Dale C. Allison, Jr., is the Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, USA, and the author of many books, including Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History and the International Critical Commentary on James.
Despite widespread skepticism on the matter, a significant number of people today have stories of religious experience—moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions. How should rationally minded people respond?
What would your reaction be if someone told you that, one night while sitting alone, she saw through the window a brilliant light descend from the sky until it was so large that it filled the room—and that it radiated a feeling of “pure love”? And what would you say if a friend confided that one night he woke up and could not move, felt he was being suffocated, and sensed an evil spirit in the room?
By default in the secular age we are skeptical about anything mysterious or supernatural. More likely than not, most people would respond to the stories above with embarrassment and concern about the person’s grasp of reality, or they would attempt to explain them away through rational or scientific means. But the truth is that religious experiences like these are not as uncommon as they seem—although talking about such experiences often is. This is the case even in a faith tradition such as Christianity, despite the Bible’s numerous accounts of miraculous and mysterious happenings.
In Encountering Mystery, noted biblical scholar Dale Allison makes the argument that stories of religious experience are meaningful and not to be marginalized—and that we have a moral prerogative to lovingly engage with such stories regardless of whether we have had similar experiences. Through a close look at phenomena such as moments of inexplicable terror or rapturous joy, visions, near-death experiences of the afterlife, encounters with angels, heavenly voices, and premonitions, Allison shows how ordinary practices of faith need not be at odds with individual religious experiences. Above all, he enjoins us to be honest about the persistence of religious experience in a secular age and to make space for those who encounter mystery in their lives.
186 – AJ Swoboda on ‘Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World’, Plus the Best NT Wright Introduction You’ve Ever Heard
185 – Shannon Kiser & Verlon Fosner Talk About Revitalizing a 90 Year Old Church, A Bilingual Church, and Fresh Expressions
184 – Michael Beck, Talking about Church in a Tattoo Parlor, Yoga Studio, and Dog Park
183 – Iosmar Alvarez, Planting, Disciplining, and Fresh Expressions of the Hispanic Church
182 – Travis Collins, What is a Fresh Expression of Church Anyway?
181 – Curt Thompson, Author of “Anatomy of the Soul” on Christianity & Science, Why We Keep Sinning, and More
The State of the Podcast
A Seminary Dropout Preview of OnRamp Season 2
180 – John Mark McMillan, Talks Creativity, Minivans, and His New Album “Mercury & Lightning”
179 – Amena Brown, Author of “How to Fix a Broken Record” on Poetry, Marriage, and Princesses
177 – Tara Beth Leach, Author of Emboldened: A Vision for Empowering Women in Ministry
176 – Kelley Nikondeha, Talks about Being Adopted, Adopting, & the Biblical Narrative of Adoption
175 – Monique & Vito Aiuto of The Welcome Wagon, on Their New Album: Light Up The Stairs
174 – Dennis R. Edwards, Part 2: on his 1 Peter Commentary, and the Underrepresentation of People of Color in Christian Academia
173 – Dennis R. Edwards, Part 1: on the Struggles of Being a Black Person in a Predominantly White Seminary as a Student & Professor, and the Difficulties of Truly Multicultural Churches
172 – Michelle Ferrigno Warren, Author of ‘The Power of Proximity: Moving Beyond Awareness to Action’
171 – Mandy Smith, Author of ‘The Vulnerable Pastor’ and Director of SheLeads 2017
170 – Russell Jeung, Author of “At Home in Exile” on Living in Solidarity with the Poor and Taking his Children Along for the Ride
169 – Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Author of “When in Romans: An Invitation to Linger with the Gospel according to Paul”
168 – Jared Patrick Boyd, Author of “Imaginative Prayer: A Yearlong Guide For Your Child’s Spiritual Formation”
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Kingdom Power Fellowship Podcast
The Bible Recap
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)