Matthew’s “Sermon on the Mount” perplexes, bewilders, and confuses readers. What is Jesus getting at here? What’s he really after? Can we really do what he asks his hearers to do? Jesus says it’s not enough not to murder; we shouldn’t even get angry? (5:22) Jesus says it’s not enough not to commit adultery; we shouldn’t even look “with lust,” lest we face the prospect of eternal damnation? (5:28) And then there’s the “turn the other cheek” deal (5:39) and... Read more
I’m excited to share an announcement about an upcoming theology conference (March 3-5) in Redondo Beach, California: “Enfolding Theology: Theology After God.” It’s a pretty excellent lineup of conference speakers. And, it’s in southern California. This blog, Unsystematic Theology, is one of the affiliate sites for the conference, so we’ll be promoting the conference, providing relevant links and information, as well as some theological commentary related to the conference. One unique feature of the conference is that there will be eight,... Read more
2015 was a fun year for me vocationally and theologically. Some of that was because of more consistent blogging. I began blogging on the Progressive Christian channel in the fall of 2014, I picked up the pace and consistency in 2015. I’m no big-time blogger. My real job (and the academic publishing expectations that go with it) limit and shape the style, content, and reach of my blog. In other words, don’t expect many viral posts from Unsystematic Theology. Nonetheless,... Read more
The following is a guest post by Adam Rao. See his bio below. Later this week, around the dinner table, my Christian family members and I will celebrate the birth of Jesus: the result of Joseph, a first-century Middle-Eastern man, following the guidance he received in dreams. After all, Joseph only avoids certain death for both himself and his family because he was “warned in a dream” to hide in Egypt (Matthew 2:12-13) and, “having been warned in a dream,”... Read more
The Quran devotes a lot of attention to Mary, mother of Jesus. Remarkably, she is the only woman mentioned in the Quran by name. The 19th chapter (or “sura”) of the Quran is named after her (“Maryam,” which is Mary in Arabic). In the Quran, Muhammed identifies Mary as the holiest and most important of all women: And [mention] when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of... Read more
Still to this day, one of the more profound experiences of my education took place during my junior year, which was Arthur Holmes last year teaching full-time before his retirement in 1994. Dr. Holmes was a philosopher (He died in 2011), whose year-long course, “A History of Philosophy,” was one of the more popular courses and had established a reputation as one of the most academically rigorous and stimulating ones at Wheaton. During one of those class sessions, Dr. Holmes was... Read more
If you’re a life-long Protestant like me, you may have never heard of the “Feast of the Entrance into the Temple of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos (“God-bearer”).” It’s one of the twelve major feasts of the Eastern Orthodox Church and it marks the beginning of Advent season. We’re nearly a month past the feast celebration now (Nov. 21), but, hey, better late than never maybe. The feast celebrates a story which comes to us, not from the New... Read more
What if the Millennium Falcon landed on an art gallery? Dan Addington is a Chicago artist who specializes in encaustic painting, using a variety of materials and thick textures that emphasize paintings as visceral objects, evoking physical presence but mediating a deep, spiritual ethos (read his full bio here). I’ve long been a fan of Dan’s work and when I discovered his recent series of “Star Wars” themed paintings, I decided to ask him some questions. Here are my questions... Read more
By now, most anyone in the U.S. paying attention on social media knows about Liberty University’s president, Jerry Falwell, Jr., issuing an appeal to his students to take concealed-carry classes, acquire permits, and arm themselves, because, “…if more good people had concealed-carry permits then we could end those Muslims before they walked in killing.” Apparently the many-thousands-of-students responded quite enthusiastically (lots of applause). But there’s a small problem, according to those students. There’s been a no-gun policy in the student... Read more
All the bombs falling on ISIS are not deterring people from joining their cause. A new report on the growing appeal of ISIS to foreign fighters has come out. That report (by a security consulting firm) shows that the number of foreigners streaming into Iraq and Syria to fight for ISIS has more than doubled over the past year. A Washington Post article summarizes: Between 27,000 and 31,000 people from at least 86 countries have traveled to the Middle East... Read more
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