Judaism, Christianity, and Islam claim to be monotheistic, but none of them actually is; none of the three has yet arrived at the true monotheism the Bible and the Qur'an mandate: that is, belief in there being but One God of All. Each often claims its concept of God is the One God despite the fact that the Bible and the Qur'an insist that the true God is indefinable and incomprehensible. Many passages of the Bible are polytheistic, and yet the Judaism that emerged out of the exile claimed to believe in One God. Critically moving from the older passages through to the later, careful readers...

Description: In this thoroughly revised edition of his classic work, James A. Sanders introduces the reader to canonical criticism. Tracking the various developments of biblical literature and their acceptance by the communities of faith, Sanders tackles the tough questions. He discusses the differences between the parts of the canon, the editing of the texts by later generations, the diversity of canons used in different communities, how the Dead Sea Scrolls raise new questions for canonicity, and the differences between how Jews and Christians have interacted with their canons. In addition...

Lightly tracing his personal experiences growing up in the Bible Belt as a born-again Christian, James A. Sanders recounts his second rebirth experience and subsequent efforts to battle what can most broadly be called evangelicalism's denial of dignity and human worth to those different from the so-called norm. While Sanders cherishes his early experience of being ""saved"" or ""born again,"" he has become deeply concerned at what has happened to the evangelical movement in America, especially in its being politicized and removed from any kind of valid interpretation of the Bible itself....