Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
When someone expounds the way of salvation found in the Westminster Confession and Catechisms and in the easily-accessible writings of the Reformed heritage, he often finds him embroiled in a debates about the covenant of works and the Mosaic Covenant. One is “proven” to be aberrant by allegations that one…
The ultimate condemnation of a position in Reformed circles is to show that it “leads back to Rome.” Indeed, one gets the feeling that Rome is a worse destination for a Presbyterian than even hell itself. The accusation of Rome stings deeply, of course, because it means that all the…
One of the odd features of Michael Horton’s version of Covenant theology is his interpretation of the covenant God made with Abraham 1 in Genesis 15. According to Horton, The very way in which God made the covenant with Abraham (putting him to sleep; walking through the torn animals by…
What was I trying to do, when I wrote my book on Mark’s Gospel ? Fundamentally, I wanted a book that would change readers by making them better readers of the Gospel of Mark. My ideal reader is not someone who goes to the book to use as a resource…
Why do we need sacraments? According to the Westminster Confession, sacraments were instituted by Christ “to confirm our interest in him” (27.1), “to strengthen and increase” the “faith” of those within the Covenant of Grace and “to distinguish them from those that are without” that covenant (Westminster Larger Catechism, #162).…
In Isaiah 5:1-7, we have a typical covenant lawsuit, in which the Lord accuses his people of rejecting his grace and mercy. It is not my intention here to exegete the entire passage, or to look at the way the vineyard image used here serves as a metaphor in other…
Showing page 222 of 309
Showing page 2 of 43
Some people fascinate. Some people have “It.” But what is It? Yale theater professor Joseph Roach explores this question in his wide-ranging cultural history, entitled simply It (University of Michigan, 2007). Turns out, It is like porn - you know it when you see it, but you can’t quite define…
INTRODUCTION Satan is the adversary, a strong enemy. But Jesus is the stronger man. Satan is never triumphant in Matthew’s gospel. In the power of the Spirit, Jesus is always Christus Victor . THE TEXT “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by…
In his recent La Maison Dieu , Dominique Iogna-Prat asks “How did the Church, in the sense of the community of the faithful, come to take its identity from space bounded by stones.” In the words of the TLS reviewer, Iogna-Prat “offers a history of the ‘petrification’ of Western Christianity…
In her recent book on blood in medieval theology and piety, Caroline Bynum summarizes the debates concerning blood in the middle ages. The TLS reviewer summarizes: “Bynum begins by describing the debates and practices of the famous controversial pilgrimage to ‘the blood’ at Wilsnack, Brandenburg, to three abused Eucharistic hosts…
In her recent book on blood in medieval theology and piety, Caroline Bynum summarizes the debates concerning blood in the middle ages. The TLS reviewer summarizes: “Bynum begins by describing the debates and practices of the famous controversial pilgrimage to ‘the blood’ at Wilsnack, Brandenburg, to three abused Eucharistic hosts…
Pauline Viviano has a bit of fun at my expense over on the America website(www.americamagazine.org/blogs/client). She’s “reviewing” my commentary on 1 & 2 Kings, but instead of actually discussing my book, she mocks typological interpretation and my use of it in particular. She knew what I was up to without…
Showing page 1653 of 2212
Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.
