Introduction and summary of contents
'My God Your God who?' is split into two sections, the first is an exploration into a number of (what I describe as) destructive / negative ‘Christian Myths’. We examine some of these ‘myths’ and consider how / why they develop within the minds of Christians. We consider the effects of our own ‘Psychological life Scripts’ and our exposure to ‘negative’ theological / Biblical images of God on the development of these 'myths' within our personal beliefs. We propose that good theology (theology that promotes positive images of ourselves, faith and God) is vital not only because it can correct these damaging life scripts but also because it can help avoid our faith adding fuel to these destructive fires of negativity which I suspect burn somewhere within many of us without us even knowing.
Section 1 – Christian Myths
- God still punishes us. – life script “I am a bad person really and don’t deserve forgiveness and real Love.” This section examines the ‘Myth’ that God still punishes us when we Sin. The reasons why some Christians believe this, how these beliefs manifest themselves within Christians lives. We conclude that the image of God in the N/T does not reflect the idea that God punishes us.
2.God is in Control. – life script “I need to feel that someone else controls my life, I have issues with responsibility, uncertainty and insecurity” This section examines the ‘Myth’ that God is in control of our lives and the world. We consider the tension between Gods omnipotence and Man’s free will and how each definition defines how we see God. We ask is God the author of suffering?
3.God can be limited by us. – life script “I am never good enough to receive Gods full blessings” This section examines the ‘Myth’ that Gods ability to bless can be limited by either sin or our lack of faith. We make special reference by way of an example, to the ministry of healing within the Charismatic movement and the issues that arise when God doesn’t heal. We conclude that to suggest that God can be limited by us in anyway is wrong.
4.God dislikes some people and loves others. –Life script “I am better than them, I deserve more” This section examines the ‘Myth’ that God sees some people as less acceptable than others. We consider our equality as sinners before God, the total depravity of mankind and the basis ‘In Christ’ on which we discover acceptance and forgiveness. We look at why Jesus tells us not to judge. There is a special reference to the issues surrounding sexuality and gender.
5.The inerrancy of the Bible. – life script “I feel safer and more secure when my life is ordered” This section examines the ‘Myth’ that the Bible is meant to be understood in a similar way to how conservative Muslims understand the nature and origin of the Koran. It seeks to define what we mean as Christians when we talk of the Bible as inspired. We consider the Bible as a work produced in partnership between The Holy Spirit and godly men.
6.Perfectionism, Gods strength and our weakness – Life Script “I will love myself when I am better” This section challenges the ‘Myth’ that it is firstly, possible to become perfect in this life and secondly that this is even something that God wants or expects of us within this life. We reference the teachings of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 and in his letters to the Corinthians. We conclude that ‘weakness’ is an essential part of the Christian experience.
Section 2 – Theology
In the second section of the book I examine several of our basic Christian Theologies. My aim within this section is to present this theology in a way that is accessible to the average Christian.
This section of the book aims to provide some solid theological teaching based on years of study, ministry and life experience to provide a basic understanding of ‘That which we believe’ and ‘Why we believe what we believe’.
Chapter 1: The Divinity of Jesus – This chapter examines / explains the N/T basis for the belief that Jesus was Divine. Did Jesus believe he was Divine? Did the early Church believe Jesus was Divine? How might we begin to understand Jesus Divinity?
Chapter 2: Jesus as the Son of God – This chapter examines / explains the N/T understanding of Jesus as the Son of God. How is the concept of Gods ‘Sonship’ understood within the Bible in reference to Israel and Christians? How is it understood in reference to Jesus?
Chapter 3: Jesus the Messiah – This chapter examines / explains the N/T understanding of Jesus as the Messiah. How was ‘The coming Messiah’ understood in Jewish theology, in the Old Testament, at the time of Jesus? How did Jesus understand his role as the Messiah? How is this linked to his defeat of Satan and the coming of the new Kingdom of God?
