My views on Ellen White

In this post I tackle a potential controversial topic on the inspiration of Ellen Gould White. For this topic among others, my fellow Evangelicals and other Protestants have labelled my SDA community as a cult.

Background

Not too recently, I went to the Creation bookstore in London and saw the pamphlet on sale that expounded on why Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) are considered a cult rather than as Christians. Apart from a belief in the Seventh-day Sabbath and the argument that SDAs believe in a different Jesus, the argument that was most worthy of my reflection was the argument  of the role of Mrs. White and her writings in the SDA denomination. The concern raised by my Christian friends in the pamphlet is that the SDA community gives Mrs. White's writings equal authority as the Holy Scriptures.

It is easy to see how this concern is justified. On reading some of Mrs. White's writings to my family, my eldest daughter began to call it 'Daddy's Bible', perhaps because the book, like the Bible contained events, as well as a whole lot of moral instructions. (I stop reading the book to the family after that). Also, it is true that from my experience of the SDA community that there are many members that are so inclined to see Mrs. White's writings as equally as inspired as the Bible. The denomination's official statistics show that 75% of the community believe in Mrs. White's prophetic gift. Today, I present my own views on the matter.

It is complicated if one believes in the Bible to not believe that God will continue to have prophets and to reveal things to believers. For me, I do not discount people having a claim to seeing visions. The Bible itself establishes that one of the ways that God speaks to us is through dreams and visions (Job 33:14-18). I am sure my Pentecostal brethren will agree with this. In fact, before the Pentecostal movement, which my Pentecostal brethren trace back to Azusa street revival (1906), Ellen White experienced seeing visions and even speaking words of wisdom. In fact, a defence of the perpetuity of spiritual gifts can actually be found in early Adventist literature. James White, Mrs. White's husband, in his introduction entitled 'Spiritual Gifts in Spiritual Gifts Vol. III makes a defence of the perpetuity of spiritual gift doctrine that sounds similar to any Pentecostal minister (White, 1945).

I myself have seen visions or received a word in my spirit though not as frequent as I would like. Hence I am not going to debate the authenticity of people getting revelations or visions from God. However there are 3 things that I raise opposition to:

1. that all of Mrs. White's writings are complete and there is no need for new revelations
2. that all of Mrs. White's writings are wholly inspiration and wholly prophetic
3. that Mrs. White is a false prophet.

For the rest of this post, I deal with these 3 points.

Mrs. White's writings are incomplete and we still need further prophetic revelation for today

My thesis on the matter is that while Mrs. White did see visions and receive revelations from God, what she saw was incomplete partial and sometimes interpreted by familiar theological lens. Going back to Job 33:14-18 it states in the NIV Bible:

14 For God does speak—now one way, now another—
    though no one perceives it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak in their ears
    and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,
18 to preserve them from the pit,
    their lives from perishing by the sword

Prophetic revelation is therefore given for a specific time and purpose, that when it accomplishes its purpose, it may not be applicable or appropriate for people of a future time. As Apostle Paul states in the New Living Translation of 1 Cor. 13:12:

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

In my paraphrase, even when we see visions or have dreams, even the interpretation is into very clear or the knowledge of the application is not so definitive. Daniel received visions which he did not understand and had to wait for further revelations to clarify the meaning of what he saw (Daniel 8:27). Apostle Peter also saw a vision in the story of Cornelius (Acts 10), which he did not understand until events unfolded before his eyes. Peter on seeing the vision doubted what he saw, until later he interpreted based on his lived experience what God meant in showing him the vision (Acts 10:28).

Giving these examples, brings me to my next point, that while Mrs White got visions and heard from heaven, sometimes she had to interpret and make sense of what she saw or heard. This might have meant drawing on human resources. language and understanding to communicate what she saw to others.

