Interesting quote from Thomas Cranmer, particularly relevant given debates in the Sydney Anglican Synod last year: If a man is cruel to his wife and displays excessive harshness of word and of deed toward her … and if he refuses to abandon his cruelty… Then he must be considered his wife’s mortal enemy and a threat to her life … In her peril, recourse must be made to the remedy of divorce, no less than if her life had been openly... Read more

Justin S. Holcomb and David A. Johnson (eds.) Christian Theologies of the Sacraments: A Comparative Introduction New York: NYU Press, 2017. Available on Amazon.com & NYU Press This is a great introduction to the sacramental theology in historical perspective. The essays on Zwingli, Cranmer, Menno Simons, and the Wesley’s were excellent. Sadly, the only thing missing – and its a biggy for me – are discussions of Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus of Lyons. Here’s the TOC: Introduction: Mapping Theologies of... Read more

I did a fun interview with Ps Paul Cain on whether the New Perspective on Paul is “heretical” Here’s part of the interview: Q: Many Christian leaders are publicly and loudly denouncing the New Perspective as heretical. Do you think the New Perspective is a threat to orthodox Christianity, or is this an overreaction? Michael: Over-reacting like Reagan in Grenada! In all things, do what Paul says in 1 Thess 5.21, “Test everything, hold to that which is good.” While not everything is... Read more

Larry W. Hurtado Why On Earth Did Anyone Become a Christian In the First Three Centuries? The Pere Marquette Lecture in Theology 2016 Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University Press, 2016. Available at Amazon.com This short book by Larry Hurtado, who is sadly gravely ill as I write this, is based on his 2016 lecture giving at the University of Marquette. It is a short book, only 133 pp., but is densely packed with insights about the spread of the early church,... Read more

Coming soon from Eerdmans. Preaching Romans Four Perspectives Joseph B Modica  Scot Mcknight  DESCRIPTION First-rate scholars and preachers on four interpretive approaches to Paul and Romans Pauline scholarship is a minefield of differing schools of thought. Those who teach or preach on Paul can quickly get lost in the weeds of the various perspectives. How, then, can pastors today best preach Paul’s message? Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica have assembled this stellar one-stop guide exploring four major interpretive perspectives... Read more

F. Scott Spencer Luke (THNTC); ed. J. B. Green. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019. Available at Eerdmans and Koorong. This is easily one of best written and “edgy” Luke commentaries I’ve read for a while – and I read a lot. I have several favourites in Luke commentaries: Green (NICNT), Bock (BECNT), Tannehill (Fortress) and this is definitely up there with them. F. Scott Spencer has spent a career in Luke-Acts and it shows in this Luke commentary, one of... Read more