Theopolis Logo

Writing

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

See all
screen-shot-2019-09-03-at-7-00-44-am-2
Biblical Studies

Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 2)

Summary : The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analyzed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyze Gen. 38 in a range of different ways,…

by James BejonOctober 22, 2019
screen-shot-2019-09-03-at-7-00-44-am-2
Hermeneutics

Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 1)

Summary: The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analysed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyse Gen. 38 in a range of different ways, and…

by James BejonOctober 15, 2019
eco-warrior-princess-tsoeguwwzwo-unsplash
Biblical Theology

Church Planting as Garden Growing

The closing chapters of the Bible bring to fulfillment the mission inaugurated in the opening chapters of the Bible: the dwelling place of God expands to fill the entire new creation. The story of Scripture concludes having achieved God’s original intent for His people in the Garden of Eden, and…

by Drew KnowlesOctober 8, 2019
annie-spratt-rx1ij59jryu-unsplash
Economics

Gift Economies Aren't So Giving

Oddly, the nature of pre -modern economies plays a central role in today’s policy debate over economic globalization and neo-liberalism. Analysts take ancient non-market economies as the standard against which to measure the economic and social effects of the market system. Scholars compare the distribution of economic goods and services…

by James R. RogersOctober 1, 2019
20121120_1642723459__76354-1391444640-1280-1280-1014x487
Luke

Zacchaeus, (Part 2)

In part one of this essay, I mentioned that the story of Zacchaeus includes not only many details that point to other passages in Luke, but also details that point to the Old Testament, though we might not initially think of them. The first detail I have in mind is…

by Ralph Allan SmithSeptember 24, 2019
20121120_1642723459__76354-1391444640-1280-1280-1014x487
Luke

Zacchaeus (Part 1)

The story of Zacchaeus includes numerous interesting details that link this story with others in the Gospel of Luke. There are also details that tie the story of Zacchaeus to the Old Testament in ways that we might not initially take note of. In the Gospel of Luke, the story…

by Ralph Allan SmithSeptember 17, 2019

Showing page 74 of 309

See all

Showing page 29 of 43

See all

Ruined Temples

Ezekiel says that Yahweh deals with Judah so that Judah will know that He is Lord. When there are bodies scattered on the high places, then Israel will know that Yahweh is Lord (Ezekiel 6:13-14). When Judah is devastated and the Lord shows no pity, then Judah will know that…

October 30, 2015

What I Want From Catholics

My wish list for Catholics is terribly old-fashioned and terribly assertive. There’s hardly space here to defend my positions or thoroughly critique the Catholic position. So, this may end up sounding like a drive-by shooting or a childish tantrum. I trust that I can formulate my wish list with enough…

October 29, 2015

The Love of the Divine Warrior

Aren Wilson-Wright examines the elements of “Northwest Semitic combat myth” in the theme verses of the Song of Songs (8:6b-7a). I have my doubts about the presence of the combat myth, but even within a strictly biblical frame, his observations illuminate the text. He points out, for instance, that 8:6b…

October 29, 2015

Meals and the Gospel Truth

Stephen Turley ends The Ritualized Revelation of the Messianic Age by elaborating the point made in his title: “for early Pauline communities, rituals and beliefs were in fact irreducible to one another. As such, our ritual reading of Paul provides an exegetical corrective to the traditional relation posited between theology…

October 29, 2015

Sabbath in Society

Tyler Atkinson uses Bonaventure and Luther as his primary interlocutors in his study of the “work ethic” of Ecclesiastes, Singing at the Winepress . The two giants offer quite divergent readings of the book. For Bonaventure, the vanity of the world encourages withdrawal; for Luther, though, the goal is to…

October 29, 2015

Luther, Faith, and Love

In his contribution to Reformation Readings of Paul , David C. Fink argues that Luther's doctrine of justification was an effort to “grapple with the great commandment” to love God (45). Luther vehemently rejected the medieval notion that faith as the material cause had to be formed by love as…

October 28, 2015

Showing page 357 of 2212

Browse by Category

In Medias Res

Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.

Donate

Theopolis is nearly 100% donor-supported. Consider joining us on our mission.