Not all of Mrs. White's writings are wholly inspiration and wholly prophetic
We must understand that Mrs. White was informally educated and as such got most of her words, education and knowledge through informal education of reading many spiritual and theological books. Hence while sometimes she documents what she saw or heard, at other times she dilutes these visions and revelation with interpretation and moral instruction. To understand this, one only needs to examine theories of organizational and personal storytelling.

Central to a story is an event that takes place or an experience that one has (Benjamin, ). However during the telling of the story, sometimes the narrator inserts material that was or is not a part of the original event or experience. On some occasions, the narrator tries to make sense of the event or experience using their understanding of the world and how it works or is supposed to work. At other times, the narrator extracts from the event or experience some wisdom that they believe others should learn or some moral of the story or event. This is what I am afraid happens in some if not all of Mrs. White's writings.

Mrs. White is not a false prophet/prophetess

If one undermines Mrs. White's gift of receiving revelations or visions from God, one is in danger of undermining a gift that the Bible authentically promises believers. Didn't God say in Joel 2:28 in the New International Version that:

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

Further, some of my other Non-SDA Sabbatharian Sabbatarian friends would argue that Mrs. White cannot be a true prophetess wholly on the issue of gender. They said that because she is female, her claims to hearing from God must be dismissed. They would cite that the Bible says that no woman must teach using 1 Cor. 14:34. However didn't we just read that God would equally pour out his spirit on 'sons' and 'daughters'? Further, Apostle Peter quoting from the same book of Joel also reinforces that 'your daughters' will 'prophesy' (Acts 2:17).

Conclusion
So it is my thesis that while Mrs. White did see visions and receive revelations from God, what she saw was incomplete, partial and sometimes interpreted by familiar theological lens. Some of it may have been revealed for specific situations or settings in which she and the early Advent movement found themselves in, and might not fully be applicable in our present reality. For example I raised in a previous blog post how while Mrs. White received no revelation about the rebirth of the nation of Israel, one of her contemporaries predicted that this would take place.

On the other hand, that does not discount that all her writings and prophecies are to be disregarded. The only way to know if they are applicable is to read them and interpret them with a historical perspective. We need to know what took place in the past that gave context to her vision or revelation. Further, we need in our times new revelation from God about our circumstances and reality. A God of the past, present and future, should not be a God that has ceased speaking and revealing to us what he is doing in the present to attain the future that he has promised.

Finally, if one argues that Mrs. White is a false prophetess, then the next question to ask is how do you know that any prophet is a true one? Further does one also do this by invalidating the very Bible that tells us that prophecy is a gift to the church? After all, the Bible promises us that God does speak to us and the church in this way.


References:

Garcia, E. M. (2013, Oct. 17). Landmark survey reveals in-depth beliefs, perceptions of Adventist members. Adventist News Network. Retrieved from http://news.adventist.org/all-news/news/go/2013-10-17/landmark-survey-reveals-in-depth-beliefs-perceptions-of-adventist-members/

White, E. (1945). Spiritual gifts. Vol 3 & 4.Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association.

The need to worship and what it does for humanity

I have been having a spiritual feast that I just want to share some of the soul food that I have been feasting on. I have been studying the sanctuary themes of salvation in the Bible and a book on Management principles based on the  gospel of Luke have guided my reflections, and made it possible for me to receive revelations and new insights into the Bible and spiritual principles. In this post, I will share some these insights, reflections and revelations.


To begin, after watching a sermon on the sanctuary, I picked up a National Geographic Magazine entitled: "The Birth of Religion: The World's first temple". In it, I read an article by Mann (2011) who discusses how historians are now theorizing that human civilization is largely the result of religion and human desire to worship. In general, from reading the article I also draw the conclusion that the need to worship is the foundation of society and community. We organize community and society around worship and based on our need to worship.

In his own words, Mann (2011) states:

Through primitive religious practices - burying the dead, creating cave art and figurines- organized religion arose...when a common vision of a celestial order was needed to bind together...big new, fragile groups of humankind (p. 56-57).

