Member-only story
Criticize Islam, Christianity and Buddhism
While you’re at it, don’t forget Hinduism, or Atheism or Judaism
Two nights ago my small group started its Advent study. We are using a video series featuring Dr. Amy Jill Levine, who is an Orthodox Jew. Why, you may ask, did my Protestant Christian group pick her?
She is an unusual woman. She is a divinity professor at Duke University who is committed to historical rigor and literary sensitivity as she addresses the Bible from a Jewish perspective. She also speaks out against antisemitism, sexism and homophobia. She does all this a wonderful sense of humor.
And it is because of this, because she is an educated outsider unafraid to criticize our faith with candor that she is valuable to us.
In the Bible, there is a phrase — “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” — Proverbs 27:17.
Someone like Dr. Levine, who is unafraid and unapologetic in her willingness to challenge modern Christian sensibility, challenges our group to think about our faith in a more meaningful way.
When we listen to her criticism with an open mind we have to examine our beliefs more deeply. And this is very important.
