Many of you know my PhD supervisor (Doktorvater) was James D.G. Dunn, and I entered under his teaching in the midst of Jimmy’s famous Christology in the Making, in the introduction to which he mentioned his long term project — Christianity in the Making. Well, it’s done! And a huge congratulations from me and the Jesus Creed blog community to Jimmy for such a colossal accomplishment. Jesus Remembered and then Beginning from Jerusalem and now the big and thesis probing Neither Jew nor Greek:... Read more

From Yahoo, listing the victims of the San Bernadino shooting: Victims: Shannon Johnson, 45, Los Angeles Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46, Rialto Bet-Badal fled to America when she was 18 to escape Islamic extremism and the persecution of Christians that followed the Iranian Revolution, according to a GoFundMe page created by her relatives to raise money for her children. (https://www.gofundme.com/y2d8bn7w) Bet-Badal married Arlen Verdehyou, a police officer, and they moved to Rialto, California and had three children, now ages 10, 12, and... Read more

By Jonathan Algner: (at the link read his explanations) With the arrival of Advent this upcoming week, I’ve been thinking a bit about the benefits of following the Christian year. I’ll admit that this is a practice I once disregarded with sneers of haughty derision. But over the past decade, I’ve grown to see the liturgical year as one of the more important of our Christian traditions. Here are a few reasons why. It reminds us that we are a people... Read more

NT Wright is committed to “critical realism” and Samuel Adams — and his book The Reality of God and Historical Method is endorsed by Douglas Campbell, Douglas Harink, Bev Gaventa and Alan J. Torrance — thinks critical realism is insufficient to the task of theology. History, it is being argued, can only go so far. This is Adams’ central question: What is the epistemological significance of the object of knowledge if the object of knowledge is God? (66) Adams’ concession/confession... Read more

Malcolm Johnston: You’re a United Church minister who doesn’t believe in God. That’s a pretty clear-cut oxymoron, is it not? No. I’m a product of the United Church. I grew up in it, earned my master’s of divinity and was ordained in 1993. But I don’t believe in a supernatural interventionist being called God. What about Jesus—did he exist? Probably. And he was probably crucified. But was he the divine Son of God? No. Was he supernatural? No. These are... Read more

From Cleveland Clinic: When it comes to building healthy habits, small decisions add up over time. We talked to exercise physiologist Christopher Travers, MS, and dietitian Laura Jeffers, MEd, RD, LD for diet, nutrition and fitness ideas that you can incorporate into your life. Below, find their ideas for ways to be healthier every day: 1. Don’t just take the stairs — use them If you have stairs at your home or office, take them every chance you get. But don’t stop there.... Read more

By Jonathan Storment The Seven:  Wrath. Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are... Read more

So says Carry Nieuwhof: Of all the mysteries that shouldn’t be mysteries, why most churches remain small is perhaps the greatest. I’m sure there are a few leaders who want to keep their churches small, or who don’t care about growth. But most small church leaders and pastors I meet actually want to reach more people. They want to see their mission fully realized. They hope and pray for the day when they can reach as many people as possible in their community.... Read more