Peter Enns Biography
Peter Enns is an American Biblical scholar and theologian. Apart from that, he has written widely on hermeneutics, Christianity and science, the historicity of the Bible, and Old Testament interpretation.
Peter Enns Age
Ens was born Peter Eric Enns o January 2, 1961. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey. He is 58 years old as of 2019.
Peter Enns Family
No information on his parents or siblings is disclosed to the public. He has kept this field private.
Peter Enns Wife
Enns is married to a beautiful woman named Susan.
Peter Enns Children
He has three children with his wife.
Peter Enns Educational Background
He graduated from Pascack Valley High School in 1978. He holds a B.A. in behavioral science from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Peter Enns Books
Exodus Retold
Poetry and Wisdom
Exodus Retold: Ancient Exegesis of the Departure from Egypt in Wis 10:15-21
Exodus: from biblical text … to contemporary life
Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament
Invitation to Genesis: a Short-Term Disciple Bible Study
Telling God’s Story: a parent’s guide to teaching the Bible
Ecclesiastes
The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously
The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins
The genesis for Normal People: A Guide to the Most Controversial, Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible
The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It
The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More than Our ‘Correct’ Beliefs
How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers — and Why That’s Great News
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Peter Enns: Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy
Peter Enns Blog | Articles | Podcast
For Peter’s blogs, articles, and podcasts, visit peteenns.com
Peter Enns Quotes
“In the spiritual life, the opposite of fear is not courage, but trust. Branch out. Not only do our beliefs define us, but so does the community of like-minded people who share those beliefs. Christian traditions, denominations, and congregations provide a group identity. We are social animals, so we should not judge our spiritual groups, or those of others, as necessarily a problem. Only when our communities become the defining element of our spiritual lives, packs that protect those boundaries at all costs, do problems begin. That leads to isolation, “us versus them” thinking, and the illusion that “we” are basically right about the Bible and God and “they” aren’t—the kind of wall-building that Jesus and Paul criticized. So much can be learned from”
“As Luke’s story unfolds, Jesus continues to undermine expectations involving political power and Jewish identity. In his first public appearance, in a synagogue service, he claims to be the messiah, which creates quite a buzz of support—until he tells them that he will bless Gentiles and be rejected by his own kinsmen. The crowd responds by trying to throw Jesus off a cliff. Israel’s messiah isn’t supposed to say things like this.”
“Wisdom isn’t about finding a quick answer key to life—like turning to the index, finding your problem, and turning to the right page so it all works out. Wisdom is about learning how to work through the unpredictable, uncontrollable messiness of life so you can figure things out on your own in real time. Both” “Wisdom isn’t about finding a quick answer key to life—like turning to the index, finding your problem, and turning to the right page so it all works out. Wisdom is about learning how to work through the unpredictable, uncontrollable messiness of life so you can figure things out on your own in real time. Both”
“Correct thinking provides a sense of certainty. Without it, we fear that faith is on life support at best, dead and buried at worst. And who wants a dead or dying faith? So this fear of losing a handle on certainty leads to a preoccupation with correct thinking, making sure familiar beliefs are defended and supported at all costs. How strongly do we hold on to the old ways of thinking? Just recall those history courses where we read about Christians killing other Christians over all sorts of disagreements about doctrines few can even articulate today. Or perhaps just think of a skirmish you’ve had at church over a sermon, Sunday-school lesson, or which candidate to vote into public office. Preoccupation with correct thinking. That’s the deeper problem. It reduces the life of faith to sentry duty, a 24/7 task of pacing the ramparts and scanning the horizon to fend off incorrect thinking, in ourselves and others, too engrossed to come inside the halls and enjoy the banquet. A faith like that is stressful and tedious to maintain. Moving toward different ways of thinking, even just trying it on for a while to see how it fits, is perceived as a compromise to faith, or as giving up on faith altogether. But nothing could be further from the truth. Aligning faith in God and certainty about what we believe and needing to be right in order to maintain a healthy faith—these do not make for a healthy faith in God. In a nutshell, that is the problem. And that is what I mean by the “sin of certainty.”
“Church is too often the most risky place to be spiritually honest.”