The Atonement is a Shibboleth

November 15, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

I’m honored that Joshua McNall accepted my request to write the foreword to my forthcoming book The Cross in Context: Reconsidering Biblical Metaphors for Atonement. You might have read his book The Mosaic of Atonement: An Integrated Approach to Christ’s Work (2019). In this post, I share his Foreword and the book’s Table of Contents. See my previous post for an introduction to the book, several endorsements, and an excerpt. Foreword (by Joshua McNall) “Say Shibboleth!” Unfortunately, that menacing line... Read more

The Cross in Context is Coming Soon!

November 8, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

For years, I wanted to write a book about the atonement. In just a few weeks, it’ll finally be published, and you can pre-order it today! Read more

Think Broadly on Contextualization and Biblical Theology

November 1, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

We previously considered several studies that highlight the benefits of “broad thinking” on creativity. Scholars note how a “broad perceptual scope” of attention fosters original thinking. Non-Western cultures often have broader “perceptual scopes” but other cultural factors inhibit certain types of creativity. How might such observations impact contextualization? What do these findings suggest about the value and use of biblical theology? I’ll briefly touch on two points worth discussing. Contextualization Requires Broad Thinking Without belaboring the point, I’ll reiterate an... Read more

Why did China Humiliate Hu Jintao?

October 29, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

My jaw dropped. I have never seen Chinese leaders act in such a way. However, last week, Xi Jinping gave a full demonstration (against Hu Jintao) of the tactics used during the cultural revolution. At the recent Chinese Communist Party’s twice-a-decade meeting, the congress convened to anoint President Xi to a third term, an unprecedented since the death of Mao Zedong. The move was made possible because Xi removed term limits several years back in preparation for this year’s gathering.... Read more

The Psychology of Broad and Eastern Thinking

October 25, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

Have you ever thought about the link between cognitive psychology, Eastern thinking, and biblical theology? Yeah, me too. For everyone else, let me share with you how psychological studies yield significant insights that can help us think through contextualization, whether for missions or theology. Broad versus Narrow Focus I’ll begin by summarizing a study that has since been replicated several times by others. Researchers gave participants one of two maps. In the first group, people received a state map (e.g.,... Read more

How do we bridge theology and missions?

October 18, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

To bridge the gap between theologians and missionaries, we need imagination. Here are ideas about what an integrated approach might look like. Read more

Why Don’t Theologians and Missionaries Talk?

October 11, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

Why do theologians and missionaries rarely engage each other's work? Wouldn't collaboration help everyone? Here are at least three reasons why the chasm exists. Read more

Treating People Like Objects (an excerpt from SGF)

October 4, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

Today’s post offers an excerpt adapted from our new book, Seeking God’s Face: Practical Reflection on Honor and Shame in Scripture, which is now available! I introduced it first here and then here. I previously posted an adapted excerpt. Then Leah said, “God has endowed me with a good dowry; now my husband will honor me, because I have borne him six sons”; so she named him Zebulun. (Genesis 30:20) Imagine being sold to a man by your father. For... Read more

Seeking God’s Face releases today!

September 27, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

It’s official! Seeking God’s Face: Practical Reflection on Honor and Shame in Scripture is released today! I previously introduced the book and noted some of the endorsements. Last time, I posted an excerpt from it. Today, I will elaborate further concerning why we wrote the book and how it can prove useful to readers. First of all, it’s neither a typical academic nor a popular-level work. It’s a true hybrid. Reasons for Seeking God’s Face The book has 101 practical... Read more

What’s your political denomination?

September 21, 2022 By Brad Vaughn

In light of the coming political election, I think it’s worth reposting this. NOTE: If we rewrote the CT article, we’d probably make one adjustment to the chart. Rather than “equality,” we’d probably use the word “identity.” Today, Christianity Today was kind enough to publish an article I co-wrote with my good friend Jim Mullins, lead pastor at Redemption Tempe. Alongside Michael Goheen, he co-authored The Symphony of Mission, which I previously reviewed on this site. In this article, Jim... Read more