The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) was one of the most important things events of the past 50 years. I grew up in a heavily Catholic area (outside Chicago) and pastored in a formerly-Catholic context in NY (near Albany). The changes that came with Vatican II were monumental. Most of the … Read more about V is for Vatican II (and Voluntarism)
G is for Genre or Billy Graham got one thing wrong
Genre is by far the most important thing about the Bible that many Bible believing people don’t know. Empire is a close second but nothing matters more than genre when it comes to reading the Bible. Genre: A term that refers to different types or varieties of literature or media. In the … Read more about G is for Genre or Billy Graham got one thing wrong
F is for Fideism or Why What We Believe Really Matters
Fideism is one of the most alluring, and thus, potentially dangerous developments on the theological landscape in our lifetime. Fideism: The view that matters of religious and theological truth must be accepted by faith apart from the exercise of reason. In its extreme, fideism suggests that the … Read more about F is for Fideism or Why What We Believe Really Matters
C is for Christology
Christology, like our previous topics of Atonement and Baptism, is one prone to both diversity and contention. This is a significant distinction because it is nearly impossible to say anything about any aspect of christology without drawing the ire of some group, camp or school of … Read more about C is for Christology
Modern Christianity’s Temptation (2/3)
In light of the massive shifts in culture, understanding and expectation that the last 300 years has seen, there seem to be three great temptations for the devout. Last week we talked about the problems that Modernity brought to Christianity’s doorstep in the West. Science had moved into the … Read more about Modern Christianity’s Temptation (2/3)
What About Isaiah 53?
We talked about the dangers of a penal substitution theory of atonement yesterday. I want to thank everyone who shared, retweeted, emailed and commented. The sincerity and the level of interest were very encouraging to me - as was the level of pushback. It reminds me of exactly how much all of this … Read more about What About Isaiah 53?
One Thing That Did Not Happen On Good Friday: PSA
Exploring historic atonement theories during Lent has been eye-opening. At one of the gatherings of my church, atonement theories have fueled our conversations the past 6 weeks (you can listen here). I have to come to appreciate both the complexity and the beauty that has gone into these attempts … Read more about One Thing That Did Not Happen On Good Friday: PSA
Modern Christianity’s Problem (1/3)
For Lent this year I did an interesting experiment. I did not give up anything but instead added an exercise as a discipline. My goal was to engage both the earliest days of the church’s past and stretch myself to imagine the church’s future. I did this by engaging two things: I downloaded a … Read more about Modern Christianity’s Problem (1/3)
Concerns About ‘The’ Cross
I want to thank all of you who shared, commented and emailed about this past weekend’s post on Blood: Easter, the Cross and that quote about Liberals. I have received lots of feedback via email, FaceBook and text. It seems that most people get the main thrust of the article but have one … Read more about Concerns About ‘The’ Cross
Blood: Easter and That Damn Liberal Quote
It is almost Easter - my most conflicted time of year as a pastor. I am smitten with the empty grave. In fact, I am almost as excited about the Easter imagery as I am horrified by N. American protestant’s fascination with the cross. I have written and talked about this disturbing trend in the … Read more about Blood: Easter and That Damn Liberal Quote
The Authority Question – Pentecostals & Methodists
Last week, at the Phyllis Tickle event, the ‘authority question’ came up, as it will/should whenever someone starts talking about ‘the Spirit’. I was sitting out in the audience for the Fuller Seminary part of the evening. A little debate/concern arose about the issue of authority - especially … Read more about The Authority Question – Pentecostals & Methodists
Drop ‘The’
It has happened again. The word ‘the’ has become a stumbling block. The first incident occurred on TNT when I spoke up about my friendship with ‘Al’ - as in incarnational, etc. - and Tripp professed his love for the word ‘the’. ?Tripp wants to talk about the incarnation and the resurrection. ?I … Read more about Drop ‘The’