Scot McKnight on Jesus and orthodox faith in the 21st century
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 Buy now from these online retailers: In this fierce essay, leading Bible scholar Scot McKnight tells the story of Junia, a female apostle honored by Paul in his Letter to the Romans—and then silenced and forgotten for most of church history. But Junia’s tragedy is not hers alone. She’s joined by fellow women in the Bible whose stories of bold leadership have been overlooked. She’s in the company of visionary women of God throughout the centuries whose names we’ve forgotten, whose stories go untold, and whose witness we neglect to celebrate.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Contemporary evangelicals have built a 'salvation culture' but not a 'gospel culture.' Evangelicals have reduced the gospel to the message of personal salvation. This book makes a plea for us to recover the old gospel as that which is still new and still fresh. The book stands on four arguments: that the gospel is defined by the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15 as the completion of the Story of Israel in the saving Story of Jesus; that the gospel is found in the Four Gospels; that the gospel was preached by Jesus; and that the sermons in the Book of Acts are the best example of gospeling in the New Testament. In the Beginning was the Gospel ends with practical suggestions about evangelism and about building a gospel culture. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: The real Mary was an unwed, pregnant teenage girl in first century Palestine. She was a woman of courage, humility, spirit, and resolve, and her response to the angel Gabriel shifted the tectonic plates of history. Join popular Biblical scholar Scot McKnight as he explores the contours of Mary’s life, from the moment she learned of God's plan for the Messiah, to the culmination of Christ's ministry on earth. McKnight dismantles the myths and also challenges our prejudices. He introduces us to a woman who is a model for faith, and who points us to her son.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: In the candid and lucid style that has made McKnight's The Jesus Creed so appealing to thousands of pastors, lay leaders, and everyday people who are searching for a more authentic faith, he encourages all Christians to recognize the simple, yet potentially transforming truth of the gospel message: God seeks to restore us to wholeness not only to make us better individuals, but to form a community of Jesus, a society in which humans strive to be in union with God and in communion with others.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: What is the 'Christian life' all about? Studying the Bible, attending church, cultivating a prayer life, witnessing to others---those are all good. But is that really what Jesus has in mind? The answer, says Scot McKnight in One.Life, lies in Jesus' words, 'Follow me.' What does it look like to follow Jesus, and how will doing so change the way we live our life---our love.life, our justice.life, our peace.life, our community.life, our sex.life---everything about our life.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: This book examines conversion stories as told by people who have actually undergone a conversion experience, including experiences of apostasy. The stories reveal that there is not just one "conversion story." Scot McKnight and Hauna Ondrey show that "conversion theory" helps explain why some people walk away from one religion, often to another, very different religion. The book confirms the usefulness--particularly for pastors, rabbis, and priests, and university and college teachers--of applying conversion theory to specific groups.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: Parakeets make delightful pets. We cage them or clip their wings to keep them where we want them. Scot McKnight contends that many, conservatives and liberals alike, attempt the same thing with the Bible. We all try to tame it. McKnight's The Blue Parakeet has emerged at the perfect time to cool the flames of a world on fire with contention and controversy. It calls Christians to a way to read the Bible that leads beyond old debates and denominational battles. It calls Christians to stop taming the Bible and to let it speak anew for a new generation. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Scot McKnight here explains the Letter of James both in its own context and as it may be seen in light of ancient Judaism, the Graeco-Roman world, and emerging earliest Christianity.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: The gravity point of a life before God is that his followers are to love God and to love others with everything they've got. Scot McKnight now works out the "Jesus Creed" for high school and college students, seeking to show how it makes sense, giving shape to the moral lives of young adults. The Jesus Creed for Students is practical, filled with stories, and backed up and checked by youth pastors Chris Folmsbee and Syler Thomas. