Fixing Abraham: How Taming Our Bible Heroes Blinds Us to the Wild Ways of God (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Would we reject the Bible's heroes if we encountered them today? What would we say to Abraham about child sacrifice, to Ruth about the appearance of immorality, or to Jesus about the company he kept? Acclaimed writer and author Chris Tiegreen calls us to reconsider the sometimes sanitized way we portray our faith heroes—and the lessons we can learn from them. In the process, he challenges us to be more open to the wild and holy ways of a good and mysterious God. SaltRiver is an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers (www.tyndale.com).

From the Back Cover

“Abraham. Listen . . .”

How would you have reacted if Abraham told you that God said to sacrifice his son? Would you have honored him as a champion of the faith? Or would you have backed away slowly and referred him to the nearest counseling facility?

Christians look to the Bible for inspiration and role models—but if actual biblical characters walked into our lives, we might not know how to handle them. Is it possible we’ve created a safe, tidy Christian culture that too often holds back from embracing the complete truth of God’s character—and those of his people? Imagine what we might say to help “fix” some of our Bible heroes . . .

Ruth: “Not even a hint of immorality, Ruth. You know better than to think God might want you to throw yourself at a guy’s feet in the middle of the night!”

Isaiah: “God told you to go naked for three years???”

Paul: “You’re way too intense, and it turns people off. Haven’t you noticed that your personality always seems to divide people and create controversy?”

In Fixing Abraham, acclaimed writer Chris Tiegreen provides a fresh introduction to the biblical heroes you thought you knew. In the process, you’ll be challenged to break free of formulaic Christianity and open your eyes to the wild and holy ways of God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: SaltRiver (February 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414321724
• ISBN-13: 978-1414321721
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #758,512 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking!, March 9, 2009

By	Jennifer Shirk - See all my reviews

Wow, is this book thought provoking! I really enjoyed the comparisons of Biblical stories in contemporary perspectives.
The author's chapter four hit home with me especially. I am definitely one of those skeptical Christians who sees an evangelical "fall" in the public eye and immediately dismisses any of the good work they had done up to that point and judge there motives for doing their work in the first place. As the author discusses, King Solomon and David would be condemned in the same way. Yet, we don't judge their writings or their wisdom in the Bible as hogwash even though they were not perfect men.

Throughout the book, the author discusses various Biblical characters and how they would be viewed in the world today. I think one of things I enjoyed about this book was that it's not your typical Christian non fiction read. In fact, I already know a few people I'd like to recommend this book to. It had me totally thinking "outside the box" in trying to understand God's character and would be a great book to discuss in Bible studies.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Revealing, March 7, 2009

By	Peggy Blann Phifer "Peg" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

I don't usually do non-fiction, but the title and idea of Fixing Abraham caught my fancy and I knew I wanted to check it out. I'm not disappointed. It is fascinating reading.

When we read about our Biblical heroes such as Abraham, David and Solomon, for example, we tend to forget about their all-too-human acts and misbehavior. This book by writer Christ Tiegreen takes a look at these guys in a modern context. I'll give one example, but you'll have to get the book to see the others.

In one chapter the author sets the scene of a conversation between two men, officials in a ministry destroyed when their leader falls into blatant and public immorality. The ministry is ruined, the leader disgraced, and now these two men are contemplating a warehouse full of products that no one will ever buy. Even if the leader repents and is forgiven, can he ever return to the ministry? Will the public allow that? Okay, you've got the picture, I'm sure.

Now, let's take a look at Solomon. Or David. Either one will work. David? He committed adultery with a married woman then ordered her husband killed so he could marry her. Sure, we all know that yet we still revere his as a man whom God loved. Same with Solomon.
But put either one of them in today's culture, what would happen? Would we go to the bookstore to buy and read David's Psalms after we learned about his sin? Or Solomon's Proverbs? Or Song of Songs, or Ecclesiastes? Or would we begin to question the words we once loved and cherished and look on them now with suspicion? After all, David was an adulterer and a murderer.

"If Solomon had been teaching and writing today and then faltered as he did, Proverbs would be thrown into the evangelical Dumpster."

I'm going to stop here. You really need to read this book. It will give you a whole new perspective.

Oh! Consider this: Mary, Jesus' mother, today--engaged but unmarried, pregnant yet still a virgin

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and enjoyable look at Bible heroes, March 3, 2009

By	Christina Lockstein "http://christysbookblog.... (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Fixing Abraham by Chris Tiegreen is subtitled How Taming Our Bible Heroes Blinds Us to the Wild Ways of God. This book is a fascinating look at how the heroes that we study and admire from the Bible were used by God in unexpected and unusual ways that if we saw them today we would probably denounce. Tiegreen begins each chapter with a fictional bit taking a Biblical figure and rewriting their story into modern times along with the probable reaction of Christians to their actions. Christians are so divided about a variety of issues, many that don't really make a difference in the bigger picture. Tiegreen exposes some hypocrisies in order to show that God does not always speak to us in ways that we would expect or make us comfortable. God's love is so much bigger and wilder than anything we could imagine that we often try to put him in a box or at least make him easier to understand and accept. But that's not how God works. Today when a popular minister publicly sins, he is tossed out of the ministry, along with all of his teachings, no matter how solid they would have been. Compare that to King David whose Psalms are read every Sunday in churches all over the world but committed adultery and had his lover's husband killed. Tiegreen wants Christians to expand their view of God and how he can work through people. It's not just an enlightening book, but an enjoyable one as well.