From the Shepherd’s Nook, by John Frye

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 9:31 am By Scot McKnight

Soterian “Destination Gospel” The soterian gospel boils down the biblical Story of the King Jesus Gospel to mere destination: going to heaven when you die. All the potent minerals and healthy vitamins of God’s grace-driven renovation of the entire cosmos are cooked out. As a pastor, I think this has had disastrous results for the evangelical church, especially in the U.S.A. In the previous two posts we considered the soterian gospel’s relationship to the church—it has none—and the inner, manipulative... Read more

If Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 8:23 pm By Scot McKnight

Joe Modica and I co-edited a book recently published called Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not: Evaluating Empire in New Testament Studies, and now that we’ve received our copies of the book, I want to say a few things about it. The book evaluates a now quite popular method or approach called “empire criticism.” It is an example of what Tony Thiselton calls “socio-pragmatics,” the reading of the Bible in such a way that an agenda drives the reading and... Read more

Top Ten Books

Last updated on: April 25, 2013 at 11:23 am By Scot McKnight

Any surprises? Source Read more

Evolution – A MOOC … (Well Not Quite) (RJS)

Last updated on: April 25, 2013 at 5:40 am By RJS

On many occasions I’ve been asked about details of evolution – a very complicated subject and one not directly in my line of expertise, although I am able to read much of the literature. The chief complaint is the lack of a good, trustworthy, resource presenting a simple (but not too simple) outline of evolutionary theory for the layman (or the pastor). Dennis Venema, Associate Professor of Biology at Trinity Western University in British Columbia and Senior Fellow at BioLogos,... Read more

Incarnation is Not a Ministry Strategy

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 8:15 pm By Scot McKnight

One of the new buzzwords for ministry models is “incarnation” and various leaders now speak about “incarnational ministry.” But Andrew Root, in Relational Ministry, contends when “incarnation” becomes a strategy, a ministry model, something to be done or enacted, incarnation loses its meaning and ministry becomes a means to accomplishing our own interests. Root’s contention deserves our attention. What do you think of his reshaping of what “incarnational ministry” means? Maybe this set of lines illustrates the problem. This is... Read more

Work from Home? Obstacles (an infograph)

Last updated on: April 22, 2013 at 8:28 am By Scot McKnight

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You might have a soterian gospel if you…

Last updated on: April 23, 2013 at 7:13 pm By Scot McKnight

The soterian gospel is a rhetorical bundle of lines about the doctrine of salvation that came to the fore in the 20th Century. I had lunch recently with a missionary who told me he’s been struggling with the “soterian” gospel for years and is so glad I wrote The King Jesus Gospel because it put into words what he’s been thinking for more than three decades. He’s not the first to tell me this. Critique of that rhetorical bundle can be... Read more

Believe or Be-live?

Last updated on: April 24, 2013 at 6:25 am By Scot McKnight

Skepticism is part of belief and belief is part of skepticism, so says Daniel Taylor in his The Skeptical Believer. But what then is faith? He says it is to “assent to a claim” or “acceptance of a claim.” But belief entails more than acceptance or assent. Taylor’s point is well worth pondering. Faith is a “life-shaping acceptance of a claim.” That is, “Our creeds calls us to be-live something, not simply to believe something” (15). The turn of phrase and... Read more

Entering the Far Country of Pluralism

Last updated on: April 21, 2013 at 10:11 pm By Scot McKnight

The dominant religion of North America is religious pluralism, the posture that each religions deserves a place at the table, that each religion has something to offer, and that no religion is truth, right or superior. It is the religion of the irreligious and probably more or less the religion of the “spiritual but not religious.” Yes, and the Christian framework has eroded and for many — if not most — is forgotten or unknown. How does the Christian witness... Read more

One Fund Boston

Last updated on: April 23, 2013 at 7:08 pm By Scot McKnight

This is such wonderful news: The One Fund Boston, set up by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick to support Marathon bombing victims, has raised $20 million in just over one week. “Boston is strong and made stronger by the outpouring of support,” Menino said at the announcement after he had visited with injured and their families. “Ken Feinberg will make sure this generosity makes it to victims as swiftly and responsibly as possible.” Menino said $5 million... Read more