Structured as a collection of short parables followed by a short reflection on. Fidelity of betrayal by peter rollins overdrive rakuten. Over the years, peter has written dozens of parables and collected hundreds more, deploying them in both his books and public presentations. Pints and parables, wake, spark and the film projects offer an aesthetic entry. Itd be an understatement to say this week has been a devastating one in america, for many americans and for many reasons. I have offered a few posts on peter rollins and his two books, how not to speak of god and the fidelity of betrayal. Several years ago, rollins organised a book group in belfast. Peter rollins did the last lockdown pints and parables. Amazing or just okay peter rollins on grace the red. Pete rollins reads parables from the orthodox heretic no. This comes from a book of parables by peter rollins called the orthodox heretic. In light of this, the enclosed parables do not seek to change our minds but rather to change our hearts. As rollins states in his introduction, you can decide how to classify them. Moretraditional christians will undoubtedly find rollinss book a theological provocation, as he takes familiar parables, characters, and termsin this case, the crucifixion of jesus and the.
This year our lenten evening prayer services draw on peter rollins collection of parables found in the orthodox heretic and other impossible tales. Peter rollins born 31 march 1973 is a northern irish writer, public speaker, philosopher and. Peter rollins book is a brave attempt to bring to our attention some of the inherent paradoxes of the christian faith. The last supper parable by peter rollins grace rules weblog. Hes the author of numerous books, including insurrection, the idolatry of god, and. Pints and parables tales from the orthodox heretic peter rollins grab a drink and join me for a little informal gathering where i share some of my favorite parables, stories and. The orthodox heretic and other impossible tales by peter rollins is a collection of original parables by rollins that explore three themes. Now peter rollins seems to be saying i believe in god means jesus, yipee or jesus, wow. With the traditional christian season of lent nearly upon us, rollins publisher paraclete press has released seven additional parables, available to all those who have purchased the book rollins tales are short and sometimes cryptic.
Prayers are drawn from the writings of the christian mystics. The orthodox heretic is his most accessible and engaging work to date. His irish accent is used in full effect when he tells some allegoriestales to underline his. My primary inspiration for writing the book came as a direct result of sharing the ideas with some people who would not describe themselves as theistic or religious. Peter rollins believes the christian faith has meaning only if it affects the way that followers of jesus live their lives. In light of us all being assaulted by the voting season, i thought it pertinent to share this alternate version of jesus feeding the 5,000. Some of my favorites include, in no particular order. Rollins recasts some of the most familiar parables of and stories about jesus, sometimes subversivelyas when he proposes a version of feeding the. Last year paraclete press published rollins the orthodox heretic and other impossible tales. A glitch in the dust cover has delayed the release.
I wanted to share a story i often found myself thinking about, a modern day parable if you will. Each of these 33 short parable is followed by a brief commentaryrationale by rollins. Peter rollins has a way of asking us to question our personal relationship with god to help to analyze what is important in our faith and what isnt. Peter rollins, the orthodox heretic and other impossible tales norwich. How not to speak of god sets out to explore the theory and praxis of this contemporary expression of faith. In the orthodox heretic, emergence writer peter rollins shares several spiritual tales or parables meant to provoke, inspire, and transform by turning many of our cultures assumptions about christianity on its head. This book was both comforting and incredibly disruptive. As a huge fan of peters first book, i find his second no less thoughtful, stimulating, and at times unsettling always in a most deconstructive way.
