It is, but then there are Evangelical organizations that deliberately change how they translate to make it seem more harmonious. That is the main reason that critical scholars say to avoid the NIV.
Evangelicals tend to think the Bible speaks in one consistent voice throughout, without any inconsistency. They believe it necessary to fit their literalist interpretation.
In fact, I was trying to think of which version would be the best version of Mark for her to read.
I don’t have anything for the Gospel of Mark but here is some pretty good readings of the O.T. Bible:
Stranger
Thanks for all the suggestions. I am gonna have a chat with her today and see what it is about Christianity that interests her. I think it might be a social, or even para-social thing, finding somewhere to belong maybe.
5 posts were split to a new topic: Adult children who turn away from religious-type beliefs of their families
This should really go into the split-off topic, but did you have the projected chat?
If so, how did it go, and were you able to resolve anything?
We didn’t really resolve anything but we did have a chat. She has flicked through the book she got. She likes the idea of Jesus as her friend, who will listen and support her. The example she used when was when she was getting annoyed with her co-workers’ bitching, she could pray for serenity.
She didn’t seem that interested in theology as such. More the idea of having ‘a personal relationship with Christ’ or something like that. I don’t really understand what that means, but I am less worried than I was. She seemed happier, and is doing things she enjoys (like her art, which she had stopped doing a while ago). So she seems like she is in an ok place.
Considering she hasn’t even properly read the book she is interested in, I decided not to get her another book.
I hope it works out. I wanted to say that absent all theology and other context, it is not immediately obvious what distinguishes Christianity from, say, Buddhism, or any other religion.
Rachel Held Evans was mentioned up thread, and I’ll second her as a recommendation. Jim Wallace is a progressive Christian who has written a number of good books too.