In between Good Friday and Easter, I’m taking time to prayerfully consider Bart Ehrman on the Colbert Report and the Twelve Voices of Easter (audio files). Ever had a conversation which seemed to have the assumption that the Bible is a big fat lie and if you believe the Bible you’re an idiot? If so, how did you respond (or desire to respond when faced by such an opportunity)?
The question of the death and resurrection of the Son of God, one which we share with the early disciples, stands at the center of the Biblical story. We have the privilege of knowing the end of the story, from a number of angles. In addition to the Gospel records, we have a number of testimonies and helpful tools including:
- the outline of the whole Biblical story (provided by the Word of God)*
- the additional insights provided by Jesus on the walk to Emmaus
- a hymn giving praise to the humbling/exaltation of Christ Jesus, who being in the very nature God
- I Corinthians 15, Romans 6:1-14
But these only testify to us and provide a framework for everyday living, if we choose to trust the Word of God. And what does that mean? I’ll add a digging deeper into a consideration of the Word of God to the list of future posts. …
PS. Out of curiosity, do you think Colbert embraces N.T. Wright (See N.T. Wright on the Colbert Report) over against Bart Ehrman or is Colbert just one to be controversial?
*Here’s an essay I wrote on the Biblical Story in relationship to a philosophy of higher education. Building upon this, I later wrote Loving God in the Flesh in the Real World. Further development will occur as part of Ministry to Emerging Generations. Stay tuned (Update: 4/4/2015).
About the author:
Tom enjoys daily conversations regarding living out the Biblical Story with his wife Theresa and their four girls, around the block, at Elizabethtown Brethren in Christ Church (where he teaches adult electives and co-leads a small group), among healthcare professionals as the Northeast Regional Director for the Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA), and in higher ed as a volunteer with the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). For a number of years, the Christian Medical Society / CMDA at Penn State College of Medicine was the hub of his ministry with CMDA. Note: Tom served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship / USA for 20+ years, including 6+ years as the Associate Director of ESN. He has written for the ESN blog from its launch in August 2008. He has studied Biology (B.S.), Higher Education (M.A.), Spiritual Direction (Certificate), Spiritual Formation (M.A.R.), Ministry to Emerging Generations (D.Min.). To God be the glory!
I’ve read that Colbert (the actor) is Catholic and teaches at his church’s Sunday School. I guess since his character is also Catholic and also teaches Sunday School (I find the line between his real life and character to be blurry at times), it allows him to debate religious topics without actually breaking character. I saw another interview where this came in handy: http://dube.wordpress.com/2008/02/13/colbert-whips-guest-into-biblical-shape-i-teach-sunday-school/ (note, there’s definitely some crass-ness for the sake of humor still in his response.)