“By looking at the internal evidence of the Bible texts and also at the external evidence from archaeology, we see something very different from the simplistic picture of a violent conquest of the land and the annihilation of entire populations. For me, what emerges is a better understanding of the purpose of scripture, and reassurance that the God revealed through Jesus is the same as the God who revealed himself to ancient Israel.”

“It’s worth taking a moment to step back from academicism to just live with our faith. We need to be okay stepping into the uncertainty, fear, and doubt that come with being constantly open to new ideas. And perhaps, once we move past those initial emotions, there will be joy. Joy that this is not all there is to the text we base our whole lives on; joy that there will always be something more, something new, something interesting; joy that we have been enabled to lead interesting lives because the text will continue to change to mirror our changing contexts and understanding.”

“I have grown to appreciate that I am part of an ancient and diverse Biblical tradition that must handle the scriptures humbly and with the respect they deserve. Interpretation of scripture is a sacred obligation that we are all called to participate in, just like our Jewish and early church fathers did before us. They may have gotten it wrong every now and again – and we will too – but with each new day, let us strive to build on this beautiful divine mystery that is sometimes messy but still a living, breathing, generative tradition.”

“The spoken word was of primary importance in the ancient Near East of the Hebrew Bible, as well as in the Greco-Roman world of the New Testament. I have found that in recognising this, I have been better able to focus on the authority vested in Jesus as the Word of God, while acknowledging the written text as the medium of transmission to us of the words spoken.”

“The foundation of our faith is not an inspired book, but rather an event that inspired the book. Namely the death and the resurrection of Jesus. That is the foundation of our faith.”