John Franke, in his new and exciting book Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth (Living Theology) discusses a major Christian claim: God speaks (chp. 7) and Scripture is God’s Word (chp 8). Thus, God is Truth and God communicates Truth to humans and God communicates Truth in order to draw humans into relationship with this God who is Truth. Jesus is one person with two natures; the precise relationship is not spelled out at Chalcedon but they two are affirmed... Read more
From CNN.com… In the age of hookups, friends with benefits and online dating, and as human life expectancy grows, is it still reasonable to expect people to pair up and stay monogamous until death do them part? “It’s realistic that some people can mate for life in the same sense that some people can play the Beethoven violin concerto or other people can ice-skate beautifully or learn a new language,” said psychiatrist Judith Eve Lipton. Added evolutionary biologist David Barash,... Read more
Once again, the mission of the church, the mission of Paul and the mission of Christians today is the mission of God — the Book of Acts records for us the works/acts of God in this world through the earliest followers of Jesus. One of whom was Saul, who is now on record as Paul (from Acts 13:9 on). Today I want to post his sermon in Pisidian Antioch, the city to which he traveled after his ministry on the... Read more
Today I’m departing some from offering basic economic concepts and interjecting a sociological element into our discussion. There is considerable energy to today around the idea that Christians need to resist impersonal capitalism and Western individualism. The most common characterization of relationships in the church in the New Testament is family so the conclusion is made that we need to function more like family. As long as we understand the New Testament family in context I’m inclined to agree. Is... Read more
In our series on young Christian authors, it’s a bit unfair to include Margaret Feinberg — not because she’s not young, which she is, but because she’s written already a bundle of good books. Her newest book is a treat. It’s called Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey . Here’s what Margaret likes to do: Read the Bible, explore the Bible and its world, and discuss its value for living today. Here’s how... Read more
From Christianity Today: Some Christians today are fasting during Ramadan as an act of solidarity with Muslims. What do you think about this? “Christians may fast alongside Muslim friends, either as a gesture of friendship or in order to open dialogue, but not as part of Ramadan itself. Christian fasting is fundamentally different from Muslim fasting. Christians must make clear that their view of God, God’s approach to us, and therefore fasting as part of our relationship to God, are... Read more
The Spirit spoke through the leaders at the church in Antioch and directed them to set apart Saul and Barnabas for the work to which God had called them. Acts 13:4-12 clarifies what that work is: 13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 13:5 When they arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. (Now they also had John as their... Read more
This is a big question for many of us these days. What are the barriers to the acceptance of evolution amongst evangelicals? Can we (or should we) dismantle the “Great Wall” and overcome these barriers? Biologos has planned a working group symposium (exclusive and invitation only or I would have it on my calendar as a must) to look at just this issue. The workshop will bring together 15 leading scientists, 15 leading pastors and 15 leading theologians to explore... Read more
John Franke, in his new and exciting book Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth (Living Theology) addresses the topic of truth. No one speaks entirely for the emerging conversation, but many speak against the emerging conversation as if it can be narrowed to one point of view. This is why it is important for critics to read what John Franke says about truth, ultimate Truth: “Simply for me… Truth … is a person, Jesus Christ” (43). Thus, “Knowing truth and participating... Read more
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Pastor’s Bookshelf: Revelation of John
You can get folks to roll their eyes just mentioning the Book of Revelation, and mostly they do this because of the utter silliness of so much that is said and believed about the book these days — and, yes, that is a comment about the left behind series and similar observations. The Book of Revelation has been subjected to the highest level of serious scholarship, and I mention five really good commentaries, but before I mention that, here’s a... Read more