A Way Forward: An Alternative Way for Understanding What the Bible is and how it is Understood

<p>Christianity in America is in decline. Millennials are leaving the evangelical churches of their youth in droves, but they aren’t leaving the idea of God or spirituality. Statistics show that the theology of the fundamentalist/conservative evangelical church is contributing to this exodus of Millennials, particularly when it comes to issues of environment, sexuality, and violence. This thesis explores the roots of fundamentalist theology—particularly their understanding of what the Bible is, and how it is to be understood—and how this theology is practically worked out in their approach to the three issues mentioned above. Finally, I offer an alternative framework for understanding what the Bible is, and how it could be applied in a way that takes the text seriously, is faithful to the Christian tradition, and offers a way forward that is more inclusive. While this thesis does not answer every question that might be raised about all these issues (and more than these), it does offer a helpful, workable framework and approach to the Bible and culture that must be taken into account by anyone wishing to use the text in an exclusionary manner.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Department of Philosophy & Religion

Year

2015

Author dc:creator

• Scott, Joshua

Contributors dc:contributor

• Eric Bain-Selbo (Director of Thesis), Isabel Mukonyora, Nahed Zehr

• Christianity
• Bible
• millennials
• Religion

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1489

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-2492