Bible
Re-enchanting the Text Discovering the Bible as Sacred, Dangerous, and Mysterious Cheryl Bridges Johns In an age when the Bible has been stripped of its sacredness and mystery, and functional biblical illiteracy reigns, this book makes the case that we must work to re-enchant the text in order to return the Bible to its rightful place in the lives of Christians. “One can only voice a vigorous ‘yes’ to this wise and welcome book. Johns sees clearly that the numbing impact of Enlightenment rationality on our view of the Bible has left us with the toxic options of progressive liberalism and reactionary fundamental- ism, neither of which can allow the biblical text its proper work of wonder and deconstruction. Her rich Pentecostal legacy lets her see that it is the free, unfettered, unrestrained work of the Spirit that inhabits Scripture and that may also inhabit our reading of the text. Johns’s work is at once breathtaking and breath-giving in its expansive hopefulness.” —WALTER BRUEGGEMANN, Columbia Theological Seminary “In this powerful and compelling analysis, Johns offers a way to ‘re-enchant’ Scripture that refuses domestication; sees the text’s power to disrupt, redescribe, and reorient; and embraces a pneumatic imagination. For those who want and yearn for more, this book is a must-read.” —LISA BOWENS, Princeton Theological Seminary “Johns’s vision for a Pentecostal ontology of Scripture is not just for Pentecostals—it is a gift to the church catholic, born at Pentecost.” —JAMES K. A. SMITH, Calvin University; author of How (Not) to Be Secular , Thinking in Tongues , and You Are What You Love “This work demonstrates a certain verve and facility with the relevant issues, and it is at once both accessible and seasoned. Educators and church leaders who find such a journey important for those they serve would do well to start with this volume.” —DANIEL CASTELO, Duke Divinity School “I have been waiting on this book. Feast on this volume and open yourself up to God’s mystery being unveiled in our daily lives, even in a late modern world.” —AMOS YONG, Fuller Theological Seminary “Johns’s vision of and for Scripture calls us into deeper, richer participation in God’s revelation and presence. This vision is vital to engage the next generation, whose members long for true spirituality and value authenticity.” —REV. JACQUELINE GREY, Alphacrucis University College, Australia “Johns has opened through this wide-ranging work an urgent, timely, and evocative discussion.” —RICKIE MOORE, Lee University
MAY 2023 • 192 pp. • paper • $22.99 • 9781540965134
Cheryl Bridges Johns (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is a pastor and theologian who has taught college and seminary students for over forty years. She is visiting professor and director of the Pentecostal House of Studies at United Theological Seminary. Johns previously taught at Pentecostal Theological Seminary and is past president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. She has researched the ways human development intersects with spiritual transformation for over three decades.
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