The Gospel as Conversation. James Boyd White

How are we to read the Gospels and bring them into our lives? The idea of this book is that the Gospels are not merely rules for life, or stories illustrating moral lessons, or statements of theological doctrine, but invitations to thought and conversation. The Gospels are full of problems, uncertainties, and tensions; these difficulties call upon us to engage with the Gospels in a new way: to read them, to ask questions about them, to live with them, alone and together. The way we do that is by a kind of conversation, with each other, or within ourselves. The Gospel as Conversation is meant to engage the reader in the conversation by which the Gospels maintain their life today among us. It contains Gospel passages, sermons given on those passages, and questions for reflection. It is intended both for individual readers and for groups in adult education classes.