In addition, the point is also made that it takes religion to sustain both politics and economy (or political economy). Mann also acknowledges that:

Villages would be more likely to accomplish [their] aims if their members were committed to...collective enterprise. (p.56)

 Mann also argues that organized religion

helped justify the social hierarchy that emerged in...complex society. Those who rose to power were seen as having special connection with the gods. Communities of the faithful, united in a common view of the world and their place in it were more cohesive than ordinary clumps of quarreling people (p.57).

Jumping across to the next reading, the book on Management based on Luke's Gospel by Bruno Dyck, I also read

People simply do not have enough willpower to break free from oppressive structures..., especially when those structures reward them with self-interested material and social benefits. People need transcendent revelation and help to develop and implement [new] structures and systems. (p.115-116)

For me, putting all these together, gives me a picture of why it is difficult to change the status quo. First of all, everything that we know exist today was not possible without the intervention of God or the "gods", and so much is at stake when one wishes to challenge the structures that exist, no matter how oppressive. I see in this the Jewish Passover story, where the Israelites could not break free from Egyptian oppression except through the intervention of God through his servant Moses.


Further, another principle is that religion now today perceived as being very divisive terrain, was once used to bring people together in order to achieve great feats. I believe that in the future, there will be a one world religion that will seek to unite civilization and all human beings. However, we are warned in the Bible that there will be two such global religions, one false and one true. However, that is the subject of another post.




References:

Dyck, B. (2013). Management and the gospel: Luke's radical message for the first and twenty-first centuries. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Mann, C. C. (2011, June). Birth of Religion: Turkey's 11,600-year-old pillars reflect a surprising new theory about the origins of worship. National Geographic, 34-59.
Can also be retrieved at: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text/1#close-modal

Bible study on the Feasts of the LORD in the New Testament

God recently gave me the opportunity to lead a Bible study at church on the Feasts of the LORD in the New Testament. As I prepared for the Bible study, I approached it with an open mind, seeking just to find the facts and draw conclusions only based on facts. As such, I present in this post what I found and my conclusions on what I found.

First, let me begin by indicate the scope and limitations of this post and Bible study. It is meant to be a mere overview of the feast days in the Bible, particularly as they are mentioned in the New Testament Scriptures. My study does not cover all possible mentions of the feats. Further I present the feasts in the order that they appear in the Jewish calendar.

1. Passover/Pesach and Unleavened Bread
From my study, Passover and Unleavened Bread observance are the only feasts commanded in the New Testament for Christians. Jesus first commanded it, that the Passover feast should commemorate his sacrifice (Luke 22:19). Then Paul, speaking to Gentiles in Corinth, declare that they must keep the feast, not in the old Jewish way, but with the new meaning infused into the feast by Jesus (1 Cor. 5:6-8).

Finally it is clear that what apostle Paul refers to as the Lord's Supper is different from what we call communion and celebrate today. The Lord supper according to Paul was an activity that involved more eating than just bread and more drinking than just a small cup or sip of wine (or grape juice). So abundant was the feasting at the Lord's supper that some people were drunk, while others came expecting to have food and were hungry (1 Cor. 11:17-34).

Finally in Acts 20:6, we see that Luke (a Gentile) also use

2. Pentecost/Shavout
Unlike Passover, there is no explicit command for the keeping of Pentecost. Despite that, the apostles were obviously together on that day (Acts 2:1). Paul made special arrangements to keep this feast in Jerusalem, despite other Gentile Christians wanting him to minister to them (Acts 18:18-21;20:16).

However, I would be hard pressed to state that Christians are commanded to observe the festival.


3. Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah
Unlike the previous festivals, Feast of Trumpets is not explicitly mentioned. In fact, the feast is only referred to in the New Testament implicitly through symbolism. Perhaps the best way to identify symbolic references to this feast is to browse the New Testament scriptures for allusions or references to the blowing of a trumpet or trumpets (See Matthew 24:31; Revelations 11:15-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Cor. 15:51-52).


