that there&’s great hope in his relationship with us and salvation for us, but sometimes these truths can be hard to believe in the midst of exhaustion, busyness, and a world of spiritual and physical opposition. If God Is For Us is a devotional Bible Study on Romans 8 designed to cement in your soul the great truths of our salvation and an understanding for how the Holy Spirit guides our new life in the Spirit, all found in this beloved chapter of Scripture. Why just the one chapter? The simple answer: there&’s so much there! It&’s no wonder that so many Christians list Romans among their favorite books of the Bible and Romans 8 as their favorite in the book. Romans is packed with profound truth after profound truth which are then followed up with life-changing promise after life-changing promise. In this 6-week study, Trillia Newbell will walk you through Romans 8 and help you cement deep inside yourself the scandalous truths of our great salvation, our inheritance, the assurance of our faith, and ultimately the love of our good Father. Each week will include: 5 daily readings out of RomansA devotional for each daily readingQuestions for reflection and studyIf you&’ve experienced the comfort of Romans 8 before, but want to plant it more deeply in your person this is the Bible Study for you. And it&’s great for individual or group settings. If you&’re ready to live a life that shouts: &“God is for me, who can be against me,&” let&’s get started today.
If God Is For Us: The Everlasting Truth of Our Great Salvation
by Trillia J. NewbellIf the Bible were a mountain range, it is said, Romans 8 would be its highest peak. I can say after reading this study that Trillia Newbell is a sure-footed mountain guide that will help you climb this great passage and get some of its best breathtaking views of God and our salvation in Christ. I highly recommend this volume!-Tim Keller, cofounder, Redeemer City to CityWhat would change if you really understood all that God has done and is doing for you?Sure we know in our head that God is for us, that there&’s great hope in his relationship with us and salvation for us, but sometimes these truths can be hard to believe in the midst of exhaustion, busyness, and a world of spiritual and physical opposition. If God Is For Us is a devotional Bible Study on Romans 8 designed to cement in your soul the great truths of our salvation and an understanding for how the Holy Spirit guides our new life in the Spirit, all found in this beloved chapter of Scripture. Why just the one chapter? The simple answer: there&’s so much there! It&’s no wonder that so many Christians list Romans among their favorite books of the Bible and Romans 8 as their favorite in the book. Romans is packed with profound truth after profound truth which are then followed up with life-changing promise after life-changing promise. In this 6-week study, Trillia Newbell will walk you through Romans 8 and help you cement deep inside yourself the scandalous truths of our great salvation, our inheritance, the assurance of our faith, and ultimately the love of our good Father. Each week will include: 5 daily readings out of RomansA devotional for each daily readingQuestions for reflection and studyIf you&’ve experienced the comfort of Romans 8 before, but want to plant it more deeply in your person this is the Bible Study for you. And it&’s great for individual or group settings. If you&’re ready to live a life that shouts: &“God is for me, who can be against me,&” let&’s get started today.
If God Is Good ...: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil
by Randy AlcornIn this captivating new book, bestselling author Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world--now and forever.
If God Is Good: Why Do We Hurt?
by Randy AlcornSpecial 10-pack, ideal for church giveaways, grief support group members, or individual gifting to a loved one The encouragement we crave-when we’re most in need Out of the deepest hurts of the human condition, Randy Alcorn brings into clear focus our most pressing questions about evil and suffering-including those that wrench our souls when we or someone we love is victimized by evil or assaulted by disease. He faces these questions with seasoned sensitivity, skillful insight, and a heart of compassion. He dodges none of the difficulties, and never lapses into platitudes, hand-wringing, or oversimplification. On this troubling but inescapable topic, you’ll find frank acknowledgment of the inherent limitations that set humanity apart from the God who has none. There’s also generous, real encouragement that brings God nearer in our understanding when we need His comfort the most. And amid our heavy doubts and swirling confusion on this topic, Randy Alcorn points us ultimately toward Jesus as “the only answer bigger than the questions. ”
If God Is Love: Rediscovering Grace in an Ungracious World
by Philip Gulley James MulhollandIf God is love, why are so many Christians fearful, and why do so many church leaders sound hateful? Two controversial pastors address issues the church won't face, calling us to restore grace as the center of the Christian life. o In If Grace Is True, Pastors Philip Gulley and James Mulholland revealed their belief that God will save every person. They now explore the implications of this belief, and its power to change every area of our lives. They attempt to answer one question: If we took God's love seriously, what would our world look like? Gulley and Mulholland argue that what we believe is crucial and dramatically affects the way we live and interact in the world. Beliefs have power. The belief in a literal hell where people suffer eternally has often been used by the Church to justify hate and violence, which contradicts what Jesus taught about love and grace. The authors present a new vision for our personal, religious, and corporate lives, exploring what our world would be like if we based our existence on the foundational truth that God loves every person. Gulley and Mulholland boldly address many controversial issues people in the pews have wondered about but churches have been unwilling to tackle. For too long, the Christian tradition has been steeped in negativity, exclusion, and judgment. Gulley and Mulholland usher us into a new age--an age where grace and love are allowed to reign.
