Practicing Midrash

Have you ever been puzzled by contradictions in the Bible? Or wondered why there are four Gospels, three sets of Ten Commandments, or two creation stories at the beginning of Genesis? Beginning with the first pages of Genesis, the Bible tells most of its stories through multiple versions, which contain both similarities and disagreements. The inherent arguments in Scripture did not seem to bother the Jewish faith. A practice called midrash developed in Judaism sometime before the days of Jesus. Rabbis and scholars sparred over opposing passages, developed theological arguments, and filled gaps in biblical stories with their own understandings. This book will use the threefold prayer of St. John of the Cross to allow the divergent voices in Scripture to speak and practice midrash with each other, enabling the reader to join the conversation. The contradictions and arguments have a divine purpose. Not only did they prompt the Bible's evolution over hundreds of years, but have enabled it to remain a living word for thousands of years. This pluralism in the Bible is good news for the faithful living in a multi-cultural, pluralistic age. ""This intriguing book takes readers through the bumpy road of Scripture. They traverse conflict, confrontation, and contradiction. They encounter life and death, blessings and curses, all in the pursuit of more excellent ways. Congregations and individuals will profit from pursuing this challenging journey."" --Phyllis Trible, author of Feminist Approaches to the Bible (1995) ""Learning to read like rabbis means not seeking to resolve all the apparent conflicts by reducing divergent texts to a single meaning. Instead, it offers the opportunity to confront a fuller sense of meanings. It is a reminder, as Pilgrim Father John Robinson said, that every time we read, 'the Lord has more truth and light yet to break forth out of the word.'"" --Curtis W. Freeman, Duke University Divinity School ""With insightful questions and a clear writing style the book addresses understandings of the biblical text--which inform how one thinks theologically about God, one another, and our role as Christians in the world today. . . . Those who connect in dialogue with these texts will find themselves engaging in holy conversations, building bridges across divides, and relating to theological difference with newfound understanding and appreciation."" --Paula Dempsey, Director of Partnership Relations, Alliance of Baptists ""Tim Moore's book . . . is a timely and welcomed resource. He cogently and carefully explains the disparate positions that sit side by side on the pages of the Bible and by helping us to engage in midrash, he makes space for us to hold these texts in tension and to resist the tendency to harmonize them. I hope that this text will . . . help us all to see that our Lord is much larger than the narrow theological perspectives into which we far too often seek to force our God."" --Rodney Sadler, Union Presbyterian Seminary F. Timothy Moore is the writer-in-residence and former pastor at Sardis Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina. A free study guide for Practicing Midrash is available on his blog, Abelard's Workshop, at ftimothymoore.wordpress.com.