4. The day of Atonement/Yom Kippur
This feast is the only one that I consider not a "feast" as it is actually a fast. In Acts 27:9, the feast may be alluded to as "the Fast". The symbolism of this feast is mentioned through Hebrews Chapters 9 and 10 (Hebrews 9:6-14,24-28; Hebrews 10:1-3,11-13).

5. Feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot
Like the fellow fall festivals, Feast of Tabernacles is not explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, except for the references to the observance of these Festivals and events in the life of Jesus. Jesus goes up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast, even though he was risking his life in doing so (John 7:1-14). On the Last Great Day of the feast, Jesus announces the promise for living water for those who are thirsty (John 7:37-39). The symbolism of this feast is also alluded to in Revelations 21:1-6, where God comes from heaven to dwell with human beings and establishes a living stream that quenches the thirst of all the inhabitants living in God's earthly residence.

Concluding points
From these findings, I conclude that

1. The festivals/feast days were as much a part of the Jewish calendar as they were of the Gentile Christian calendar. Gentiles like Luke use the calendar to mark times and significant events in his account and retelling of the history of the early church and the biography of church leaders and apostles such as Paul.
2. One feast observance is explicitly commanded, both by Jesus and apparently even by Paul. This one feast explicitly commanded for Christian observance is not tied to the ceremonial laws nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Passover and Unleavened (Exodus 12) comes before the Sabbath in Exodus 16 and the giving of the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. The very first Passover was kept before a tabernacle or temple was instituted. 
3. There is no evidence that Jesus commanded the discontinuation of the observance of these festivals or feasts. Rather, the feasts continue to be alluded to throughout the New Testament Scriptures.

I will hopefully in my next blog post thoroughly analyse why Christians should keep the feast of Passover and Unleavened bread.

How I became 7th-day Adventist? Part 2

This post is the continuation of a previous post (or part 2 thereof) that I started way back July 2012. As I ended part 1, I spoke about how I began a university experience that changed my religious and spiritual outlook.

First year at university

The 2000s was a turning point for me spiritually. It was in this period that I arrived at university and felt that Satan was assaulting my intellectual foundation in Christianity. It felt as if there was an intellectual assault on my Christian worldview and outlook, which I did not experience before within in my previous stages of education. For the first time, many of the lecturers and tutors that taught me, seemed to be secular or critical of Christianity. Then many of my fellow university students were the party going types. I met university students who justified the use of curse words and foul language intellectually. I learned of many Christian students who abandoned their faith on campus, some taking on Rastafarian world views, others falling to fornication and parties. I even had a person who seemed to be an overt Satanist in at least one of my classes. To make matters worse, I saw many idols (sculptures) that glorified images of naked bodies and paintings that seemed suggestive of sexual messages. This environment isolated me and made me feel that I was now in the Devil's campus.

So I sought refuge, and went to join the University and College Christian Fellowship (UCCF), the university equivalent of the Christian club that I was part of at my high school. However, unlike high school, for university I had greater options and variety of Christian groups to choose from. However, like the human being that I am, I stuck with what I knew and was used to.

As I attended the first meeting, I felt a sense of smallness, as the group was way bigger than what I was accustomed to in high school. In my first year, though, I at least continued with them, and especially their small group meetings, joining for devotions in the early morning and prayer times when I felt my spiritual reserve was emptying.

While UCCF was my mainstay, I must say that I felt the need to connect with others. I remember signing up for a bible study with Campus Crusade for Christ, though at the first meeting, the person did not show up. At that time I also encountered members of the Kingston Church of Christ. I remember the day I met this tall young fellow who just walked up to me and invited me to church. I was impressed at his boldness and bravery. So I obliged him once by attending the church one Sunday, but more so attended the small student group on campus.

Controversy

It was a little while before members of UCCF began warning us about cults on campus. Explicitly they mentioned that members of the Kingston Church of Christ were one of those cults who appeared friendly, but were just hiding a deceptive agenda. I was shocked. How could they classify this group of friendly people who were so bold on campus to go up to strangers and invite them to church as a cult? Plus being in small group with them, I could not verify that these persons were up to no good.