If God Is Your Co-Pilot, Swap Seats!
by James W. MooreJesus gave us the good news that if we make God our number-one priority, then everything else will fall into place, and our life will be full of joy, purpose, mission, meaning, and fulfillment.In the words of author James W. Moore: There's a saying that goes, “If God is your co-pilot, swap seats!” I think its message is something we all need to hear, namely this: Don’t just take God along for the ride. Rather, let God do the driving! Put God in the driver’s seat of your life. Don’t make God your assistant; ask God to be the chief pilot on your life’s journey.God is not only a comfort, God is a joy. God is the source of all pleasure. God is light and laughter. God is the Giver of Life, real life, abundant life, full life, meaningful life, joyful life, eternal life. And our chief purpose is to celebrate God, and to serve God, and to enjoy God forever.
If God Is in Charge: Thoughts on the Nature of God for Skeptics, Christians, and Skeptical Christians
by Steve BrownTen chapters elaborate on such questions as: if God is in charge what is He like, why do I hurt so much, etc.
If God Meant to Interfere: American Literature and the Rise of the Christian Right
by Christopher DouglasThe rise of the Christian Right took many writers and literary critics by surprise, trained as we were to think that religions waned as societies became modern. In If God Meant to Interfere, Christopher Douglas shows that American writers struggled to understand and respond to this new social and political force. Religiously inflected literature since the 1970s must be understood in the context of this unforeseen resurgence of conservative Christianity, he argues, a resurgence that realigned the literary and cultural fields. Among the writers Douglas considers are Marilynne Robinson, Barbara Kingsolver, Cormac McCarthy, Thomas Pynchon, Ishmael Reed, N. Scott Momaday, Gloria Anzaldúa, Philip Roth, Carl Sagan, and Dan Brown. Their fictions engaged a wide range of topics: religious conspiracies, faith and wonder, slavery and imperialism, evolution and extraterrestrial contact, alternate histories and ancestral spiritualities. But this is only part of the story. Liberal-leaning literary writers responding to the resurgence were sometimes confused by the Christian Right's strange entanglement with the contemporary paradigms of multiculturalism and postmodernism —leading to complex emergent phenomena that Douglas terms "Christian multiculturalism" and “Christian postmodernism.” Ultimately, If God Meant to Interfere shows the value of listening to our literature for its sometimes subterranean attention to the religious and social upheavals going on around it.
If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority
by Angela N. ParkerA challenge to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy that calls into question how Christians are taught more about the way of Whiteness than the way of Jesus Angela Parker wasn&’t just trained to be a biblical scholar; she was trained to be a White male biblical scholar. She is neither White nor male. Dr. Parker&’s experience of being taught to forsake her embodied identity in order to contort herself into the stifling construct of Whiteness is common among American Christians, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. This book calls the power structure behind this experience what it is: White supremacist authoritarianism. Drawing from her perspective as a Womanist New Testament scholar, Dr. Parker describes how she learned to deconstruct one of White Christianity&’s most pernicious lies: the conflation of biblical authority with the doctrines of inerrancy and infallibility. As Dr. Parker shows, these doctrines are less about the text of the Bible itself and more about the arbiters of its interpretation—historically, White males in positions of power who have used Scripture to justify control over marginalized groups. This oppressive use of the Bible has been suffocating. To learn to breathe again, Dr. Parker says, we must &“let God breathe in us.&” We must read the Bible as authoritative, but not authoritarian. We must become conscious of the particularity of our identities, as we also become conscious of the particular identities of the biblical authors from whom we draw inspiration. And we must trust and remember that as long as God still breathes, we can too.