Overview

"Are the miracle stories in the Bible actually true? Christians and skeptics alike may doubt the veracity of Jesus's miracles. Preachers often rely on a dry, literal interpretation of his healings and wonders, or else try to tame them and explain them away rationally. Both approaches, in their obsession with historical accuracy, miss the truth behind these stories. Frank G. Honeycutt draws out the deeper truths in the weird incidents in the Bible. In a warm, conversational style, Honeycutt reads iconic miracle stories--from the wedding at Cana to demonic exorcisms--to enrich the life of faith. Digging into these ""unbelievable"" stories can widen our spiritual imaginations and point to the promise of Christ's new world. Pastors seeking thoughtful resources and any inquisitive reader will find a wealth of pastoral insight and scriptural wisdom in Miracles for Skeptics."

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9780802883155

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""If you want easy answers, this might not be the book for you. But then, as Honeycutt points out, Christianity might not be the religion for you, either. In place of explanations that 'airbrush the oddities' from the miracle stories, Honeycutt here challenges us to ponder anew how these odd stories 'continue happening in the lives of those who hear and heed them.' He enriches his challenge with sound biblical scholarship, pleasing word craft, and tales from a master homiletician."" --Mel Bringle, Brevard College ""Frank gives new life to ancient stories. He takes a fresh look at stories that some of us know so well but have let go stale; he piques curiosities about stories that some of us have deemed ridiculous and unworthy of consideration; and he affirms the questions that many of us have about the God we've known, loved, hated, or ignored. Even if I were never to open a Bible again, I'd still walk away from this book with a deeper appreciation for how my little life relates to something infinitely bigger than myself."" --Joshua Kestner, pastor of University Lutheran Church at Clemson University ""As a Methodist with the impulse to believe and the inclination to be skeptical, I found Miracles for Skeptics most enlightening. Frank Honeycutt instructs and delights in equal measure, enriching thought-provoking biblical commentary with his experiences as a pastor, hiker, cyclist, reader, and author."" --Gil Allen, Furman University ""The dead walking? Water into wine? How is a Christian in the twenty-first century, or for that matter a skeptic--how is anyone to make sense of the Bible's miracles? Might I suggest you start with Frank Honeycutt's remarkable Miracles for Skeptics? Wed a deep understanding of Scripture and faith to references that range from Harry Crews and John Updike to Barbara Brown Taylor and Austin Powers, add generosity, stir in wit, and you have something approaching the pleasures of this book. Funny, learned, and deeply moving, Miracles for Skeptics is theology for the rest of us. And that is high praise."" --Mark Powell, author of Hurricane Season ""Read with presence and curiosity, a good story worms its way into one's heart. Honeycutt, with the skill of a theological detective, isn't afraid to ask the hard, often hidden, and sometimes unanswerable questions at the core of these miracle stories. He asks us to dig down and look more closely, to allow these stories to confuse, challenge, and ultimately strengthen our relationship with God. Just a few chapters in and I already wanted to discuss Miracles for Skeptics with a small group of friends. You will too.""  --Amy Sander Montanez, author of Moment to Moment: The Transformative Power of Everyday Life  ""In Miracles for Skeptics, it is Frank Honeycutt's willingness to acknowledge doubt that makes his message of faith all the more powerful. He is a gifted writer, and his words and wisdom are much needed in our troubled world."" --Ron Rash, Western Carolina University ""In his latest book, Frank Honeycutt revisits some of the most challenging events in the New Testament. Readers hoping to make peace with these hard-to-swallow stories, though, will find no easy answers, no logical explanations or pat interpretations tied neatly with a bow. Instead, knowing that the most powerful tales resist one-and-done interpretations while rewarding each new encounter with fresh insights, Honeycutt invites us to examine these paranormal occurrences through the lens of 'all the skepticism with which [we've] been blessed.' His rigorous hiking and cross-country cycling journeys provide an apt metaphor for the sojourn into Biblical events that defy logic and reason. Like the protagonist of his short story 'Virginal Laptop, ' which serves as the penultimate chapter, Honeycutt discovers new meaning in these odd tales--revelations that, in the author's words, beckon us in 'unpredictable, risky, and life-shaping' new directions."" --Nancy Lewis Tuten, Columbia College"

