In the American evangelical world you never really have to worry that debates about  atonement theories will stop and come to some form of consensus. For when a peace of some sort begins to settle over the world as to whether Christus Victor, substitution, Girardian scapegoat, or some sort of neo-Abelardian moral exemplar theory is the predominant view of Christ’s atonement (for my money, I believe a combo of Christus Victor and substitutionary atonement is the primary, but not exclusive,... Read more

My last few posts have centered around the Bible and the need for good biblical interpretative practices. In that vein, a quote I recently read offers some fantastic illumination on the topic of good biblical interpretation. While reading through Scott Hahn’s Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God’s Saving Promises (Yale University Press, 2009), I came across this quote from the Pontifical Biblical Commission on the task of the biblical exegete: The primary task of the exegete... Read more

Interpreting Scripture well requires training, time, and guidance. If we are going to read the Bible in such a way that we seek not only to interpret the authorial intent of its human writers well, but also the intent of the Spirit Who guided them, then we have to bring all of our rational and spiritual faculties to bear. As Ben F. Meyer puts it, this sort of critical realist approach to interpretation requires us to read well: “At the... Read more

I’ve been listening through the audiobook version of G. K. Chesterton’s biography/hagiography/general musings on Thomas Aquinas, St. Thomas Aquinas (Sheed and Ward, 1923; repr., Dover, 2009). Chesterton really is one of the greatest writers and essayists of the twentieth century. Very few can take something as technical as the life and philosophy of Aquinas and condense it into something that is not only understandable, but actually fun to read (or in this case, listen to). Chesterton is one of those... Read more

One of the things that I often get asked about by people in churches, as well as by fellow students of the Christian faith, is how we understand subjects like divine inspiration and authority in relation to the Bible and its history of human authorship and composition. Especially for evangelicals who have grown up in extremely conservative or even quasi-fundamentalist settings, the realization that the Bible did not float down from heaven perfectly bound in duo-tone imitation leather, with gilded... Read more

Elon Musk is saying outlandish things again. Several months ago, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said that “chances are we are all living in a simulation.” Thankfully, other writers have contested this in a kinder manner than I would have (the words I have for Musk’s theory are something along the lines of “utter nonsense” and “logically self-defeating,” but I digress). Well, now Musk thinks that humans must merge with machines, or else become defunct from the threat of advanced artificial... Read more

One of the most rewarding areas of study I’ve engaged in over the last several years is in the area of philosophical theology. Even though my primary area of expertise is biblical exegesis and biblical theology, I love reading in the areas of theistic metaphysics and philosophical theology. Reading the work of David Bentley Hart, particularly his The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss (Yale University Press, 2013), has fostered this more than anything else. His writings have served as... Read more

I have now officially started my final, full semester of my M.Div. and Th.M. Yes folks, that’s right, the masters-level phase of my education is nearing its end. Crazy right? In addition to some of my required M.Div classes, I am taking a doctoral-level seminar with Dr. Craig Keener on the Book of Revelation, or (for the biblical studies nerds like myself), the Apocalypse of John. I am super-excited about this course, not only because it is a great class... Read more

I’m continuing to (slowly) work my way through Fleming Rutledge’s excellent book, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. It really is living up to all of the accolades that it has received. It’s dense, but extremely well argued and very rewarding. Eerdmans even put out an interview with her in anticipation of the release of the paperback edition of the book. Rutledge is very consciously thinking and writing from the perspective of an apocalyptic theological perspective, particularly in... Read more

I’ve grown increasingly disappointed with Eric Metaxas over the last year. I used to really like Eric and his work. Of course I didn’t always agree with Metaxas on everything, and he seemed a little bit too “Chuck Colson-esque” at times (though I admire and respect a lot of Colson’s work too, especially his prison ministry). But Metaxas was, and is, a talented writer and speaker. The Socrates in the City events he hosts are often a joy to watch... Read more