A question was posed to me on twitter about propitiation in connection with last month's pre-Easter posts (and good Friday). I got permission from Michael Hardin to use a large amount of text from his book A Jesus Driven Life. You can also listen to my interview with Hardin for more. Here is … Read more about Propitiation or Expiation: Michael Hardin Explains
Unfolded Episode 12 — The Cold Inside
Unfolded is back! It's not a stretch to say that this year we've had along, hard winter, and I (Jesse) wrote a story about it. Give it a listen, I think it is one of our best episodes yet! Matt once again kills it on the 1's and 2's. We hope you enjoy. Please subscribe to Unfolded on … Read more about Unfolded Episode 12 — The Cold Inside
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)
Resurrection – whether physical, spiritual or poetic – Really Matters!
I awoke to a provocative text from my friend on the East coast yesterday morning. He had a 3 hour head start on me and I assume he was at an Easter sunrise service. My friend knows that I now minister in a context where not everyone believes in physical resurrection, preferring a more ‘spiritual’ … Read more about Resurrection – whether physical, spiritual or poetic – Really Matters!
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)
TNT: Easter, Cross, Songs & Demons
Tripp and Bo talk about Easter, the cross, bridging gaps and demons. First up is Bo's blog on Blood and Easter - then they talk Concerns about the Cross. They listen to an amazing song about differences and they tackle the topic of demons. If you want to look into the background of these … Read more about TNT: Easter, Cross, Songs & Demons
Michael Hardin on the Bible & Atonement
Michael Hardin is the author of several books Stricken by God?: Nonviolent Identification and the Victory of Christ Compassionate Eschatology: The Future as Friend The Jesus Driven Life: Reconnecting Humanity With Jesus among others [you can find here] He is the Executive Director of … Read more about Michael Hardin on the Bible & Atonement
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
TNT: Jesus & Bible Movies
In this throw-down Bo chats with Micky, Callid, Pete Rollins and Tripp about all of the Jesus and Bible themed movies and what they mean to our culture. Earlier, Bo had blogged some thoughts about this whole issue. Now the gang chimes in. The Theology Nerd Throwdown is excited to welcome … Read more about TNT: Jesus & Bible Movies