Thursday, February 12, 2009

A Heretic Comes to Town (Part 2)

Why would I say Marcus Borg is a heretic?
What is heresy?
heresy, in religion, especially in Christianity, beliefs or views held by a member of a church that contradict its orthodoxy, or core doctrines. (Columbia Encyclopedia)
In Christianity, heresy is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. (Answers.com)

Marcus Borg is speaking at Mercer University next week:
"Thinking about God Again" Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 10:50 a.m.
"Thinking about Jesus Again" Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.
"Thinking about the Christian Life Again" Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m.

Though he professes to be a Christian and is speaking in the chapel of a "Christian" university, those who attend should not assume that Marcus Borg is indeed a true Christian. In fact, by the above definitions of heresy, Dr. Borg is a heretic.
In my previous post I gave my first reason for making such a statement:
1) Marcus Borg does NOT believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus.

Here is my second:
2) Marcus Borg does not believe in the deity of Jesus.
The following is from an article by Arthur Daniels, Jr entitled: The Case Against the god of Marcus Borg and the "Jesus Seminar" and can be found HERE.
In his own words, Borg writes, "As such, myths can be both true and powerful,
even though they are symbolic narratives and not straightforward historical
reports. Though not literally true, they can be really true; though not
factually true, they can be actually true. The stories of Jesus' birth are myths
in this sense. Along with most mainline scholars, I do not think these stories
report what happened. The virginal conception, the star, the wise men, the birth
in Bethlehem where there was no room in the inn, and so forth are not facts of
history. But I think these stories are powerfully true...The stories of Jesus'
death and resurrection contain a mixture of historical memory and mythical
narration." (pp. 101,102).

John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") 16And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Monday, February 9, 2009

A Heretic Comes to Town

What is heresy?
heresy, in religion, especially in Christianity, beliefs or views held by a member of a church that contradict its orthodoxy, or core doctrines. (Columbia Encyclopedia)

In Christianity, heresy is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Roman Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. (Answers.com)

I received the following invitation today:

Christianity Scholar to Deliver Smith Lectures At Mercer
MACON — Prominent author and Christian scholar Dr. Marcus J. Borg has been named the 2009 Harry Vaughan Smith Distinguished Visiting Professor of Christianity at Mercer University. Dr. Borg will give three lectures as part of his appointment. All three are free and open to the public. Dr. Borg will speak in Newton Chapel on Mercer's Macon campus. Each lecture will build upon the theme "Rethinking the Big Questions: God, Jesus and the Christian Life." The times and subjects of each lecture are:

"Thinking about God Again"
Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 10:50 a.m.

"Thinking about Jesus Again"
Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

"Thinking about the Christian Life
Again"Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m.

"In our day, no one has written more critically and faithfully about Jesus than Marcus Borg," said event organizer Dr. Richard F. Wilson, professor and chair of the Columbus Roberts Department of Christianity. "His deep and broad learning, his sometimes stunning candor and his disarming piety come together in ways that appeal to large audiences of students, teachers and honest pilgrims."

WHY WOULD I CALL Borg A HERETIC?

Since we have a number of Mercer students at New City Church, I want to make certain that they/we know and understand the beliefs of the man described as one who has 'written more critically and faithfully about Jesus' than anyone else in our day. I will lay out some of those beliefs in a series of posts - this being the first.

1) Marcus Borg does NOT believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus.
The teaching of the bodily resurrection of Jesus has been a part of Christian doctrine since the resurrection of Jesus in bodily form. It is Orthodox Christian belief. Dr. Borg denies this belief.

From an interview with Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly November 7, 2008

Professor MARCUS BORG (Oregon State University): I do believe in the resurrection of Jesus. I'm just skeptical that it involved anything happening to his corpse.

Prof. BORG: The truth of Easter really has nothing to do with whether the tomb was empty on a particular morning 2,000 years ago or whether anything happened to the corpse of Jesus. I see the truth of Easter as grounded in the Christian experience of Jesus as a living spiritual reality of the present.

Prof. BORG: I think of the great Easter hymn, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," with all its soaring hallelujahs. And I see that hymn as profoundly true even though I don't think its truth depends upon the tomb having been empty or something happening to the corpse of Jesus. Christ indeed has risen, but to confuse that with an event that you could have photographed, I think is to trivialize the story.

Read the entire interview HERE.

Of Borg's position, Al Mohler writes:
But belief in the bodily resurrection is not merely foundational, according to Scripture, it is essential. As Paul argues in Romans 10:9, the Gospel comes down to this: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" [emphasis mine]. Beyond this, Paul's logic in 1 Corinthians 15 demonstrates the reverse -- if Christ is not raised then we are still dead in our trespasses and sins.