The Ultimate Heresy

Is the Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy Biblical?

While theologians throughout church history have condemned numerous doctrines as heresy, Cragun boldly declares that the doctrine of biblical inerrancy is the worst heresy that the church has ever faced, resulting in the undermining of central teachings of Jesus. Treating the Bible as the inerrant word of God often eclipses the very real dimensions of hermeneutics, that is, the who, how, and why of biblical interpretation and translation. After twenty-five years of detailed research in libraries based in six major universities and seminaries, Cragun has distilled his work in this book to challenge Christians who hold up inerrancy as a key tenant of the faith.

""I found The Ultimate Heresy extremely interesting and an easy read. Cragun shows how interpretations of the Bible are very often self-serving. This book certainly could be a textbook or one that a layman can read, enjoy, and understand.""

Harold Erickson, past president, Lake Superior College

""We live in a time when verbally dressing wolves in sheeps clothing has become a highly developed art. Rodger is more like a sheep in wolf's clothing, a gentle soul who may sound scary to guardians of a philosophical doctrine of inerrancy, but one who cares deeply about all God's 'sheep.'""

John Stoner, Professor Emeritus, Messiah College

""The Ultimate Heresy is a concise, scholarly, and well-documented thesis. The keen, totally organized mind of the author enters the issue as a talented surgeon may enter the physical body, dissecting carefully, seeking the roots of the disease, and removing it for all to see.""

Milan Slahor, Pastor, Lutheran Church of America

Rodger Cragun is a graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary; he served as pastor in both the United Presbyterian Church and the Church of the Brethren. With co-author Thomas Kessler, he wrote the book Christianity: Endangered or Extinct? A People's History of Christianity, which critiques the influence of Platonism on Christianity. He now lives in Duluth, Minnesota.