March 23rd, 2019

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Peter Enns
Biblical Scholar, Podcaster,
Author of HOW THE BIBLE ACTUALLY WORKS: In Which I Explain How an Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom, Rather Than Answers—and Why That’s Great NewsPeter Enns is beloved for his irreverent, progressive, and faithful perspective on the Bible. In his previous books The Bible Tells Me So and The Sin of Certainty, Peter debunked common beliefs that we project onto the Bible which steer us in the wrong direction and, he argues, cause all sorts of spiritual problems. Now, Peter explains how the Bible actually works and why it speaks to us so powerfully even when it does not behave as we think it should. “The Bible becomes a confusing mess when we expect it to function as a rulebook for faith. But when we allow the Bible to determine our expectations, we see that Wisdom, not answers, is the Bible’s true subject matter.” HOW THE BIBLE ACTUALLY WORKS outlines the three defining characteristics of the Bible: that it is ancient, ambiguous, and diverse. These qualities, Enns maintains, demonstrate that humanity’s understanding of God is an ongoing process. Enns argues that the Bible itself invites readers to consider context and their own circumstances as they interpret and reinterpret scripture. HOW THE BIBLE ACTUALLY WORKS makes clear that there is no one right way to read the Bible. Moving us beyond the damaging idea that “being right” is the most important measure of faith, Enns’s freeing approach to Bible study helps us to instead focus on pursuing enlightenment and building our relationship with God—which is exactly what the Bible was designed to do.

*Peter Enns is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University in St. David’s, Pennsylvania, and has taught at Harvard University Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary. He is the host of The Bible for Normal People podcast, is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including The Sin of Certainty, The Bible Tells Me So, and Inspiration and Incarnation.
www.peteenns.com

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River Jordan
Author of CONFESSIONS OF A CHRISTIAN MYSTIC

With a unique mix of passionate revelation and quirky humor, River Jordan takes us on a journey through her Southern childhood to her present-day life as a novelist. Her stories run the gamut from dancing disco nights and midnight desert rides to surprise visitations with the Divine. Included are comforting letters to personal friends and loved ones about faith, death, heartbreaks and their futures. Confessions of a Christian Mystic is a highly original work about an extraordinary faith that never loses touch with current culture or everyday realities. Jordan invites us to join her for her wild ride searching for the holy mysteries of God. *An established literary figure, speaker, teacher, and radio host. Jordan’s work has been featured by: Publishers Weekly, Booklist, NPR's Book Talk, Guideposts Magazine, and The Southern Literary Review. She has written four novels and a work of nonfiction: Praying for Strangers: An Adventure of the Human Spirit. Her work has also been featured in anthologies such as Southern Writers on Writing, Southern Sin: True Stories of the Sultry South & Women Behaving Badly. Jordan travels the country speaking on The Power of Story, is a regular contributor to Psychology's Today's Spirituality blog, and is the host and producer of the literary radio program, Clearstory, which airs from Nashville, TN where she makes her home.
www.riverjordanink.com

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Doug LynamFormer Monk, Former Marine, Author of 
FROM MONK TO MONEY MANAGER: A Former Monk’s Financial Guide to Becoming a Little Bit Wealthy - And Why That’s Okay

Doug Lynam used to be a monk, and he’s now a financial advisor. He’s a sort of unicorn to most people, but that’s what makes this book so important. For too long religion and money have been held separate. But as Lynam says, “The cold, hard truth is that in this modern life we need money. We can’t live our lives and serve others without it.”Lynam joined a monastery, in part, to escape the world of money and ended up spending more time worrying about money than almost anyone in the outside world because the monastery was going broke – and he had to fix it. Another irony, directly related to the first, is that he learned he is good at helping people with their financial problems. The lessons Lynam learned as a monk made him realize that the most powerful way for him to have an impact in the world was to leave the monastery and advise people about their finances full time. From Monk to Money Manager, is for adults of all ages, religions, and political persuasions because the discussion of ethics and money impacts you regardless of your beliefs. He believes the lack of money is the key driver for most of the suffering in the world, and if we can face that problem squarely, honestly, and with good minds and hearts we can mitigate some of the worst problems in the world. More specifically, the book is aimed at anyone who wants to learn how to become wealthy while remaining an ethical person.
www.douglynam.com

THIS WEEK’S ENNEAGRAM GURU: Beatrice Chestnut
Psychotherapist, Coach, Business Consultant, Author