A God of Beauty, by Chad Thornhill One of the great challenges of the task of theology is seeing a unity to the diversity we find in the biblical texts. Many have attempted this through developing a “unifying theme” to the Bible, such as sovereignty, salvation, etc. The problem with this approach is there is much in the Bible that often does not fit within the paradigm, and so we have square pegs and round holes. One more recent approach... Read more

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen. BCP Read more

Hilarious. Each book of the Bible in one sentence. Genesis – God makes everything and it’s really good for about 3.2 seconds. Exodus – YAHWEH VS. RA FIGHT NIGHT ONLY ON PAY-PER-VIEW SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Leviticus – STOP DOING GROSS STUFF. Numbers – Israel makes a wrong turn near Mt. Sinai, refuses to ask for directions. Deuteronomy – I SAID STOP DOING GROSS STUFF GOSH WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. Joshua – The hotly anticipated product launch of Moses 2.0. Judges – A riveting documentary on... Read more

Our prayers for the families of Parkland, for the friends, for the country and state and nation. Their names, and a brief description. Hands Free Mama on school tragedies in a family context. Wesley J. Smith: Each year, Gerber, the baby food manufacturer, holds a “cute baby” photo contest, the winner of which receives a $50,000 cash prize and may appear as a “spokesbaby” to advertise the company’s products. Media coverage of the contest is usually limited to sweet human-interest pieces. Not... Read more

https://soundcloud.com/user-212639123/pharisees-then-and-now-kr-82 The best thing to read on Pharisees is found in E.P. Sanders, Judaism: Practice and Belief. Read more

By Mike Glenn Forgiving Too Fast When I was in high school, I had my wisdom teeth taken out. I was entering into that rite of passage every teenager fears; I was getting braces. According to the orthodontist, I had too many teeth for my mouth, and the easiest way to solve the problem was to remove my wisdom teeth before they grew in. This meant I would have to go to an oral surgeon instead of a regular dentist.... Read more

My contention is that the right to bear the kind of arms now legal to own and use in the American set of laws is not a moral good. Kris and I have decided not to support any candidate for office who is against serious gun reduction and sensible restrictions. Ask Australia about what is a moral good. From USAToday: Twenty-two years ago, just weeks after the deadliest and last fatal mass shooting in Australia’s history, the country’s then-Prime Minister John... Read more

It’s Lent so it’s a good time to repent, to turn from our sins and to receive the grace of God’s transformative forgiveness. It’s also a good time to turn to 1 Clement’s call to repentance. Eleven observations about repentance based on 1 Clement. Our series on the Friday With Our Fathers (FWOF), using Michael Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers. 1 Clement 7:1–8:5 is a call to repentance, and is instructive on what repentance is and what it accomplishes in the... Read more

The interpretation of scripture – and especially the interpretation of the creation narratives contained in scripture – comprises one of the most significant points of conflict in the discussion of the relationship of science and the Christian faith within the church. There is a gut reaction on the part of many Christians that faith is the underdog, forced always to accommodate itself to the high priest of science. The clear, traditional reading gives way to secular reason and naturalism. This... Read more

Each of us has an image, perhaps more than one, of Jesus. Most of our images of Jesus are shaped by the history of Christian art. It is perhaps not obvious to everyone that Christian art is not always a good source for history! (Image from Taylor, reconstructed image of what Jesus looked like if he was average. Figure 76 in her book.) It matters. Why? Because images matter. Images shape meaning, worship, discipleship. Getting rid of false images —... Read more