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  • A More Christlike Word

  • Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way
  • Written by: Bradley Jersak
  • Narrated by: Boyd Barrett
  • Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (9 ratings)

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A More Christlike Word

Written by: Bradley Jersak
Narrated by: Boyd Barrett
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Publisher's Summary

The scriptures are an essential aspect of the Christian faith. But we have often equated them with the living Word himself, even elevating them above the One to whom they point. In doing so, we have distorted their central message - and our view of God. Tragically, this has caused multitudes of people unnecessary doubt, confusion, and pain in their encounters with the scriptures.

Many people understand God as being truly loving and good. Yet, they struggle with depictions of God in scripture as wrathful, violent, and genocidal. These “toxic texts” have caused some to set aside their Bibles as R-rated and unreliable. They have led others to completely reject their faith.

Author and theologian Bradley Jersak has wrestled deeply with such passages over many years. He has experienced the same questions, doubt, and pain. In A More Christlike Word, he offers a clarifying and freeing path forward. Whether listeners consider themselves believers, doubters, or skeptics, all are invited to a more beautiful and ancient way of listening to the scriptures. Bradley calls this path the “Emmaus Way”, because it demonstrates how Jesus regarded all scripture as fulfilled in himself, the final Word of God who reveals the true nature of the Father.

After deconstructing the modern biblicist/literalist approaches to scripture interpretation that have failed us, Brad turns to the early church for a hermeneutic of prefigurement, treating the Bible as the grand narrative of redemption, told through a polyphony of voices and worldviews, culminating in the arrival of Christ as the eternal Word of God - what God has to say about himself.

The interpretive system of the church fathers and mothers who gathered the New Testament and preached the gospel from the Old Testament has largely been ignored or dismissed by both evangelical and liberal movements, the twin children of modernity. The patristics explain and model the apostles’ Christ-centered interpretation of the scriptures. Brad applies their approach to “unwrath” sample passages from each genre of the Bible, showing how even the cringe-worthy texts have an important place in the Christotelic saga of divine love.

Your journey on the Emmaus Way will open up to you the fullness of the scriptures, and, most important, lead you to the God who deeply loves and welcomes you.

©2021 Bradley Jersak (P)2021 Bradley Jersak

What listeners say about A More Christlike Word

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Excellent book

I thoroughly enjoyed the book but the narrator with his changing accent and voices was distracting and somewhat annoying …

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First-class Book & Great Narrating

This is a thought-provoking and very edifying book. It’s a must have for everyone interesting on exploring the true meaning and roots of the Christian faith. It’s hard to overemphasize how much better it flows with the new narrator (the one used for the other books of this author comes across as being angry at times).

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a helpful guide to a better reading of scripture

Bradley Jersack's approach to reading the Bible draws from ancient Christian traditions in order to correct the distortions of the text that arise from a (modernist) inerrentist reading. I found that the first half of the book did most of the heavy lifting, and the second half is really about ironing out the minutiae. so I found the first half more engaging, but if you want to thorough treatment of the issues involved, the second half is very helpful as well.

the book will undoubtedly ruffle feathers among people who believe that the modern Evangelical approach to reading scripture is the only valid one. but the author does a good job of showing how his hermeneutical approach is not about affirming modernist hopes about God, rather, it is a way of reading scripture that has deep Roots in early Christian engagement with the text.

I was glad to see a change in narrator from the author's previous works. the author's previous audiobooks have been marred by a poor performance (the narrator seemed angry about everything he said) and a general unfamiliarity with the Bible and theology. This narrator, on the other hand, has a much more sensitive reading of the text and greater familiarity with the kinds of vocabulary you're going to run into in a work on the Bible on theology.

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Learning how to read again

A More Christlike Word is an encouraging and insightful dive into what the bible is, what it isn’t, and how to approach it in light of Jesus.

Personally, I cringe when I’m told that I need to attribute the Old Testament conquering that was seemingly achieved by God-ordained violence to the Jesus of the New Testament that preaches and demonstrates self-emptying love, non-violence, turning your cheek, and loving neighbours and enemies. Instead of justifying the contradicting images of God in the bible, Jersak highlights the beautiful contrast when Jesus enters the picture and shows us His approach to victory.

“There is a need to read scripture in the light of Christ. Not the other way around.”

Brad Jersak confirms that I do not require the word “inspired” to squeeze scripture into the same throne that Jesus sits on. Instead, he shows how the bible is a deep rich text that points to Him.

“Scripture is the witness, and not the only one. And Christ is the revelation. When we read the scripture in that light we see the grand narrative and where it’s all pointing - to Christ and His gospel.”

Learning how to read the whole bible in light of Jesus encourages me to face my life with this same lens.

Brad Jersak’s books have been a constant encouragement and reminder to me as I’ve journeyed with my questions

(Also, Boyd was a brilliant and captivating narrator)

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