This event shook me. Primarily because I too was coming out of a church labelled as a cult (the Worldwide Church of God). As such, I felt the need to seek God for myself and away from organized groups. How could I trust any group? This began my search for "truth" as well as a distrust in organized Christian groups, which continued during my first year.

My second year at university

In my second year, as I moved on campus (closer to the den of iniquity), I connected with Advent Fellowship. At the time, I just did so because I felt that at least we worshipped on the same day. So when I gave my name and contact to the leaders, I did not realise that this move was going to change my life for ever and put me on a path that I was not planning to tread.

I remember going through induction for the hall and telling them that on Friday night, that I did not want to participate, as I wanted to rest for church the next day. The student leader in charge asked me if I was a Sabbath keeper, to which I replied "kind of". The student leader at the time said I could not be on the fence, and that "either you are a Sabbath keeper or not a Sabbath keeper". However, for me it was really complicated. At the time, Worldwide Church of God was no longer observing Sabbath, though the Jamaican congregation still met on Saturday for worship services.

However, I remember, when the President of Advent Fellowship came to my rescue one Friday evening. he asked for me, and the student leaders released me. Then he waited for me to get ready to follow him to Advent Fellowship's first meeting for the term. As we walked to the meeting site, he interviewed me to find out about my spiritual gifts as well as my background. Eventually we arrived, and when the meeting began, I heard singing like I never heard before. This was a talented large group of students, who could really sing. I enjoyed the meeting and from then on, the group became a spiritual oasis for me.

Advent Fellowship also had small group meetings, and I too became involve in that. I hanged out with the ChanSea group (a combination of Chancellor Hall and Mary Searcole Hall). In this small group, the ladies out numbered the men. ChanSea met on Saturday, where we went to church together, had lunch together and studied the quarterly lesson of the SDA church together. Over time, I found that I studied the Bible more and topics about the Sabbath, the law and grace was featured in one of the quarterlies. This began to change my spiritual outlook on the Sabbath.

So far, I have omitted the romantic aspects of my campus life, and the love triangle that developed soon. However, since I do not want to write any names or implicate any of my former girlfriends, I have to keep it brief and just say that over time, I experienced a crises in my relationships that involved two girls. The crises led to depression and made me feel like the world's worst Christian and chief sinner.

Crusade by mistake or by God's design?

One day in the period of my depression, I told my ChanSea friends that I wanted to go to church alone in order to seek God for myself. They respected my wishes and left me to go to church alone that day. As I was on the bus to church, I fell asleep. The public bus passed the usual stop, and as such, I missed my turn. I panicked when I awoke and realised that I was off route. However a calm came over me, and it was like the voice of reason spoke and said there must be an Adventist church else where to go to.

I came off at a particular bus stop, where something was telling me that an Adventist church was located nearby. So I walked in the direction of what I perceived to be the church sign. However, I noticed that I saw some people dressed in church clothes going in the opposite direction. So I stopped them and asked where was the church. I was told that the church would be close today for a crusade, but I could accompany them to the crusade. So I walked with the group to the crusade, in which I was about to hear a sermon that would answer my questionings.

The sermon and altar call
The sermon built upon a principle that was sowed in me by my reading of the literature of Herbert W. Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God. The sermon was about Babylon (man's religion and laws) and God's religion and laws. The preacher asked us to choose which one we would follow. However, in my spirit, I was hearing a different message. I was hearing from God that of course there is deception even within Christianity, but he has given his word the Bible to help me to identify deception and to stay away from those who teach falsehood. Hence, once I study the Bible I would not fall victim to cults.

