The creeds and doctrines of the institutional Church have failed. They have misrepresented the timeless relevance of the transformational Jesus.
The creeds and doctrines of the institutional Church have failed. They have misrepresented the timeless relevance of the transformational Jesus.
Christian theology (general), Jesus, the gospels & acts
Dying to Live is a radical exploration of the life of Jesus through the memories of Peter the Apostle and his translator Mark. It is a journey, not a destination. It is a continuing quest not in search of integrity but to preserve it. This book offers glimpses of a deeper relevant spirituality for today. The starting point is that the Gospel of Mark was written as an interpretive biography, not as sacred text. To over-spiritualise the reading of Mark is to miss the real Jesus contained within its pages. To follow Jesus is not so much concerned with right belief as it is about how one lives. Jesus accepted people as they were and especially offered the outsider and the rejected dignity and a sense of personal worth. Churches have rightly encouraged charitable giving, especially to the poor and the outcast, but its creeds and doctrines have misrepresented the transformational life and teaching of Jesus, masking the hard cost of discipleship required to address the underlying root causes of violence, hunger and poverty in a world of plenty.
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Dying to Live will comfort progressive Christians and those on the margins of the church cynical and suspicious of the divine claims made in Jesus’ name. For others it may make uncomfortable reading and be dismissed too readily. For all of us though there is truth here we should engage with if our church life is to retain integrity. ~ David Ford, The Goodbookstall
Belief is nice, but it is the substance of life that truly matters. "Dying to Live: Lessons from Mark" is a discussion of religion and faith, analyzing Mark's interpretation of Peter the Apostle's words and their biography of the life of Christ, as John Churcher urges readers to not be taken by the spirituality of Christ's story alone, but the meaning of Christ and his drive through life. "Dying to Live" is a spiritual and insightful read to consider for those who want to gain a clearer understanding of Christ's message, from radical theologian and Methodist minister John Churcher. ~ Paul T. Vogel, MBR Bookwatch
In his latest work, Dying To Live John Churcher does well to quote composer John Cage who once stated “I don’t know why people are frightened of new ideas. I am frightened of the old ones.” Writing from the vantage point of a Christian minister living and serving in an increasingly post-church UK, and with the same intellect and fearless scholasticism that hallmarked his previous work, Setting Jesus Free John examines the Gospel of Mark with an eye to discover new ideas in the old text or rediscover those ideas long neglected. Notable, however, is that John has succeeded in presenting those “new ideas” without any evidence of contempt for the established understandings, but as beautiful new facet to our unfolding understanding of the Divine. Readers will welcome this richly insightful and engaging commentary as a valued companion on the journey to a fuller walk upon the Jesus Way.
~ Roger McClellan, Director, Co-Founder, Progressive Christian Alliance [Anniston AL]John Churcher continues to posit a god that dwells humbly and justly in the root system of all reality. In Dying to Live he takes us adroitly through the Markan accounts of the Gospel. He shows us that despite centuries of adaptation, interpretation, politics and non-contextualized translation, such a god existed for many of the ancients too. But perhaps more importantly, he provides hope that such an experience of the divine can be reality for more people today!
~ Adrian Pyle, Director, Relationships Innovation, Uniting Church in Australia, and Chair - Australian Dialogue on Progressive Christianity
