The Pangea Blog - Page 109 of 109 - Kurt Willems' Blog at Patheos

My Evolution Towards Theistic Evolution

May 18, 2008 By Kurt Willems

The following is my story of how evolution and faith have interacted in my journey. This was originally posted on another blog: http://evanevodialogue.blogspot.com/2008/05/factors-involved-in-shift-to.html I would love to hear your thoughts…. I have grown up in an evangelical environment. I went to youth groups and attended a Christian high school. Although I did not grow up in a traditional or hyper-fundamentalist setting, seeds of fundamentalism have been popularized amongst most in evangelicalism. I grew up learning that it was ‘Christian’ to… Read more

Quote to Ponder: C.S. Lewis on Creation of Humanity and Fall

May 15, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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The following is a quote from CS Lewis about the creation of humanity. Most will be surprised by how he views the beginning of Genesis (most likely as Hebrew poetry rather than an exact detailed explanation). How does this raise questions about the current science wars for you? For long centuries, God perfected the animal form which was to become the vehicle of humanity and the image of Himself. he gave it hands whose thumb could be applied to each… Read more

Personal Confessions: One Tree Hill

May 14, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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I think that I have fallen into the trap of being intrigued by the CW show “One Tree Hill.” I don’t know if it is getting married that has feminized me or if I was always soft and she drew it out of me. Either way, I look forward to watching the show every Monday night! I skipped some important work, just to watch. The storyline keeps on drawing me in!!!! Now, here is the difficult part…. I never even… Read more

Some Brief Interpretive Comments on the Armor of God (Ephesians 6)

May 13, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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Below is another excerpt from a paper I wrote based on Ephesians 6, specifically in regards to the powers. This is an exegetical outline of the armor of God. At times, it may seem to flow out of sync, but please keep in mind this is an excerpt from a larger paper :-)… Truth The first piece of armor is described as a belt of truth. The admonition is that one is to gird the loins. Truth is a main… Read more

Alaska Drilling? Yea or Nay?

May 7, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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I was watching Good Morning America this morning and they are doing a special called “Seven Wonders of America.” The first of these was the National Mall, and today’s was the Alaskan Wilderness. ABC.com says the following about this place… “This is what is meant by undisturbed nature — some 19 million acres that make up the extraordinarily remote Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. More PhotosLying wholly above the Arctic Circle in northeast Alaska, it is the nation’s largest and most… Read more

Should we ALWAYS support Israel???

May 4, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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Today i was sorting through my ‘junk email’ account… you know, the one that you give to credit card applications so that you get the free tshirt at the basketball game. Well, i recieved an email from Jerry Falwell’s son. He has been given the torch for the religious right since his dad has passed away. I am interested to hear your thoughts about an excerpt from the email… Our Role: Blessing Israel Earlier today (Friday), I had the privilege… Read more

Promo for Evil and the Justice of God

May 3, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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I have not yet had the opportunity to read through this book fully, but have a grasp on the content. I plan to have this on my reading list for the summer. Check out this video… Read more

Discerning "Powers" Language in the NT

May 2, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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For the last few weeks, i have been wrestling with the idea of powers in the NT. I am gonna post an excerpt of a paper I wrote. I would love to hear your thoughts. What story did you grow up with about the powers and their interaction in the world? Demons? Systemic evil? Myth? Here is a section….. Discerning “Powers” Language In verses 10-13, Paul reintroduces who the enemy of the Christian faith is, namely, the “powers.” There has… Read more

Some Thoughts On Fundamentalism

April 30, 2008 By Kurt Willems

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I have been studying a bit on the origins of fundamentalist Christian faith in America (many of the following insights come from: UNGODLY WOMEN: Gender and the First Wave of American Fundamentalism; Betty DeBerg). This is a movement that emerged in the 1880’s as a call back to Victorian family code values. Women are to organize the private sphere (home, church [which led to some feminizing in the church as women were the primary congregants], etc.) while men are to… Read more