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: "When an expert in the law asked Jesus for the greatest commandment, Jesus responded with the Shema, the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. But the next part of Jesus' answer would change the course of history. Jesus amended the Shema, giving his followers a new creed for life: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also to love others as themselves. Discover how the Jesus Creed of love for God and others can transform your life. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: "Scot McKnight stirs the treasures of our Lord's life in an engaging fashion. He did so with The Jesus Creed, and does so again with 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed. Make sure this new guide for living is on your shelf." --Max Lucado "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And...love your neighbor as yourself." Scot McKnight has come to call this vital teaching of our Lord the Jesus Creed. He recites it throughout the day every day and challenges you to do the same. You may find that, if you do, you will learn to love God more creatively and passionately, and find new ways to love those around you.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: What was spiritual formation like during the time of Jesus? As Scot McKnight points out, the early Christians didn't sing in the choir or go to weekly Bible studies, and yet they matured inwardly in relationship with God as well as outwardly in their relationships with each other. How did this happen? In The Jesus Creed DVD, explore with Scot how the great Shema of the Old Testament was transformed by our Lord into the focal point for spiritual maturity. According to the Jesus Creed (found in Mark 12:29-31), loving God and loving others are the greatest commandments.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: Is the practice of faith centered solely on the spirit? Is the body an enemy, or can it actually play a role in our pursuit of God? In this installation of the Ancient Practices Series, Dr. Scot McKnight reconnects the spiritual and the physical through the discipline of fasting. The act of fasting, he says, should not be focused on results or used as a manipulative tool. It is a practice to be used in response to sacred moments, just as it has in the lives of God's people throughout history. McKnight gives us scriptural accounts of fasting, along with practical wisdom on benefits and pitfalls, when we should fast, and what happens to our bodies as a result. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: McKnight discusses the value of the church's atonement metaphors, asserting that the theory of atonement fundamentally shapes the life of the Christian and of the church. This book, the first volume in the Living Theology series, contends that while Christ calls humanity into community that reflects God's love, that community then has the responsibility to offer God's love to others through such missional practices of justice and fellowship. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Buy now as e-book for immediate download: Discover not only the original meaning of Galatians, but also how the message of Galatians can speak powerfully today. |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Learn not only what Peter said to his audience in the first century but also how what he taught can be applied today in this volume of the NIV Application Commentary Series.  |
 Buy now from these online retailers: Scot McKnight, best-selling author of The Jesus Creed, invites readers to get closer to the heart of Jesus' message by discovering the ancient rhythms of daily prayer at the heart of the early church. "This is the old path of praying as Jesus prayed," McKnight explains, "and in that path, we learn to pray along with the entire Church and not just by ourselves as individuals." Praying with the Church is written for all Christians who desire to know more about the ancient devotional traditions of the Christian faith, and to become involved in their renaissance today.  |
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Watch the 4-disc/8-part DVD (plus 1 Special Features disc) of THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY to learn what geniuses Lennon and McCartney were.
IIRC, they nowhere mention John’s assassination or killer. Which is fine with me. His name should never be mentioned in human society. He should be forgotten forever.
Disagree, they were great, but the best? Don’t think so. Perhaps the best in their musical genius, but not as a total package in my view.
Back in their heyday, The Beatles hated God. And, they were very public about it both in their speech and in their song. At the risk of sounding legalistic, for believers of Christ who call The Beatles good, I echo the words of the prophet of old:
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)
Yes. Perfect example of common grace.
#2,
Yes, you are sounding extremely legalistic.
Just one Dylan short of being perfect. Hee, hee.
Legalism, there ought to be a law against it.
i expected a photo of the doors.
It’s incredible what they put out in less than a decade and their range, too. It’s also amazing how so many significant bands today owe much of what passages for “new” and “interesting” to them. They’re just about all my son wants on his iPod–along with Zeppelin, Neil Young, etc.
Art, I don’t know a song by The Doors.
Absolutely right! They were amazing.
