Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos: An Introduction to Problematic Texts

Daily we witness the spectacle of a country in chaos. Mass shootings, partisan gridlock, the growing wealth divide, gross economic inequities, crumbling institutions, and widespread sexism, racism, and xenophobia reflect a country in serious peril. Cynicism, narcissism, fear, and nihilism hide behind the veneer of success, happiness, and materialism that deludes us about our dire condition. Both America and its dominant religion are in decline and more people are raising serious questions about God, the church, and its sacred text for the role they play in past and present realities unfolding around us. This is especially true in the African American community where there are grassroots movements and emerging leaders questioning traditional beliefs of the Black church. Today, millennials and Gen Z youth question problematic things said in the Bible and why a book with moral contradictions continues to be authoritative. There is a real need to grapple with the Bible's relevance in the ashes of social chaos. More importantly, there is a need to expand our moral imagination in new ways that can revitalize faith. In The Bible in the Ashes of Social Chaos, Brogdon invites readers to wade into these biblical, theological, and philosophical issues in a way that holds the sacred nature of the biblical text and questioning rooted in faith in a healthy tension. This book will resonate with people in various places in their intellectual and faith journey.