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Writing

Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Biblical Theology

Jesus in the Garden

Figure: Literary structure of the Garden narrative The Garden narrative describes God forming the adam , resting him in his presence, then provisioning for his appetites of food, vocation, and mate. It continues to describe a snake, the introduction of death, and humanity's expulsion from the garden. The pages of…

by Scott FairbanksJune 25, 2019
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Christology

St. Irenaeus, the Beatific Vision, and the Instrumentalization of Creation

I’ve spent the last few years studying the theology of St. Irenaeus (d. circ. 200ad). In particular, I’ve been gripped by the way that Irenaeus consistently resisted the anti-body emphasis that emerged in later Christian theology. His eschatology is remarkably focused on the resurrection of the body, and the renewal…

by Gerald HiestandJune 18, 2019
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Exodus

The Light Before the Switch

Details of Jesus in Exodus 1:22-2:25 Although there are a great many Christ-types in the Old Testament, it is hard to overplay the obviousness of some that seem to necessarily rise to the top before others. One of these is Isaac, with his near sacrifice by his own father after…

by Eric RobinsonJune 11, 2019
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Biblical Theology

Characteristics of the Wicked City

What can we say about Cain's wicked sanctuary-city of Enoch? First that it was built with a brother's blood as its cornerstone. The Church is also built such, for Jesus was the younger brother of the whole Adamic race, slain by that company of older brothers because they hated Him.…

by James B. JordanJune 4, 2019
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Biblical Theology

Trees and Thorns

In Genesis 2:9 the ground brought forth trees good for food, delightful to view, and in two cases, life-giving or rule-bestowing. Adam, made of the ground (2:7), would by implication bring forth new trees, and thus trees and plants are among the symbols for human beings throughout the Bible. The…

by James B. JordanMay 28, 2019
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Biblical Theology

Trees for Food

One of the must fundamental teachings of the Bible and of the Christian religion is that man does not have life in himself. Man must get life from outside of himself, in order to maintain his life. The way this is done is through eating and drinking. Apart from life,…

by James B. JordanMay 21, 2019

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Rape and Consolatio

I n a 2013 article in Augustinian Studies , Melanie Webb argues that Augustine challenged a deeply entrenched Roman and North African “heritage of valorized suicides” in his treatment of rape, shame, and suicide in the first book of City of God . That heritage included Christian writers, like Jerome…

January 26, 2015

Guinea Pig Economy

It isn’t just Facebook. Over at Forbes.com , Parmy Olson explains how companies are not only gathering data from our computers and phones, but constantly subjecting us to tests. We have entered the Guinea Pig Economy, and everyone with an internet connection is part of the experiment: “Consumers have been…

January 26, 2015

Life By Faith

Faith is inescapable. Trust is embedded, in various ways, in all human actions. We act in order to achieve certain results, aiming at expected consequences. When we act, we trust that the actions we perform will achieve those consequences. I turn the handle on my sink, trusting that the city’s…

January 26, 2015

Mosaianic Secret

Exodus and Acts seem to offer different accounts of Moses’ killing of the Egyptian. In Exodus, there’s an emphasis on the secrecy of the act. Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, looks around to see if anyone is watching, then kills the Egyptian and buries him in the…

January 26, 2015

Who Needs Books?

Naomi Baron’s Reading Onscreen argues that the value of digital reading depends on the kind of reading you’re doing: “digital reading is fine for many short pieces or for light content we don’t intend to analyze or reread.” But “eReading is less well suited for many longer works or even…

January 23, 2015
Parenting

Who needs Dads?

In his Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child , John Gottman describes “Emotion Coaching” in parenting. This involves involves acknowledging a child’s negative emotions, using those moments of negative emotion as an opportunity to teach and engage the child, listening, helping the child put labels on his feelings, and setting parameters…

January 23, 2015

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