When the evangelist made the altar call, I wrestled with the question as to whether or not I should go up. I did feel like a sinner, but I knew I was already baptized. Nonetheless, I went up, and as I did, a lady greeted me and asked me if I wanted to be baptized. Thinking that this was God's will, I said yes, but exclaimed that I did not have any change of clothes. She told me that they had some for circumstances like these, and so that same day, I was plunged into the water a second time, with new life and joy.

And this brethren is how I became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. However, the story does not end here, but is still developing as I write, and some day I hope that a book will emerge on my spiritual autobiography that will continue to tell you the complete story. For God knows where he is taking me, and that baptism or initiation was just part of the journey.

How I view Christian life?

I have learned so much from being Christian. However, I must admit that not every Christian that I have met has learned the same lessons that I have.

First of all, I have learned that Christianity is very diverse (theologically, doctrinally and even culturally). Being Christian is belonging to a globally diverse group of people who trace their traditions, practices and beliefs to the same source, but yet practice and implement their faith differently. In some instances, we believe different things and come to different conclusions about the same historical text, our same common heritage, history and traditions.

Seeing that we come from such diversity, as a Christian I have been forced to learn to cope with uncertainty and such diversity. This includes learning that it is wrong to force your convictions on others within the faith. You cannot believe that everyone must believe as you do and that everyone ought to see and know what you see and know. Even within the same denominations, I have observed and learned that there are differences of opinions on even the same denominational heritage. As such, in order to maintain unity, a Christian must operate within this diversity and learn to respect the convictions of others, even if one personally disagrees.

In essence, I have learned that I can't force anyone to believe what I do. I can only present my personal convictions to others and let the Holy Spirit do the rest of the work of either reproving me for error or correcting my brethren (or sistren).

Hence much of the work of evangelism is personal. We need to study, pray and meditate upon the scriptures, events and even nature to arrive at convictions about what is right and wrong. Then we need to share our convictions, revelations and justifications (or proofs) with others and let them personally decide for themselves whether or not they are also convicted and persuaded as we are.

Hence, I believe Christians must have the freedom to arrive at our own conclusions and share those conclusions with others. However, we must also give others the freedom to disagree without judging dissenters as being hell-bound.

Today, I find myself at the crossroad of being skeptic of dogma, traditions and doctrines, especially if I perceive these as being modern inventions with little historical roots in 1st century Christianity. I am further suspicious of denominational leaders as I know that many have received their theology degrees under the study and supervision of unbelieving Bible scholars. [This is one of the reasons why I do not want to be a pastor, though I feel the calling.]

I consider myself as an explorer within the Christian ideological landscape. I have a map, (a centuries old text written about historical events, peoples and lands). I also have tour guides (translators, pastors and spiritual leaders), who provide annotation and commentary to guide my understanding of the map (unto salvation). However, even with the map and the guides, one still has to uncover for oneself the meaning and understanding of the Christian frontier and find the way that leads to eternal life.

Today, more than ever, I find that Christianity is more about dialogue and conversation than it is about sermons (at least the non-interactive ones). I must have my own personal convictions about Bible "truths", but must also be willing to listen to others and understand how they may see those "truths" differently from me. I must have my own spiritual priorities, but still be willing to accept that other Christians order their spiritual priorities differently. At the end, it about our own convictions and on how God sees our work and faith that matters. Did he give you a particular light that you have refused or rejected? Did he give you a personal instruction or calling that you have not obeyed?

This reminds me of a sermon I once heard from a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist, Pastor Glen Samuels. According to Samuels, Terah, Abraham's father, got God's call to leave Ur for Canaan. On the way, Terah settled in Haran and apparently no longer obeyed the call of God. Eventually, Terah died in the land of Haran and never made it into Canaan. After his death, God then passed on the calling to his son, Abram (Abraham) (See the story in Genesis 11:31-2)

The big questions to ask are:

• Is there a call on your life that you are rejecting?
• Are you going to be like Terah and die before you fulfill what God has called you to do?