@Francis Beckwith #4.:
Bob’s the man!!!!
what??!?!!
touch me, hello i love you, light my fire, l.a. woman, peace frog, break on through to the other side…those are classics!!
that said, if i were objective, you’re original post is correct
Best ever, except for U2.
Their hair just kept getting longer. : ) But I agree…best band! : )
Best ever, closely followed by U2
Im with Susy – U2 is the best ever hands down. They have been packing Concerts out world wide for decades!
i don’t get it.
#5 Gloria – “Extremely”? Is their a scale for which we measure the various levels of legalism? Maybe if I just reword it a bit, I can knock it down to “Moderately”.
um, the rolling stones… pre-1985 stones… not what they have become — the beatles knew when to quit, stones have yet to learn the lesson…
also, up there with the stones, zep, beatles, u2 — the police, pink floyd, the who, and the kinks… oh, oh, oh how can we forget the clash?
okay, i just wanted to mention the stones and i went off… sorry…
p.s. marty’s movie about the stones, unwatchable! again they didn’t know when to quit…
Are you kidding me? U2 is still alive and playing together, and selling records. One half of the Beatles are (in Python-ese language)”expired”, and their advent to the iTunes catalog is national news. Scot, on this (and most things) you are 100% correct. The Beatles. Best. Ever.
Apparently to be the best band ever you had to have been popular before dirt was invented. Oh and by the way, mp3s wont work on your 8-track players. Zing!
Metallica is the best ever!
Apparently, everyone is forgetting about a little band called Vertical Horizon.
I would say “most influential”. However, I rank Led Zeppelin at the top.
their albums are shelved just below my bible. but there are also alot of great new bands out there worth listening to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okxAi06PTAU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z5gy94x450&feature=fvst
by the way, i ran into a former student of yours several weeks ago scot. he said you were one of the best teachers he’s ever had.
I’m a huge U2 fan. So, I’d lean in that direction.
Loving Mumford & Sons these days. Of course, they are young in their time together. I think they bring so much joy into the world. Check them out. Youtube is a good place to start.
Yes and amen! Amen & Amen!
All of you have to be kidding.
Who are they?
Is that Paul McCartney and Wings? Where is Linda in the picture?
There are three sources of truth in this world: The Holy Bible, The Godfather:Parts I and II (forget there was a III), and the lyrics of the Beatles.
#3 if you want to quote the prophets I go with Amos 9:7
Here, in a delicious bit of subversion, Amos relativitises Israel’s election and uniqueness. In Amos’ time, as in ours, the people of God had lost their concern for justice – preferring economic gain over concern for the poor. Is it to much to think that when the people of God are blind and deaf that God might use those outside to speak for him?
There is no question that the Beatles publicity denounced God but does that mean that they could also not produce good fruit? Matthew 21:28-32.
Absolutely not the best ever. Maybe best of their era. I can accept that.
Not best ever.
It’s like an Elvis fan trying to say he is the best ever, or a Glenn Miller fan saying he is the best ever. Think in terms of eras not totality.
Where did the Beatles ever publicly denounce God? The “more popular than Jesus” line was a typical throwaway comment from Lennon about the craziness of Beatlemania. Besides the probable truth of the comment at the time (I wasn’t born yet), Lennon always maintained that it he wasn’t exactly applauding what he observed. The only other place that I can think of is the post-Beatles Lennon song, “Imagine”. If you don’t get the pining for an absence of religion-induced ideology and its capacity to divide humanity and to divide humanity from God, what would you make of St. Paul’s admonition in Titus 3:9?
My first record, when I was 7 ==> Meet the Beatles. After about 50 spins, I kept bugging my mom to buy me an electric guitar, which she did before my 8th birthday. Grew up playing music, thanks to the four blokes.
Mr. Watchtower (#3), I never sensed a “hatred of God” from the Beatles. As for religion, I think most artists treat it with suspicion and derision, except those making their living in religious markets.
As for “best ever” – I vote Bach. Do you know why Bach had so many kids?
