Brandon Scott Interview

Ron Way has just posted a new interview with New Testament scholar Brandon Scott on iTunes. What’s the occasion? Brandon’s new book called The Trouble with Resurrection: From Paul to the Fourth Gospel.

Most Christians believe in the physical resurrection of Jesus. By examining the resurrection stories in Paul and the Gospels, Brandon prompts his readers to reexamine the phenomenon that came to be known as the “resurrection.” Ron found it interesting that when you read the resurrection stories in chronological order (Paul, Mark, Matthew, John and finally Luke/Acts), you find a progression of belief. How has that affected Christian belief? You will just have to listen to the interview. To hear the interview, go to Episode 32 at:

http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/eye-on-faith/id377044575

Back from a week in New York City…

Back from a week in New York City, meeting with radio and television media with my daughter, Heidi, who is Director of Marketing for our company. On this trip, we made time to go to Ground Zero. We were both taken by surprise by our overwhelming feelings of sadness and grief once we got to the site. We walked around the new construction site, visited the memorial displays, and were near tears the entire time. The emotions of people from around the world were palpable as they slowly walked through the exhibit and spoke in hushed tones.

One of my daughter’s had had lunch in the Windows On The World restaurant atop one of the towers 2 days before it was destroyed, and I had arrived in NY via train from Washington DC on the 2 days after the attack. Everyone was in shock at that time, and feelings had to wait for time to absorb the immensity of the tragedy. Although I have visited the city many times since then, it has taken me this long before I could come back to the site of the massacre.

Westar Meeting October 2010

Friends,

I just came back from 5 inspiring days at the Jesus Seminar of Westar Institute. This is a gathering of about 300 “Associates” of the Seminar, like myself, people that just love to discuss Biblical history, and 50 to 75 New Testament scholars that gather twice a year to talk about the historical Jesus. This time, the letters and writings of the Apostle Paul was the focus. One of my favorite scholars’, who was in attendance, was Dominic Crossan.  Because of this, I have posted an interview with him that covered his book called, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography.

This is a two-part interview. Part I is Episode 30 (now posted), and the second is Episode 31, to be posted any day now on iTunes. To hear this interview, as well as many others, go to:

http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/eye-on-faith/id377044575

Go to my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRonaldWay to see a couple of pictures of me from this past weekend where I also interviewed Brandon Scott for his brand new book, The Trouble with Resurrection, and the three authors of The Authentic Letters of Paul which I believe is the best translation of Paul’s letters I have ever read. They take the Pauline Letters and translate them into American English, and tell the reader the history behind each letter. This is a must read for all Christians who want to better understand the man and his world in the first few decades after Jesus died!

The interviews from this past weekend will be posted over the next three weeks. Watch for them. Now, I’m off to New York to meet with radio and TV media.

With great love,

Ron

Testimonial

I received a very kind letter from a nuclear physicist friend of mine who occupies an office in our office building. Here is a short excerpt:

“As you predicted I did finish your book this weekend.  This morning when I woke I picked it up from the other side of the bed where I put it last night as I fell asleep. I cried as hard as you did at the finish. It is a very powerful book, and for me it certainly was. Thank you for sharing it with me, and all… I now know why God lead me to your building…”

Michele

Authors: How to Get Booked on a Radio Show

Some time ago I interviewed a show producer who worked at KGO, San Francisco, one of the flag stations for ABC. In this interview I quizzed her on how authors get booked on their radio station. If you are an author, it is a must listen.

Please note that the names of the personnel at KGO have changed, but the information is still very timely and valuable if you ever plan on getting on a prime station or show. Enjoy.
http://www.writersportal.org/files/video/rway/mp3/KGO-Interview.mp3

Book Review

I got an incredible quote about my book this morning…

“Ron Way’s narrative of his personal calling by Jesus to remember the lifetime in which they lived and knew each other is amazing. Although I am Jewish, I honor all faiths that seek the light, and recommend this book to those who want to immerse themselves in the intimate narratives of the life of a truly great Teacher.”

Rabbi Shohama Wiener, DMin.
Director of Spiritual Development, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Ordination Programs

New Series of Eye on Faith Radio Interviews

This week is the start a whole new series of interviews on the Eye on Faith radio blog. Go to:   http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/eye-on-faith/id377044575 and look for Episode 29.

Last Thursday I had the privilege of interviewing one of my favorite people, Phyllis Tickle, an author that has over 4,400 friends that follow her on her Facebook page. Phyllis is an amazing woman. She lectures all over the world, was granted an honorary doctorate from Yale, was the first Religion Editor of Publishers Weekly (the bible of the publishing industry), and has written more than two dozen books on Christianity, Jesus, and spirituality. Phyllis and I met perhaps 17 or 18 years ago at one religious gathering or another, and we have stayed in touch because of our love of God, and our search for the authentic Jesus, known to his followers as the long awaited Messiah.

This time Phyllis has done something that totally surprised me. She has taken the words of Jesus—just the “red letter” words that he spoke—and yanked them unceremoniously out of their story matrix that we are familiar with and restacked them in a way that Jesus’ voice takes on a whole new power and urgency.

I have read the words of Jesus in the Gospels many times. This is the first time that I read them in the way she arranged them, by theme, and without the stories that bind them into the traditional gospel narrative. You will find that I take exception with her choices of what to include as the authentic words of Jesus, but then again, that is what gets all of us thinking for ourselves.