Brian Zahnd: I have a problem with the Bible. Here’s my problem… I’m an ancient Egyptian. I’m a comfortable Babylonian. I’m a Roman in his villa. That’s my problem. See, I’m trying to read the Bible for all it’s worth, but I’m not a Hebrew slave suffering in Egypt. I’m not a conquered Judean deported to Babylon. I’m not a first century Jew living under Roman occupation. I’m a citizen of a superpower. I was born among the conquerors. I... Read more
A tragic, but well-told story, by my friend Karen. Jed Zillmer was a kid. Jed Zillmer fought for his country. Jed Zillmer returned to a nation ill-equipped to deal with the injuries he suffered as a result of his service. And I’m not talking about his foot. Twenty-two veterans a day commit suicide in the land of the free and the brave. Imagine a gunman walking into an elementary school and killing dead an entire First Grade classroom every single... Read more
From LiveScience: Marriage is linked with numerous health benefits that simply cohabiting doesn’t seem to provide. Now, research suggests the reason why — the brain links “just” living together with a lack of commitment and can’t relax. The new study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the brains of cohabitating and married heterosexual couples, as well as same-sex couples, half of whom considered themselves married despite lacking legal recognition. The findings revealed that parts of the brain are less reactive to stress... Read more
Take Jesus Back for America Every national election cycle sparks the Christian quest to “take America back for God.” That seems backward to me, and somewhat redundant; redundant in that all nations already belong to God and are like dust on his scales (Isaiah 40); backward because the real quest is to take Jesus back for America. The spiritual ills of the country are not traceable to letting go of its grip on God. Having Native American blood (Cherokee), I am... Read more
What were the 1950s like? Maybe we should rework that question to What was the future’s hope as expressed in the 50s? George Marsden: The 50s were in continuity with the American Enlightenment in the hope or belief that “a coalition of cultural leaders, including some religious leaders, despite their differences, could somehow guide the society toward a progressive, enlightened, and humane cultural consensus” (xxiv), from The Twilight of the American Enlightenment. I want to draw out some ideas in this... Read more
In the third chapter of The Spirit in Creation and New Creation: Science and Theology in Western and Orthodox Realms Jeff Schloss, Professor of Biology at Westmont College in Santa Barbara CA, reflects on the role that Spirit played in creation (past) and plays in creation (present). Hovering Over Waters: Spirit and the Ordering of Creation. Any discussion of spirit or Spirit in creation needs to start with a definition of spirit. This is not quite as easy as it... Read more
Sara Barton serves as University Chaplain at Pepperdine University. She is the author of a wonderful book about a woman called into ministry where the environment is not always welcoming, called A Woman Called: Piecing Together the Ministry Puzzle. Lots of bloggers are responding to Donald Miller’s post about church attendance, and I’ve been invited to contribute to that conversation on Jesus Creed. So, in one way this is a response to Donald Miller, but in reality, Miller is simply and... Read more
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The Onion’s piece of how a person thinks about the soterian-gospel-in-brief strikes the person hearing this kind of evangelism: Hello, sorry to bother you, but I was hoping I could borrow just a minute of your time. You see, lately I’ve been thinking about whether there’s something more to life, something I’ve been missing. There are even times when I feel like I’ve lost my way and may never find it again. So while I really don’t want to intrude,... Read more
David DeSilva, in a classy little book on the Book of Revelation (Unholy Allegiances: Heeding Revelation’s Warning), explores the major themes at work in this book, themes almost always ignored by the most popular literature about Revelation. DeSilva explores Roman imperialism, John’s powerful critique of the public story, the seven oracles to the seven churches of Asia, and the centrals ideas about Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation. No you won’t find timelines, nor questions about “Is this about... Read more
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