Sheltered until now

For much of my life, I have been raised in a nurturing environment where I felt that everyone loved me or was looking out for me (except my bully-type peers and childhood nemeses). From my nuclear family unit to my extended family; my church family to the teachers in my Anglican preparatory and high school. (For more on the warm fuzzy feelings I have towards my spiritual background see my previous post on Christian milieu and why people believe? and How I became 7th-day Adventist? Part 1: The Context).

Even when I began my first summer, part-time and full-time jobs, I felt blessed to have bosses and co-workers that seemed supportive of me. I have never felt what it was like to work in an environment hostile towards me, where I have to be watching out for my own interests and insuring myself against the possibility that I may make a mistake that will be catastrophic for my career or future opportunities.

It is only since I have been here in Canada, that I realise that my current reality and future reality is the not the same as before. My eyes are no open to a reality that I had never seen before. I now recognise how sheltered I have been. I now see a global climate (political, social and economic) that is potentially hostile towards me, in which I now must tread with caution. This brings these words of Jesus to mind:

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10: 16, New International Version)

The quest for quality video games with a Biblical narrative

I am not a serious gamer. The only two games that I really play are Scrabble and Chess. These are the only two games that I play online (sometimes). Due to a very busy life and schedule, I have little time for games.

Nonetheless, I was recently reading about video games and education from Prensky (2006), the author of Don't bother me mom-I'm learning! I have also been reading a number of other arguments for children playing video games (Franceschin et al., 2013; Olson, 2010; Shaffer, Squire, Halverson & Gee, 2004). This reading got me thinking that video games are the new media for thinking and working. Many video games are based on narratives and stories (Laurel, 2001). In fact, I agree with the readings that it is possible that a child could learn complex concepts from engaging with the media and in particular the rich narrative that the media can tell.

So I thought that I would take the challenge of looking up video games based on Biblical-narrative to see if per chance I could discover any such game that I would not feel guilty as a parent letting my children play. After all, a video game based on a Biblical narrative would help them think about God's word in a new way and a new medium.

My first search lead to not so encouraging results. The first article I discovered made it clear that Bible narrative based video games have been critiqued for being of poor quality. Brown (2007) in an article critiquing Bible-themed video games states that "devout fundamentalists often make incredibly bad game designers".

I was further discouraged by the video games that I did retrieve, which seemed to have the potential to teach my children erroneous doctrine, like the example of the Left behind game, which is based on the distorted doctrine of the secret rapture (I really need to blog about that another time). Another such Bible narrative-based video game is the game El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, which unfortunately makes Lucifer into a good guy (Flagged by me for deception. Lucifer is not virtuous guy, or at least he's not a virtuous character today).


Later on, while reading Prensky (2006), I discovered that there is a Christian Game Developers Conference. But from the look of their website, I don't think I want to see their games: http://cgdc.org/. I do appreciate though their motivation to use the medium for God's glory.


Eventually, I decided to enlarge my search to finding a Jewish Bible game. (Jews seem to be the masters at tell good stories and narratives). I came across this guy, Alex, who suggests that Bible narrative could make good games, especially seeing that there are a lot of wars in the Bible (Alex, 2010). I totally agreed with Alex on his last point that doing a David versus Goliath game would really be cool: "Give the player a slingshot and have him go to town. It’d be awesome."


On making better games with a Biblical narrative, I just want to suggest that the problem with Bible games is that we cannot make just Bible quiz games that drill in people facts, but we need to use Bible narrative to get players to negotiate and experience the conflicts of the Bible and Bible characters. So in all seriousness, we need more Biblical narrative role-playing games. Too bad my drawing and programming skills aren't so good for me to participate in bringing such games into being.


Reference:

Alex (2010, Jan 3). The quest for the Jewish videogame. Hipster Jew [blog post]. Retrieved from http://hipsterjew.com/jewish-videogames/

Brown, S. (2007, Nov 18). PrayStation: The 6 most misguided Christian video games. CRACKED. Retrieved from
http://www.cracked.com/article_15672_praystation-6-most-misguided-christian-video-games.html

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