Was Original Sin Always a Thing?

Last updated on: October 9, 2024 at 11:07 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

The Mediterranean is home to three of the world’s largest religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These religions share a common ancestry in the Abrahamic tradition, and therefore share some similarities. However, Christianity began to blossom in the Mediterranean. Once Rome decriminalized the religion under Constantine in the fourth century, Christian thought began to fluctuate with intense periods of interpretation and heretical accusations. The concept of Original Sin – the belief that humans are born already sinful and deserving of... Read more

Which Jesus Do We See?

Last updated on: August 17, 2024 at 3:32 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

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Well, we did it. We looked at three different ways Jesus’ message was retold for a specific audience. First, we looked at Jesus as a rural preacher. Next, we asked if Jesus was just another Greek Hero. Finally, we saw how Socrates influenced the retelling of Jesus in the gospel of John. This research was part of my graduate work at Northwind Theological Seminary and was compiled into a single paper. Here is that paper. Introduction Mark’s account of Jesus... Read more

What Does Jesus Have in Common with Socrates?

Last updated on: August 17, 2024 at 3:15 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

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While each gospel has their own voice and audience, the gospel of John is unique for several reasons. Scholarly consensus has this gospel being written later than the Synoptics, and John chooses not to include many of the same stories found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Some earlier theologians believed this was because John was ‘filling in the gaps’ of the Synoptics. However, when we consider the departure from that narrative style towards a more apologetic voice, it seems unlikely.... Read more

Is Jesus Just Another Greek Hero?

Last updated on: July 9, 2024 at 5:28 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

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The Gospels – and let’s face it, the Bible in general – was written with a specific perspective. Each writer brought their own unique experience to the text that influenced how and what they wrote. While some might see this as a downfall, I like to see this as an opportunity to see many sides of the same God. My last post talked about Jesus as a rural preacher, but now we’ll see Jesus as something more. I was introduced... Read more

Jesus as a Rural Preacher

Last updated on: June 18, 2024 at 9:58 am By Brad Thibodeaux

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There are 4 accounts of the life of Jesus in our modern, Western Bible. However, these are not the only accounts we have, and we can assume there are many others that did not survive history. This is where we find ourselves – let’s talk about what people have written about Jesus in the past. We’ll talk about the Gospels as we move through this series, but first up is the Q gospel – what is it and why the... Read more

Is There a God After Deconstruction?

Last updated on: April 2, 2024 at 1:46 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

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Deconstruction has become a buzzword in American Christianity. This single word can be a beacon of light or the boogeyman under the bed. American Conservative Christianity have demonized the movement, most notably in recent months with a book by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett. Those who criticize the idea of deconstruction favor more conservative and traditional Christian expression in America. However, this traditional American expression of Christianity is the exact thing that people are deconstructing. In Oord and Fuller’s book, God... Read more

God’s Commandments for Modern America

Last updated on: March 14, 2024 at 9:04 am By Brad Thibodeaux

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I actually don’t like always or never statements. They cause a huge problem when talking logically. When I say “this is always how it is” or “this never happens”, it creates a huge weak spot in an argument. Because if someone can prove a single time where this isn’t the case, then the argument fails. So I’m not trying to say this is an always or never. And I am surely not trying to say I know exactly what God’s commands are for modern... Read more

Deep Theology in Indigo: The Color of Grief

Last updated on: January 16, 2024 at 5:27 pm By Brad Thibodeaux

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Grief is a central tenet of the Christian story. God grieves the loss of perfect unity in the Garden and Job grieves the loss of his family. The prophets grieve the situation Israel continues to find themselves in and Jesus grieves his friend Lazarus. Still, American Christianity has such a hard time acknowledging grief. Grief is often a point in our lives where we are forced to renegotiate what we think about the world. Our systems have been upended, and... Read more

5 Books that Changed My Perspective

Last updated on: December 28, 2023 at 9:44 am By Brad Thibodeaux

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Every year I aim to read 25 books, and every year I fail. I always come close, but each year I find myself stuck in a few books. Sometimes these books are really challenging and heady. Other times, they’re simple but profound. This year is no exception. While it’s hard to pick my favorite five books that I read this year, it forces me to reflect on the year that’s about to end. I think we’re all ready for 2023... Read more