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- Rhythms of the God-Life: Romans to Revelations
Rhythms of the God-Life: Romans to Revelations
In Rhythms of the God-Life: Romans – Revelation, pastoral writer Brad Munroe explores the rhythms of Christian life through creative paraphrase, poetry, and prayers inspired by first century biblical letters that still speak powerfully to twenty-first century readers. Rhythms invites a transformational experience with Scripture that connects the biblical text to daily living and encourages reflection and contemplation on the biblical text.
To immerse oneself into Scripture is generative, which may be why Bible studies, commentaries and devotionals abound. But too often such spiritual guides leave the Word, to paraphrase John Calvin, “flitting about the mind rather than sinking deep into the marrow of one’s soul.” What is needed is provocation for our minds, invitation to our hearts, and spiritual pry bar so the Word can get deep into us to do its work of transformation. If Eugene Peterson, Ann Weems, and Ruth Duck had gotten together to write about the New Testament letters, Rhythms is the book they would have crafted.
Each passage begins with an interpretive paraphrase to introduce readers to how the biblical passage might have sounded to a first-century listener. The interpretive paraphrase is followed by poetry that interprets the biblical text for faith and culture and concludes with prayers to connect the biblical text to the life of faith. Its use of these multiple modalities connect Scripture to the reader’s intellect and emotion, creatively and spiritually, with a commitment to act.
The Rhythms series uses The Interpretive Paraphrase (TIP) version of the New Testament. Distinctives of the TIP version include the following:
· Translation: the Greek text is examined for credible alternative definitions of words, phrases, and grammatical insights for the sake of defining what the text says.
· Interpretation: cultural, social, legal, and geographic context not obvious to the modern lay reader are included in both the paraphrase and endnotes to clarify meaning and deepen understanding of what the text means by what it says.
· Paraphrase: language is chosen that (a) helps readers hear with greater comprehension what the text means by what it says; (b) uses inclusive language for both God and humankind; (c) chooses meaningful non-religious language to convey biblical, theological, and ethical concepts (e.g. “trust” for faith, “whole and complete, our true selves” for salvation, “sent ones” for apostles, and “gathering” for church, etc.); and (d) selective, end noted defined use of Greek words (e.g. kairos, agape, etc.).