Showing posts with label Jonathan Burke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jonathan Burke. Show all posts

Saturday 9 November 2013

Living on the Edge

Kenneth Gilmore
Kenneth Gilmore0
For those who may have questions about Jonathan Burke's book "Living on the Edge", here's a FAQ list:

1. What is this book about?

Upholding and defending our beliefs and values, and proving they are relevant to the modern world, is very difficult without the kind of evidence evidence which non-religious people will find convincing. This book aims to provide that evidence.

2. Could you give an overview of the book?

The main section headings are 'Living on the edge of certainty', addressing doubts about our beliefs, 'Living on the edge of credibility', addressing the challenge of defending our beliefs and preaching to other religious people and atheists, and 'Living on the edge of society', addressing the challenge of belonging to a Christian community with beliefs and values typically rejected by modern society. See this sample of the contents page.

3. How long is the book?

It's 600 pages long in standard US trade paperback format (6x9 inches), including a 100 page bibliography.

4. Will any of it be controversial?

The book upholds the views of the earliest Christadelphian commentators on issues such as the relationship of science and Scripture, the age of the universe and the earth, whether the flood was local or global, and the authorship of various books of the Bible. That will be controversial for those who disagree with those views, or who are unaware of views held by the earliest Christadelphian expositors. However, I aim to minimize controversy. For example, since evolution is a highly divisive issue the book does not address it at all.

5. How can people purchase the book?

I am aiming to have it printed locally in Taiwan, made available in November 2013, and posted internationally. The purchase price will be US$15 per hardcopy (a free ebook version is included with every hardcopy), and it will be launched on this [2] crowd sourced funding site.

6. Why are you using crowd sourced funding?

Crowd sourced funding involves presenting a project with a budget to the public, and inviting people to pledge funds for the products or services the project offers. Fundraising takes place over a limited time (30 days is typical), at the end of which the project may or may not have raised enough money to cover its budget. No one is charged any money if the project fails to raise its budget. I chose this route since I do not have a publisher for this book, which means I need to pay for the printing myself up front. Crowd sourced funding is a safe way to see if I can raise the capital for an initial minimum print run of 500 copies.

If your question is not answered here, please send me a message through this page.

https://www.facebook.com/notes/living-on-the-edge/frequently-asked-questions/585460368178073

1. https://www.facebook.com/notes/living-on-the-edge/whats-in-the-book/581757188548391
2. http://fuudai.com/

1. What is this book about?

Upholding and defending our beliefs and values, and proving they are ...

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Monday 5 September 2011

The strugles of Taipei Ecclesia

Although Christianity constitutes only a tiny religious demographic in Taiwan, the Christian population is focused heavily in Taipei.

Taipei ecclesia is a tiny congregation in the middle of a sea of hostile evangelical churches. A visiting brother from the US, Jonathan Burke his wife, and the only local Christadelphian sister, started by visiting a local church twice a week, attending all their meetings. They spoke on a regular basis and deliberately avoided controversial topics. They only raised our beliefs when they were asked.

The local evangelical churches in Taiwan all made an agreement with each other years ago about a 'minimum statement of faith' to which everyone has to give assent in order to be accepted. If you don't accept that, then they don't accept you.

In contrast, there is a small but thriving house church movement (there's one in the apartment on the floor below us actually), where it's easier to find people with an open mind and more Biblical beliefs (belief that God is one person, belief that people are truly mortal, etc), but the house churches are quite close knit and not easy to visit unless you know someone who is already in one. They're quite private in some ways, and keep a low profile, because they're typically people who wouldn't be accepted by the Christian mainstream.


Read more > The strugles of Taipei Ecclesia