The more i read and am shaped by the indispensable language of poetry, story, and. This is a book of parables, or tales, or very short stories. He is the founder of the ikon community in northern ireland a group which describes itself as iconic, apocalyptic, heretical, emerging and failing and a working philosopher who has come to believe that the emerging church presents a singular, unprecedented. Sure, its easy enough to say that peter rollins latest book is a collection of parables, but that just doesnt do justice to the content of this unique book. What does peter rollins bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book. An opiate that helps its users to avoid facing the injustice of the world and making a stand against it. Peter rollins about the author peter rollins has a b. The orthodox heretic and other impossible tales by peter rollins. Rollins offers a clear exploration of this embryonic movement and provides key resources for those involved in communities that are conversant with, and seeking to minister effectively to, the needs of a postmodern world. Over the past couple of months i have offered a few videos of him reading a few of the parables to be found in his new work. They had not known that there was such a thing as a faith that genuinely embraced unknowing, celebrated difference and encouraged a. Peter rollins is creating freedom from the tyranny of. In these books rollins develops a religionless interpretation of christianity called pyrotheology, an interpretation that views faith as a.
Peter rollins the power of parables wouter nieuwenhuizen. Over the last month or so, ive had the great joy of reading through the parables collected in peter rollins book the orthodox heretic. Rollins turns fundamental ideology on its head by asserting that god cannot be understood by gaining mastery of the biblical text, rather the text conceals the nature of god. This is a short parable from peter rollins book of parables, the orthodox heretic. Rollins has already established himself as a major voice and an astute, generative force within the emergence christianity.
In short, the christian faith is perceived to be a counterrevolutionary ideology that keeps people passive, infantile, and ineffectual. Although the introduction speaks of the tales as parables short allegorical stories designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson a majority are simple reworkings of stories from the gospels in which the original endings have been turned. Did the last lockdown pints and parables last night, but im going to start doing them on a monthly basis from july. Ill start each event by telling a parable, then explore its meanings, before.
In his latest book, the orthodox heretic and other impossible tales canterbury press, paraclete. Rollins addresses the tendency to substitute mental assent for transformative. In the the orthodox heretic rollins has crafted a series of parables that shatter these commonplace realities and demonstrate how genuine faith is. The orthodox heretic and other impossible tales by peter. First of all, this isnt a book thats easy to describe. Peter rollins is an author, philosopher, storyteller, producer and public speaker who has gained an international reputation for overturning traditional notions of religion and forming churches that preach the good news that we cant be satisfied, that. One of my favorite parables from the book is, being the resurrection. Each week an audio recording of the service will be. This book is a series of parables that rollins has written. In 2009 rollins published the orthodox heretic, a book of 33 short, parablelike stories. For many who are not christians, a faith otherwise would appears alltoo commonplace and no different than anything else. Religious writing is usually designed to make the truth of faith clear, concise, and palatable.
That gives you an entire day to ponder a single parable, or to discuss it with others. February 22, 2010 uncategorized hospitality, parables, peter rollins, poetic amos house community view all 14 comments. In the front flap of peter rollins new book, the orthodox heretic and other impossibles tales, he writes. Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, do you love me. In this bold new book peter rollins presents a vision of faith that has little regard. The book features 33 of rollins original short tales, followed by his interpretations of what these stories mean.
It comes from peter rollins great little book the orthodox heretic. Parables to make you go, hmmmmm peter rollins new book. In contrast, peter rollins has crafted a series of parables that shatter this popular perception. In the orthodox heretic rollins attempts to communicate more than mere ideas about the christian faith. I think its relevance takes form in shining a light on how we tend to turn off a certain part of our brain and our heart when we vote sometimes. Read 362 posts by peter rollins and get access to exclusive content and experiences on the worlds largest membership platform for artists and creators. Here peter rollins talks about how radical theology isnt concerned with escaping the world, but with entering more fully into it. His uncompromising critique of religion, while often. In his new book the fidelity of betrayal, peter rollins has teased out as bonhoeffer never had the chance to do profound possibilities hidden in the phrase.
Any resemblance to a real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The orthodox heretic and other impossible tales peter. The fidelity of betrayal meet your next favorite book. The collection of parables is among some of the most thought provoking stories i have read. Its a meditation on jesus own command to the disciples that states, and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. After reading this book, im now, and probably forevermore, a huge peter rollins fan. In the parable, truth is not expressed via some dusty theological discourse that seeks to educate us, but rather it arises as a lyrical discourse that.