All too often Scripture is read only to find answers to life?s perplexing questions, to prove a theological point, or to formulate doctrine. But William Brown argues that if read properly, what the Bi
All too often Scripture is read only to find answers to life?s perplexing questions, to prove a theological point, or to formulate doctrine. But William Brown argues that if read properly, what the Bible does most fundamentally is arouse a sacred sense of life-transforming wonder.
In this book Brown helps readers develop an orientation toward the biblical text that embraces wonder. He explores reading strategies and offers fresh readings of seventeen Old and New Testament passages, identifying what he finds most central and evocative in the unfolding biblical drama. The Bible invites its readers to linger in wide-eyed wonder, Brown says -- and his Sacred Sense shows readers how to do just that.
Terry Tempest Williams
— author of When Women Were Birds
"Bill Brown is my kind of theologian — smart, provocative, surprising; a visionary with both soul and wit. . . . He reminds me of the power of story as he translates sacred texts into a collective prayer for our future. Earth is his heaven, right here, right now."
Ellen F. Davis
— Duke Divinity School
"In a book that is eye-opening and occasionally jaw-dropping, Brown draws the vital connection between genuine wonder and hope for the created world. Wide-ranging and thoroughly engaging, this volume shows both mature and novice readers how to see more deeply into the Bible. What is much more, it gives us the best reason to slow down and look. Ideally suited for discussion groups in congregational settings."
Steven Bouma-Prediger
— author of For the Beauty of the Earth: A Christian Vision for Creation Care
"Erudite and down-to-earth, serious and funny, full of deep insights written in sparkling prose, William Brown's Sacred Sense is a timely exploration of wonder in the Bible and in the world. Indeed, these insightful meditations on seventeen biblical texts — from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 — cultivate an appetite for wonder. May this excellent book find a multitude of readers."
Frances Taylor Gench
— Union Presbyterian Seminary
"Scripture, for Bill Brown, is a living word and source of transforming wonder. In this breathtaking volume he guides readers through an expansive biblical landscape ranging from creation to new creation and evoking a sense of wonder about God, the world, and our humanity. This is one of those rare books that gladden the heart, mind, and imagination."
Christian Century
"William Brown lingers over 16 passages drawn from the Old and New Testaments, illustrating how a range of biblical genres, natural realities, human sensations, and life experiences provide opportunities to meet God."
Christian Courier
"Addresses a neglected need within the Christian community. . . . This is more than a book to help us fall in love with the Bible again. Sacred Sense brings us to that place where, with the boy Samuel, we turn to God to say, 'Speak, Lord. I am ready to listen.'"
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