The Challenge of Adam 9 (RJS)

Last updated on: December 22, 2011 at 6:43 am By RJS

Today I wrap up this series on David N. Livingstone’s book, Adam’s Ancestors: Race, Religion, and the Politics of Human Origins. In Chapter 9, Dimensions: concluding reflections, Livingstone ties together several themes running through his book. For our purposes today I would like to consider one of these – concordism and the role of concordism in our understanding of the relationship between science and scripture. Concordism expects a concord, an agreement between claims of scripture and reality. On one level... Read more

On Changing Culture 8

Last updated on: April 29, 2010 at 12:04 am By Scot McKnight

This book is now getting to the nittty gritty of a genuine 4th Way proposal: James Davison Hunter, in his new book, (To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World ), makes a proposal that is a 4th Way: It’s about faithful presence. Each of the other three approaches believes that about itself, so let’s hear him out to catch his nuances. What do you think of Hunter’s “faithful presence within” proposal?... Read more

Chaplain at Gitmo

Last updated on: April 28, 2010 at 3:35 pm By Scot McKnight

Timothy Dalrymple interviewed a chaplain at Gitmo. The full interview can be read here, but here is one clip: What are the faith-related issues that Christian guards at Gitmo typically wrestle with? Sailors wrestle the most with how they can be good spouses and parents when they are so far away from their families at home. Yet there are other struggles. Some struggle with the question of whether Christians and Muslims actually worship the same God. Still others are figuring... Read more

Our Common Prayerbook 9-10: 1

Last updated on: April 28, 2010 at 12:10 pm By Scot McKnight

Psalms 9 and 10 are probably originally a single psalm (both Goldingay and Alter agree): Our companion is John Goldingay’s commentary (Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms 1-41 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms) and Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary . The reason we say this is because the first letters of these two psalms form, more or less, a (“jerky” — Goldingay) procession through the Hebrew alphabet and there is no heading to Psalm... Read more

On Changing Culture 7

Last updated on: April 28, 2010 at 12:05 am By Scot McKnight

This book is now getting to the nittty gritty of a genuine 4th Way proposal: James Davison Hunter, in his new book, (To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World ), sketches what power is all about. I agree with him that power — and who is in control, what is in control — is at the heart of the issue. But what is power? How should Christians use power? This is... Read more

Jesus, the Land and Christian Thinking Today

Last updated on: April 28, 2010 at 12:00 am By Scot McKnight

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Most evangelical Christians, because they’ve been taught to think this way, simply believe that Israel’s presence in the Land today is not only a God-given promise, but there is a future eschatology tied to that presence in the Land. In fact, many today think the Temple will be rebuilt and Israel will rule in the Land. In other words, many think Israel’s recognition as a nation and having their “location” in the Land of Israel today is by divine-appointment in... Read more

Book Reviews, Movie Reviews

Last updated on: April 27, 2010 at 6:50 pm By Scot McKnight

We continue to offer the opportunity to publish both book reviews (1500-3000 words, focusing on a good summary and solid evaluation; no rants) and movie reviews. We run book reviews on Saturday afternoon and movie reviews on Friday nights. Contact us in the comment box below if you would like to write such reviews. Read more

Cross Examinations

Last updated on: April 27, 2010 at 3:25 pm By Scot McKnight

Timothy Dalrymple has built a considerable website/blog that may well rival some of the finest websites in Christian thinking today. One of his features is called Cross Examinations and here is the question for the week: “The nature and import of social justice ministry has been attacked and debated frequently in recent weeks. To approach the issue constructively: what exactly IS the proper relationship between evangelistic and social justice ministries?” The respondents include Mark Roberts and Brian McLaren and Kelly... Read more

Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 8-3

Last updated on: April 27, 2010 at 11:56 am By Scot McKnight

Creation is immense and God made it all, and the psalmist leads anyone listening to the majestic distance of God — and yet, yet, yet, even though immense and majestic, God both notices and pays attention to humans. The immensity contrasts with seeming insignificance — until one pays attention to the task of humans. The psalmist says these things about the task of humans: 1. They are just shy of God (8:5). Yes, that is exactly what the psalmist says.... Read more

Father Forgive Us … (the challenge of Adam 8) (RJS)

Last updated on: December 26, 2011 at 1:57 pm By RJS

I am currently reading a book by David N. Livingstone, Adam’s Ancestors: Race, Religion, and the Politics of Human Origins. David Livingstone is Professor of Geography and Intellectual History at Queen’s University, Belfast and this book reflects both of his interests. The history of the discussion of Adam and pre-adamic man has several major streams – from skeptical undermining of the Christian narrative to Christian apologetic; monogenism, polygenism, and racial superiority. These threads are present in the environment giving rise... Read more