The Blue Parakeet

I've been a fan of Scot McKnight for some time. He's a solid New Testament scholar who is bringing some fresh air to some important biblical themes. His blogsite is one of about a half dozen that I routinely frequent. About the only problem I have with McKnight is his love for the Chicago Cubs. But I guess even God's grace can cover that!

The Blue Parakeet is a simple book that serves those who occupy pulpits and pews. His goal is to help contemporary people deal with the ancient text of the Bible in a responsible way. He tackles some weighty issues such as divorce, homosexuality, and women in ministry to illustrate the present challenges we all have with understanding the Bible and its historical cultural context and bridging the two thousand year gap to our present cultural context.

I won't wear you out with all of the positive elements of the book, but I do want to mention what I felt was his strongest point. McKnight advocates reading the Bible through tradition without becoming traditional. He writes that "we must learn to read the Bible for ourselves but must be responsible to what the church has always believed." I felt this was his strongest point and appreciate his call for balance. In our egocentric society its easy to default to "my interpretation" or "my conviction." Historical interpretations need to inform the development of our contemporary treatment of the text. However, we do need to value thinking for ourselves in light of our present culture. This is a difficult balance to find and I'm glad that McKnight invites the reader into the tension.

I recommend the book to you. It's readable, clear, and helpful. McKnight won't tell you what to believe, but he will suggest a helpful approach to figure it out.