As “Exhibit A” that something is wrong with our understanding of the gospel, Scot McKnight in his new book The King Jesus Gospel relates this story: I received this email form a reader with this question: “I know you’re probably busy. If you have the time, I have a question about the gospel. I noticed that the gospel writers often include in their gospel the announcement that Jesus is the Messiah. My question is, ‘What is good news about the... Read more

My very good friend and colleague Scot McKnight, recently hailed my no less than Tom Wright as “one of the most powerful and able New Testament scholars on the American scene–and, in a measure, on the world scene”, is about to drop an atomic bomb in the middle of the already besieged city of American evangelicalism. While others have offered reassessments of the evangelism strategies and Evangelical theology, no one yet has written an argument definitive and forceful enough to... Read more

James Hunter in his book To Change the World addresses the “real problem” with the prevailing view of culture behind the tactics of Christian efforts of every stripe to change the world. In his analysis the problem is a combination of German idealism, individualism and Christian pietism. The idealistic nature of the view is to believe that the fight in the cultural war is singularly a fight of ideas. Coupled with this idealism are the rugged individualism of American identity... Read more

James Hunter contents the approach taken to cultural change by Christians of every stripe is ultimately ineffective because it is based on a faulty view of culture. In his book To Change the World, he argues that the common view of culture is that culture is created as humans live out their ideas and values. Culture is “found in the hearts and minds of individuals” (6). “Culture is made up of the accumulation of values held by a majority of... Read more

Tom Wright Early Christian Letters for Everyone: James, Peter, John and Judah London: SPCK, 2011. Available at Amazon.com The next installment in Tom Wright’s “For Everyone” Series are the Catholic epistles of James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Judah (a.k.a. Jude). They are written in Wright’s normal sermonic prose, easy to read, full of gems of reflection, and not at all dense or technical. Here are some highlights: On James 2.14-26:  “So it becomes clear that what James means by... Read more

I came across this interesting passage in Suetonius’ Twelve Caesars last night: Married women guilty of adultery, though not prosecuted publicly, he [Tiberius] authorised the nearest relations to punish by agreement among themselves, according to ancient custom. He discharged a Roman knight from the obligation of an oath he had taken, never to turn away his wife; and allowed him to divorce her, upon her being caught in criminal intercourse with her son-in-law (Suetonius, Tiberius 35). This passage is relevant... Read more

In the Anglican scene, here’s a heads up. N.T. Wright thinks that the report of the imminent demise of the Church of England has been greatly exaggerated. He writes: Despite two centuries of being told the opposite, in fact, the Church can’t help itself. Secular modernism still likes to pretend that the world runs itself, and that ‘religion’ has to do with private spirituality and ­otherworldly hope. The Church – not least those who want to create a ‘pure’ type... Read more

Andy Naselli has some material on the Trinity and Gender debate worth checking out. I’ve argued in some Trinity Journal articles (with Rob Shillacker) that theologians should not be invoking the Trinity in the gender debate. I agree with the idea of male headship in the home and I believe in the Son’s obedient self-distinct from the Father. However, I just don’t think that “hierarchy” in the Trinity can be translated into hierarchy in male-female relationships. From a different perspective... Read more

My third year student, Theunis Pretorius (nicknamed “Gladiator”) has a great little web-thought on “A Plea for Christians to Use Their Brains”. He writes: Thinking over Scripture and studying theology will not turn you into a Pharisee, who has knowledge of God’s word but no love for Him (unless your motives are incorrect). In fact if our desire for knowledge is firmly grounded upon a love for God the result will be just the opposite. When a Christian, with correct... Read more

Here’s a a cool new book: STEPHENS, MARK B. Annihilation or Renewal?. The Meaning and Function of New Creation in the Book of Revelation WUNT II 307. Tuebingen: Mohr/Siebeck, 2011. 343 pages Mark B. Stephens investigates the cosmic eschatology of Revelation, with a particular focus on the question of continuity and discontinuity between the present and future world. Key background texts are examined for their influence, including selected traditions from the Hebrew Bible, Second Temple apocalyptic texts, and the literature of early Christianity.... Read more