If you’re like me, you grew up hearing in Sunday School about the “poor in Spirit” in Matthew. These were the humble, the meek, the spiritually thirsty. And if you and I would just be humble and meek (and we can all do that, whether poor or rich, white or black, educated or uneducated), we would receive the blessings of God! “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven!” And then a few lines down:... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Eric Samuel Timm, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. Have you ever seen the divided come together to make something beautiful? Think Pie. American Apple Pie to be really specific. The ingredients in a pie, divided in the corners of a grocery story or your kitchen counter, come together to make something beautiful, and delicious. What about Motorcycles? Divided engine parts, nuts, bolts, shiny fenders... Read more
In the past several weeks I have been preparing for fall courses at United Seminary of the Twin Cities, one of which is a course called “Public Theology for Social Transformation.” I have been attempting this academic preparation while the world is ripping apart. Palestine/Israel, deadly persecution of Christians in Iraq and now the mind-boggling and heart-wrenching travesty of Ferguson, MO. I don’t pretend to have anything new to say about any of this, or to have some theological key... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Andy Cass, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. I have a friend who is colorblind, and for the last four years we’ve been working hand and hand with a youth ministry. The Wednesday night youth program has a part within its schedule to award a random student the privilege to sit on a plush couch for the entirety of the service. It’s a treasured award... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Chad Brown, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. Jesus’ favorite self designation is of course “Son of Man”, however in the Gospel of John Jesus expands his poetic self descriptions. He says; “I am the Bread of Life”, “I am the Good Shepherd”, and “I am the True Vine”. To me these all appear to be annoying and tiresome to the religious elite of his... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Danny Cheever, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. On April 2nd, Texas Senator Ted Cruz told a group of Liberty University students “Religious liberty has never been more under attack”. He spoke of the biblical call for Christians towards “action; not just sitting quietly and hiding our faith under a bushel”, in regards to the topic he was speaking on. The topic in discussion was... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Travis Segar, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. Evolution presents problems for us as Christians. It isn’t because of what some atheists believe: that if evolution is true that God ceases to exist. Evolution is a problem because it challenges how we have traditionally spoken about theological concepts over the course of history. Recently, geneticists have found evidence that leads them to believe that the... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Eric Fulton, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. Science and theology are seemingly at odds with each other on many complex questions. While admittedly a person of faith in God, I have recently seen how science and theology do not have to fight each other, but rather can work together to find the whole picture of truth. There are many complex questions in life and... Read more
Today’s guest post comes from Andrea Paulson, one of an excellent class of students from Bethel Seminary who recently studied the intersection between theology and science. If there is one thing I am not, it is a scientist. For as long as I can remember, the sciences were so far beyond my idea of relevant that I saw no reason to engage. It was the science portion of the ACT that skewed my scores down. (Way down…). As I looked at colleges and... Read more
Growing up evangelical, and being theologically trained in evangelical contexts, I heard a lot of scary warnings about the dangers of postmodernity: i.e., it is based in or leads to epistemological or moral relativism. Truth is not absolute! There is no normative standard for truth! Postmodernity will lead us down a path to nihilism and narcissism–unbridled immorality and dizzying incoherence! Over the years, however, I came to realize an interesting and ironic phenomena: the very prophets of doom who decried... Read more
Cultivare
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In