Bach married singers
My “classics” are Bach, Beethoven and Beatles.
But I think in retrospect U2 will rise to the top.
Dana
#37 — if best is related to how many people were moved to pick up a guitar, then i believe that johnny ramone has inspired more to pick up the guitar than anyone else… in fact, i’ve read an article in guitar player stating this…
p.s. george had the best hair… see above picture
#36 – I’ll let you make a judgment call. But, for all that I have seen; they had derision towards religion, God, Jesus, you name it. In fact, they had derision towards anything but themselves. They were a typical self-absorbed boy band as far as I’m concerned. The Beatles deceitfully came to America as decent looking young men, but then led a generation of America’s youth to become hippies, drug addicts, rebels, sexual degenerates and God-haters.
“We probably seem to be anti-religious. . . none of us believes in God.” (Paul McCartney – Hit Parader, Jan 1970, p.15)
“Christianity will go, it will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and will be proved right. . . .We’re more popular than Jesus now.” (John Lennon – San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1966, p.26)
John Lennon, in his book, A Spaniard in the Works, portrays Jesus Christ as…
“Jesus El Pifico, a garlic-eating, stinking little yellow, greasy fascist bastard catholic Spaniard.” (A Spaniard in the Works, p.14).
Now if you want real classics try Johnny Horton, Merle Haggard and of course Johnny Cash … now we’re talking real music.
I’m partial to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir….
A religion that prevents you from enjoying the Beatles is a religion not worth having.
That said, I’m an Orthodox Whovian myself (in both respects).
i’ll take the rolling stones or the doors any day over the beatles! i once heard that most people who love the beatles aren’t that crazy about the stones and vice versa. don’t know if that’s true generally but it is for me.
#43 – As a Christian, I prefer music that honors and glorifies God. The Beatles and their music just doesn’t quite do that. But, I also believe in God’s grace and I’m sure God isn’t keeping a list of who is listening to what kind of music. But, it saddens me to see the type of music professing Christians seem to enjoy. Of course, I myself am guilty of this too. Peace.
Scot you are sooooooo right!
Watchman if you evaluate their music and lyrics rather than their religious views (by the way Dale Allison wrote a nice book on George Harrison’s spiritually rich music), one may get a different impression of the Beatles. Their optimism, belief in the centrality of love, and increasingly sophisticated pop structures are simply marvelous. Judge their lives if you must, but what I admire about the Beatles is that they made the best pop/rock of all time. Great music is not necessarily derived from, nor is it dependent on, personal piety. Check out today’s CCM.
Napman – From what I had always been told, much of the music by The Beatles was influenced by famed satanist/occultist, Aleister Crowley. A simple evaluation of their music and lyrics reflects this by their illustrations of drug induced utopias and anti-Christian rhetoric.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleister_Crowley#Popular_culture
Again, I digress. I’m not being legalistic, but just engaging in mere discussion here. I’m not judging anyone for listening to The Beatles. Like I said earlier, I’ve been known to enjoy listening to a number of questionable musicians myself. Peace.
What? No love for New Kids on the Block!? ;o)
Watchman is demonstrating the “Stop having fun guys” approach to Christianity. You know, the one that makes people not want to become Christians because it sounds like a total drag.
Claim: “Much of the music by The Beatles was influenced by famed satanist/occultist, Aleister Crowley.”
Citation: “The Beatles included him as one of the many figures on the cover sleeve of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
Watchman, I think that one could argue that placing a person’s image on an album cover may not necessarily indicate that “much of the music” was influenced by that person.
Claim: “drug induced utopias and anti-Christian rhetoric.”
Citation please? George wrote some Eastern influenced songs, and though that may not necessarily be Christian, it’s not necessarily anti-Christian either. The closest thing I can think to what you’re describing is the song “Imagine” which John released during his solo career. Not a Beatles song.
Good one, Colleen.
Just call me the Nofunanator.