Theopolis Logo

Writing

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

See all
dsc_0082
Theopolis News

2015 Biblical Horizons Conference

This year’s Biblical Horizons conference was another great success and we would like to thank all those who were involved by helping out with the catering or opening up their homes to attendees and speakers. The talks, open-ended as they were, offered a fresh perspective and food for thought on…

by Abi KayJuly 30, 2015
little-girl
Children

Training Tools

I find myself often rehearsing conversations with my children. When the house is quiet in the late evening, and I'm standing in front of a pile of soapy dishes, I think about what I am going to say to them in certain situations. When I am driving in the car,…

by Lindsey TollefsonJuly 30, 2015
night-sky
Biblical Studies

Cosmic Language, (Part 1)

In Matthew 24:29 , Jesus employs “cosmic language,” signs in the sun, moon and stars, to predict the imminent end of the Old Covenant. His first-century audience would have recognized His allusion to the prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 13 and understood His discourse as a condemnation of Jerusalem as…

by Mike BullJuly 28, 2015
preston-goff-xncifslw0jw-unsplash
Revelation

Triune God of Israel

The Enthroned One speaks to John (Revelation 21:6): “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.” It's a little theology proper. For starters, there's the Greek version of…

by Peter LeithartJuly 23, 2015
unity-1
Homosexuality

Stealing a Page from Our Playbook

In reading about how we got into this mess, I came across a very interesting couple of paragraphs that I think the church could learn from if we are going to counter the Obergefell ruling. Prior to 2009, same sex “marriage” had gone to the ballot box thirty-one times in…

by Rich LuskJuly 21, 2015
giammarco-zeh-ljawhtg-unsplash
Literature

From Garden to Gate of Hell

In my previous essay on Macbeth , I pointed out that Shakespeare rewrote Scottish history to construct a play which points to Adam’s Fall — a man and a woman tempted by devils to steal the throne and become like gods. It is hard to imagine anyone in Shakespeare’s day…

by Ralph Allan SmithJuly 16, 2015

Showing page 147 of 309

See all

Showing page 33 of 43

See all

Catholicity or Geopolitics?

In a 2006 Pro Ecclesia review of Lamin Sanneh's Whose Religion Is Christianity? Emmanuel Katongole claims that Sanneh continues to allow geopolitical concerns to shape his understanding of African Christianity: “although Sanneh reads the growth of Christianity in Africa as a blessing to the West, he still shares the same…

May 18, 2015

Springs of waters

The word “spring” (Gr. pege ) is used five times in the book of Revelation. Each time, it is linked with the word “water” (Gr. hudor ), but with slight variations. Twice the phrase is “spring(s) of the water of life” (7:17; 21:6, where the word is singular), and three…

May 18, 2015

Pollsters as Pundits

W ith everyone abuzz with the latest Pew findings, one can hardly wait for the publication later this year of Robert Wuthnow's Inventing American Religion . Polls haven't always, of course, played so prominent a role in our understanding of American religion as they do today. They have not always…

May 18, 2015

New Covenant of Judaism

In his contribution to Three Faiths, One God , Jacob Neusner explains that the Mishnah answered the question, With no temple, is Israel still holy? The Mishnah's answer was Yes, but then it had to explain how it was so: “Israel indeed is holy, and so far as the media…

May 15, 2015

Structure in Revelation 12-15

Much of Revelation is overtly structured by sequences of seven. Even when the seven sections are not enumerated, heptamerous structuring devices are prominent. It's there in Revelation 12-15, for instance. The section is enclosed by references to the opening of the heavenly temple (11:19; 15:6), and within that frame there…

May 15, 2015

Around the Lamb

David Chilton points out ( Days of Vengeance , 359-60), this central section itself has an intriguing structural significance, linking to the scene of the Lamb in heaven (5:6-11): Revelation 5 Revelation 14 I saw a Lamb standing (v. 6) I looked, and behold, a Lamb was standing (v. 1)…

May 15, 2015

Showing page 425 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.