Frederick Buechner is among my favorite 20th century preachers and spiritual writers. The man has a way with words that few people (let alone clergy) possess. I cam across this quote from him earlier today and wanted to share it. “History” Unlike Buddhism or Hinduism, biblical faith takes history very seriously because God takes it very seriously. He took it seriously enough to begin it and to enter it and to promise that one day he will bring it to... Read more

If you have spent any amount of time in Christian circles, then you have heard mention of the importance of the “heart.” Of course this isn’t usually in reference to the actual organ in your chest (unless you go to church with a bunch of cardiovascular specialists). Instead it is usually used in reference to the innermost being of a person, or their soul. In all honesty evangelical language can often be quite vague on the meaning of the “heart.”... Read more

I’ve been hesitant to comment on the Nashville Statement. This is mostly because so many other people have commented on it  already. It seems a little redundant to add yet another voice to the chorus of voices talking about it. However, in this case I’ll throw caution to the wind and venture some thoughts. Now if you are unaware of what exactly the Nashville Statement is, in short it’s a recent declaration issued by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood... Read more

We are right to hate evil, because we worship the God who will, one day, finally destroy it and free human creatures from its hold. Read more

I have been working my way through Rowan Williams’ treatment of Augustine, On Augustine (Bloomsbury, 2016) as of late. Williams is one of my favorite theologians and, in my estimation, one of the most important theological minds of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Williams, an Anglican and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, is known for his academic work in theology as a whole. Indeed, one need only look up the list academic articles and books he has published to... Read more

The trend of lacking spare time and working many hours continues on through the dog days of summer. This of course means longer times between posts compared to the fall and spring. Never fear though, because I am still writing, albeit at a slower rate. In fact I just recently had a book review published in the Asbury Journal! It begins on p. 155 after you click the article link. I reviewed the revised and expanded edition of Richard Longenecker’s... Read more

My life is super hectic right now, what with transitioning into a new job and finishing final coursework. Unfortunately this means that my available time for reading and writing time is quite limited. Never fear though, for in times like these the fantastic videos from The Bible Project are available to fill in part of the summer writing (and time) slump! In this video Tim and Jon look at the history of the Divine Name in the Hebrew Bible, “YHWH,”... Read more

I’ve been a little behind on my blog posts over the last couple of weeks. This has been due to a lot of complications in starting a new job. Not to worry though, I am still blogging this summer even if it is a little less frequent than in the fall and spring. That being said, I have also been behind on keeping up with The Bible Project’s fantastic “How to Read the Bible” video series. Never fear though! The... Read more

I have several friends who are heavily involved in church planting. While I myself have never had a particularly strong call toward being a church planter (though who knows if God will change that in the future), I have a deep appreciation for those who are called to such a vocation. That being said, a recent article in Sojourners has caused me to reflect on the nature of church planting as it is often practiced in evangelical circles. Admittedly, I have mixed... Read more

I’ve recently been reading through James K. A. Smith’s book, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Baker Academic, 2009). I’ve interacted with some of Smith’s thought on the nature of cultural liturgies and how they form people before, but this is really my first deep dive into his writing on the subject. It is extremely prescient writing, especially for Christians living in late-modern/post-modern Western settings. In short, Smith’s thought the book centers around the reality that the ritual behaviors, and... Read more