Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights
Exploring Bible interpretation and modern Christian faith, I am a Presbyterian USA minister who interprets the Bible in all of its messy and varied voices. I teach and preach spiritual growth to people who want an open and affirming Christianity. My social media tagline is "People say lots of things about the Bible that aren't really there."
My full-length sermons and live stream are available on YouTube: @robchrist8999 and @edmondspresbyterian132
Contact me at: epc-pcusa.org, pastorepc@frontier.com
Real Bible Rob: Affirming Christianity Podcast Real Bible Rob - Inclusive Christianity Discussions Real Bible Rob | PCUSA Ministry Insights
How the Buddha saved my faith in Jesus
One way to tell how people approach religion is to express your admiration for another belief. I certainly admire Judaism, not just in the way of supersession like more Christians, but as a way of getting to know God. Over the years I have become much more aware of Islam and more recently Hinduism. But none of these impacted me like getting to know more about Buddhism, through great authors and discussion. I can confidently say that the Buddha saved my faith in Jesus. This may be offensive to you or at least incongruous. For me it hasn't been a passing fad in open-mindedness, but it has rooted deeply, because there is no conflict between Buddhist thought and Christianity. Buddhism is not a theistic faith. Of course there are Buddhist who are theistic, but it is not a requirement as it is in Christianity. In this episode, I discuss how I came to understand this, how it challenged me in a way I needed it to and how I found compatibility and peace. I have always been ecumenically minded, but my experience has opened my heart to a deeper appreciation for the sharing of faiths.
References:
Charlotte Joko Beck, "Nothing Special: Living Zen", 1993
Pema Chödrön, "Comfortable with Uncertainty", 2003
David Brazier, "The Feeling Buddha", 1997
Thich Nhat Hanh, "Living Buddha, Living Christ", 1995
#buddhism #christianity #zen #ecumenism #edmonds #edmondspres #pcusa