So They Say

A good quotation states an insight so shrewdly that not only do you get it but you cant seem to forget it. It loves to make you slow down and savor truth. These neat little extended metaphors deserve to be heard examined and challenged. Quotations present truth in capsule form. Many reflect the wisdom of earlier times; others bring insights that are fresh and contemporary. Some support the status quo; others challenge it. So They Say is a collection of more than seventy quotes along with author Robert Mounces reflections on how they relate to the real world. This interaction turns out to be a battle of worldviews for as Mounce explains he could never embrace philosophical materialism because his experience of reality demands something outside of stuff--he wants to know where the DNA of the very first living cell came from and he dissects each quotation accordingly. By approaching each quotation from this supernaturalist point of view Mounces So They Say invites you to read reflect and enjoy the journey. It takes a lifetime to accrue the kind of wisdom my ninety-three-year-old friend Bob Mounce has gleaned . . . and its what makes this respected Christian leader a true sage of our time! When Bob speaks I listen. I encourage you to do the same as you peruse this special book you hold in your hands. For when it comes to passing along favorite sayings not every familiar quote is worth repeating. Thank you Bob for bringing common sense and biblical clarity to what others say in the kingdom of Christ! --Joni Eareckson Tada Joni and Friends International Disability Center Agoura Hills CA Ive not only appreciated Bob Mounces profound knowledge of the Scriptures but also his practical ways of communicating Gods truth. His latest So They Say is a unique means of providing incredible background and applicable illustrations defining seventy familiar and timeless quotes with real-world understanding. This volume promises to be an insightful resource and reference for any reader--layman and preacher alike! --Al Sanders founder Ambassador Advertising Agency Newport Beach CA Bob Mounce has provided a winsome and provocative collection of short essays (blogs really) that will trigger you to re-think and think about some of the famous quotes and taken for granted assumptions of society. He pokes many holes in accepted thinking and offers the readers new perspectives in ways that may open us to new ideas that will bless. --Jim Singleton Associate Professor of Pastoral Leadership and Evangelism Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary South Hamilton MA Those who walk with the wise become wise. Mounce believes in that gem of wisdom so much that he has collected hundreds of quotes over the years to learn from the wise. He includes those quotes in this clear clever insightful little book. But he does more. . . . He actually raises questions along the way even of the wise which turns him into a sage himself. I suspect he smiled as he wrote this book smiled because he loves the quotes he has included in the book but smiled also because he believes that the accumulation of wisdom requires deep reflection and careful examination. --Gerald L. Sittser Professor of Theology Whitworth University Spokane WA Robert Mounce is President Emeritus of Whitworth University and is the author of a number of New Testament commentaries.