"""Frank gives new life to ancient stories. He takes a fresh look at stories that some of us know so well but have let go stale; he piques curiosities about stories that some of us have deemed ridiculous and unworthy of consideration; and he affirms the questions that many of us have about the God we've known, loved, hated, or ignored. Even if I were never to open a Bible again, I'd still walk away from this book with a deeper appreciation for how my little life relates to something infinitely bigger than myself."" --Joshua Kestner, pastor of University Lutheran Church at Clemson University ""As a Methodist with the impulse to believe and the inclination to be skeptical, I found Miracles for Skeptics most enlightening. Frank Honeycutt instructs and delights in equal measure, enriching thought-provoking biblical commentary with his experiences as a pastor, hiker, cyclist, reader, and author."" --Gil Allen, Furman University ""Read with presence and curiosity, a good story worms its way into one's heart. Honeycutt, with the skill of a theological detective, isn't afraid to ask the hard, often hidden, and sometimes unanswerable questions at the core of these miracle stories. He asks us to dig down and look more closely, to allow these stories to confuse, challenge, and ultimately strengthen our relationship with God. Just a few chapters in and I already wanted to discuss Miracles for Skeptics with a small group of friends. You will too.""  --Amy Sander Montanez, author of Moment to Moment: The Transformative Power of Everyday Life  ""If you want easy answers, this might not be the book for you. But then, as Honeycutt points out, Christianity might not be the religion for you, either. In place of explanations that 'airbrush the oddities' from the miracle stories, Honeycutt here challenges us to ponder anew how these odd stories 'continue happening in the lives of those who hear and heed them.' He enriches his challenge with sound biblical scholarship, pleasing word craft, and tales from a master homiletician."" --Mel Bringle, Brevard College ""The dead walking? Water into wine? How is a Christian in the twenty-first century, or for that matter a skeptic--how is anyone to make sense of the Bible's miracles? Might I suggest you start with Frank Honeycutt's remarkable Miracles for Skeptics? Wed a deep understanding of Scripture and faith to references that range from Harry Crews and John Updike to Barbara Brown Taylor and Austin Powers, add generosity, stir in wit, and you have something approaching the pleasures of this book. Funny, learned, and deeply moving, Miracles for Skeptics is theology for the rest of us. And that is high praise."" --Mark Powell, author of Hurricane Season ""In Miracles for Skeptics, it is Frank Honeycutt's willingness to acknowledge doubt that makes his message of faith all the more powerful. He is a gifted writer, and his words and wisdom are much needed in our troubled world."" --Ron Rash, Western Carolina University ""In his latest book, Frank Honeycutt revisits some of the most challenging events in the New Testament. Readers hoping to make peace with these hard-to-swallow stories, though, will find no easy answers, no logical explanations or pat interpretations tied neatly with a bow. Instead, knowing that the most powerful tales resist one-and-done interpretations while rewarding each new encounter with fresh insights, Honeycutt invites us to examine these paranormal occurrences through the lens of 'all the skepticism with which [we've] been blessed.' His rigorous hiking and cross-country cycling journeys provide an apt metaphor for the sojourn into Biblical events that defy logic and reason. Like the protagonist of his short story 'Virginal Laptop, ' which serves as the penultimate chapter, Honeycutt discovers new meaning in these odd tales--revelations that, in the author's words, beckon us in 'unpredictable, risky, and life-shaping'-new directions."" --Nancy Lewis Tuten, Columbia College"

Author Information

Frank Honeycutt is a Lutheran (ELCA) pastor who has authored numerous books and articles. His writing interests include short fiction, homiletics, and catechesis . An avid hiker and cyclist, Frank has backpacked the length of the Appalachian Trail and bicycled across the country from the Puget Sound to the Maine coast.

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