The two major theological movements in Protestantism in the 20th century (one might argue in all of Christianity) were neo-orthodoxy and contextual theologies. In the first, led by Karl Barth, there was a recovery of biblical revelation and of a “high” Christology. In the second, people in “base communities” had a Luther-like revelation as they read the Gospels: “Hey,” they said, “Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God (the Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew) all the time!” That is, they... Read more

Dude, you can’t be serious! Read more

To all of you in and around Philly/Trenton/Princeton: Hi everyone: Time to think about the second gathering of our Central Jersey Emergent Cohort. We’ll be meeting on Thursday, December 16, from 9-11pm at Charlie Brown’s on Route One. For reading and discussion, I hope that you can read the following articles on Emergent: Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/12.36.html Christian Century: http://www.christiancentury.org/feat_08.html For extra credit, you might look at an interview with and review of Brian McLaren in the same mags: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/14.42.html http://www.christiancentury.org/feat_11.html... Read more

A Lutheran friend of mine recently asked me what I think of the doctrine of original sin. This is what I emailed her: OK, here’s my shot at it. I think that the doctrine of OS is more than just a way of talking about humanity’s need for JX. I think it was a way to protect a Platonic/Aristotelian metaphysical view of God. The Early Church, in its attempt to reconcile the divinity and death of Jesus and to gain... Read more

Today I randomly remembered a quote from Bill Pannell, Professor of Preaching at Fuller Theological Seminary. When I was a student there, years ago, we occasionally went out to lunch, and one time he said: “Ministry is the joining of spirit and practice for liberative transformation.” I think that’s beautiful. Read more

In a cost-cutting move, I cancelled all my magazine subscriptions, so thanks to Will for the heads-up that the long-awaited Christian Century article on the emerging church is in the November 30 edition. It’s written by Scott Bader-Saye a theology professor at the University of Scranton. (CC is stingy about putting their articles online. The piece may be up next week, and they’ll only leave it up for a couple weeks; then it won’t be archived. In short, you may... Read more

family trumps blog. Happy Thanksgiving. Read more

Adam (a.k.a. “Sweet Cheeks” blogs about our first cohort meeting here. He’s got pics and thoughts. Check it out, and join us in December if you’re in the area. Read more

OK, time to bring this plane in for a landing. First of all, I have no truck with those who say that postmodernism never happened or that it’s already done or that it’s passé. And to those who say that postmodernism has lost its credibility in the academy, let me just say that I am neck-deep in the academy, and postmodernism the problem. That is, every field of study is attempting at some level to forge a way ahead after... Read more

You may be wondering why I’m so fond of Moltmann. Well, check out these comments from the preface to his The Trinity and the Kingdom: The Doctrine of God: “Always using the same methods leads to rigidity on the part of the author and weariness in the reader.” “I know and accept the limits of my own existence and my own context. I do not claim to say everything, as earlier dogmatic and systematic theologians once did, in their summas... Read more