Karl Barth was one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century. He is known for his work on the Epistle to the Romans and his Magnus Opus titled Church Dogmatics. However, his work titled Evangelical Theology: An Introduction, continues to make an impact in the world of theology. The book is different than his other works as it is a series of lectures that he gave throughout the United States[1]. Barth is pretty up front in regards to... Read more
As we read, the nineteenth century saw the rise of liberal theology [1]. The theologians were highly intellectual and people were being won over by their ideas. Charles Hodge came along and was known as “the pope of Presbyterianism”, and by all accounts was a staunch conservative theologian [2]. He responded to modernism in many unique ways. For one, he used the most modern methods of biblical interpretation and used that in defense of conservative Protestantism. He advocated for a... Read more
The relationship between theology, science, and philosophy is one that can be strained at times. Perhaps this is putting it mildly. There are some who see any innovation in the sciences and philosophy as an affront to faith, and to be fair, in some cases this is the case, but not in all cases. Roger Olson lays out an interesting summation of the events that lead to our modern times, mainly that modern theology is an attempt to respond to... Read more
First, it is unfortunate that Deuteronomy, and the Pentateuch as a whole, are for the most part ignored. They are a part of divine revelation and as such should be discussed a bit more. In all fairness I am also guilty of this. I admit that I am not a priest or deacon, but do teach children, and to a lesser extent some adults. However, the message contained in Deuteronomy is one that is applicable to us all. Deuteronomy has... Read more
The book of Joshua is a book that many have not taken the time to study. There are not many sermons preached on it, and in more liturgical communities it rarely makes an appearance in a lectionary[1]. Joshua has become a battering ram of sorts for the group known as “New Atheists” who point to its context as proof of a god that is genocidal, egocentric, and as a result cannot possibly exist. However, this assessment is not only unfair... Read more
In sacred scripture we read that man was created he had a perfect relationship with God. Man is the pinnacle of creation, and God gave man everything. In return the Lord asked man not to each of one tree in the garden. Man did not listen, rebelled, and had to face the consequences of sin for the first time. The sin of our first parents also applies to us. We all have sinned, and the penalty for that sin is... Read more
This word study was a very enlightening exercise. There are many occasions in which a word in Hebrew has many different meanings in English. In this regard it is important to understand the context used to help determine its meaning. For this exercise Proverbs 11:1 was used. That passage of scripture states “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight”. In this case the word being studied is “abomination”. In Hebrew the... Read more
The book of Joshua is an interesting book in the Old Testament. Moses has died, and the children of Israel are about to enter the promised land. Before they do so they must cross the Jordan river, but they have no way to cross. It is at this point that we must look at the power of God over nature. In Exodus the Lord parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape Pharaoh. In the book of Joshua God... Read more
The letters of Paul, or the Pauline Corpus as it is known, are crucial to the scriptures and to Christianity as a whole. There are twenty-seven books in the New Testament, and thirteen are attributed to the Apostle Paul. Some would say that fourteen are written by Paul as it is believed by some that he wrote Hebrews. With the rise of the historical-critical method, there were some who set out to examine the Pauline Corpus from a strictly historical... Read more
The book of Jeremiah is a book filled with tragedy, beauty, and redemption. Jeremiah 29 takes place after the exile of the people to Babylon. In 597 B.C., the king Jehoiachin surrendered to the conquering Babylonian empire and the nobility were exiled to Babylon[1]. To fully understand the context of Jeremiah 29 it is helpful to look back to chapters 27 and 28. Those chapters discuss the judgment of false prophets who were spreading lies. This theme continues in chapter... Read more
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