Chapter 4: The Kingdom of God – This chapter examines / explains how we should understand Jesus teaching on the Kingdom of God. How did Jesus understand his ministry of the Kingdom? The significance of the ‘New relationship in Christ’ and of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Chapter 5: Forgiveness – This chapter examines / explains the Biblical understanding of God’s forgiveness. We examine the unique ‘quality’ of Forgiveness in Christ. What we are doing when we ask for forgiveness? How do we understand Pauls teaching on being dead to Sin but alive in Christ in this context?
Chapter 6: Who will be saved? Hell, and Judgment. – This chapter examines the meaning of ‘Hell’ within the Jewish historical context, how we might understand the development of this idea within early Christian thought. We consider Jesus pronouncements about judgment and how we might understand them. We look at Jesus use of hyperbole in this context, the sayings of Jesus and in particular the parable of the sheep and the goats. We consider possible alternative options to the conservative view on Hell and judgment and we consider the question of Jesus’s own ‘limited knowledge’ and ‘subservience’ to God the Father as witnessed to in Johns Gospel. We ask how this might impact on our view of hell, judgment and who goes where?
Chapter 7: The problem of Evil. – In this chapter I reflect on my time as a Police Officer, I consider how we might define evil, how we judge what is right and wrong, how our communities and ‘sub communities’ influence such judgments. I consider the effectiveness and influence of our justice systems, consider ‘acts of evil’ from a biblical perspective, the biblical understanding of Sin, the total depravity of mankind, the conflict between the ‘Old’ and ‘New’ natures within N/T biblical thought and the N/T understanding of the Devil as the ‘Architect of evil.’
Chapter 8: Eternal life. – In this chapter we explore the biblical evidence for eternal life, we look at the hope of eternal life in the Old Testament, the concept of eternal life in the synoptic Gospels and then in the Gospel of John drawing particular attention to the differences between the synoptic gospels and John. We consider the raising of Lazarus and the Resurrection of Jesus.
Chapter 9: The Holy Spirit and its role in the Church.- In this chapter we consider the Holy Spirit and its role within the life of the Church. The teaching of Jesus in John chapter 14. The role of the Holy Spirit within the teachings of St Paul. The true meaning of Pentecost for the Church.
Chapter 10: The Trinity. – In this chapter we consider the Biblical evidence for the trinity and ways that we might come to understand the idea of God as three persons in One.
Chapter 11: The Sacraments. – In this chapter we consider what the meaning of sacrament might be. We then attempt to extend the principles of this concept to the other recognised sacraments focusing on the theology of the Holy Spirit as the ‘communicator ‘ of all things spiritual to Gods Church.
Chapter 12: Worship. – In this chapter we discuss the different ways in which we conduct worship, how the impact of our own life scripts and desires for recognition can impact on the quality of our worship. We ask what true worship really is and discuss the question of the importance of ‘form’. We conclude that worship is linked most closely to our discipleship as suggested in Pauls treatment of ‘living sacrifice’ in Romans chapter 12.
Chapter 13: Living Sacrifices – In this chapter we discuss Pauls understanding of discipleship in relation to Romans chapter 12, the offering of ourselves as living sacrifices. We consider the process of ‘conversion’ and our limited ability.
Chapter 14: Justification by Faith. – In this chapter we examine Pauls teaching on Justification by Faith alone. We consider Romans chapter 1 and the total depravity of man. We also consider the teachings of Paul in Galatians chapter 3 and Romans 14 considering the importance of not creating any conditions to our belief in this theology.
Chapter 15: The Consequences of Faith.- In this chapter we consider the natural consequences of Faith in Jesus. We consider two aspects namely; ‘Peace with God’ and ‘Access to God’. We base our thoughts on Romans chapter 5 and Acts chapter 2 examining the meaning and consequence of Pentecost. We ask whether we can expect to appropriate these blessing if we choose not to have Faith in Jesus.
Chapter 16: A final thought, “The pathology of self-destruction” – In this final chapter I take my thoughts back to the first section of this book and consider the most powerful of all negative life Scripts namely; ‘The Pathology of Self destruction’. I offer some thoughts on how this particular ‘super Script’ destroys people’s lives, forcing them into repeated patterns of destructive behaviour and inevitable failure, emphasising the healing that can be possible through the power and love of Christ. I finish with the call to the Church to be healers rather than those who add to the destructive life scripts within others.
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