G. Richard Wheatcroft

Confronting the resurgence of Biblical literalism, this unique and timely book should be in the hands, on the desk, and in the library of any anyone serious about understanding and communicating the depth and breadth of the Christian message in the contemporary world. The author is President of The Center for Progressive Christianity, Cambridge, MA which “provides guiding ideas, networking opportunities and resources for progressive churches, organizations and individuals with connections to Christianity.”

The reason Adams wrote his book is stated in the introduction. He writes, “In my opinion, Christians who can’t cope with metaphors have done their best, perhaps unintentionally, to spoil the faith for the rest of us. Part of progressive Christianity’s task is to reclaim the classic metaphors for what they are: figures of speech that inspired beautiful narratives. To name a few: Son of God, Resurrection of the Dead, Body of Christ, and Kingdom of Heaven.” To understand that the Bible is metaphorical means that it contains words which are used both in a non-literal way and in a more than literal way.

The book references an exploration of over one hundred and fifty metaphors from Abba to yeast. The root meaning and social context of each word is explained. Then the reader is given a list of some of the verses from Scriptures using the word. Finally, the author offers his interpretation of the original use of the metaphor and its relevance today. An abbreviated sample, using the metaphor Son of God, will illustrate this structure. (Pages 242-43)

“In using the metaphor Son of God for Jesus, his followers were being as subversive as they were in calling him Son of David or Son of Man. The great conquerors who became emperors, such as Alexander the Great and Augustus Caesar, called themselves sons of God in order to encourage loyalty among their subjects. They encouraged stories of their virgin births in order to back up their claims. Anybody calling Jesus huios tou theou in Greek, would have been putting Jesus on a par with the Roman emperor. Ever whispering such a title for Jesus was a subversive move, but the term appears in all four gospels and in many of the epistles.”

The five verses, using the metaphor Son of God, from the four gospels and one epistle are given. Also a verse from the book of Genesis is given to show it is “not without precedent in the Hebrew Scriptures.”

The author points out that of the three “Son of” metaphors (son of Adam, David, and God) only Son of God has ever been taken literally.” The consequence is that “by the fourth century, many Christians were attempting to explain how God was in reality the father of Jesus in a way that was different from God’s being the father of everyone.” He writes, “Trying to come up with a logical explanation of how Jesus could have been both a human being and God caused great controversy among the church leaders, ultimately leading to a major split in the church.”

Writing of the contemporary relevance of the use of the metaphor, Adams states that the church “is similarly divided today over the question: Is calling Jesus the Son of God stating a presumed fact or employing a useful metaphor? For those in the first camp, being a Christian is a matter of believing. For those in the second, being a follower of Jesus is more a matter of experience. . . Using the metaphor Son of God helps them express the depth of their experience, which they cannot describe adequately using ordinary language in ordinary ways.”

Indexes to the Hebrew and Greek words and to Bible Citations used are provided. Now that the book is available I cannot imagine being without it.