Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Reformed theology has changed. And there seems to be no going back. It was in the year 1978 that a tectonic shift in the underlying structure of Reformed theology began with the publication of a small book. The changes were not only systematic, but also systemic—affecting all aspects of it.…
Since the term, “alt-right,” is being tossed about in the national media and is the subject of moral concern (or perhaps, moral panic), it might be good to identify what we’re talking about or at least admit the limitations of using nicknames to describe cultural shifts and voter behavior. Until…
Confession Confession belongs at the beginning of the liturgy. We enter into God’s house, invited for a meal, and we need to clean up before we do that. Cleansing was a requirement for the priests of the OT before they entered the sanctuary to minister (Exodus 30:17-21). When Yahweh appeared…
“And God made the two great lights; the greater light for the dominion of the day, and the lesser light for the dominion of the night; the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16, NASV) In Judges 5, verse 31, the prophetess Deborah prays, "let those who love Him be like the rising…
In part 1 of this article we saw how various attempts to identify the underlying structure of Gen. 22:1-19 fell short and proposed a new structure for the passage. In part 2, we will look at how the sections of the chiasm relate and draw some conclusions from our investigation.…
Chiastic structures abound in the book of Genesis. For example, the Flood narrative is one long chiasm, as is the life of Abraham. It is the contention of this brief study that Gen. 22:1-19, also known as the Aqedah, is another such passage. And this structure reveals a talented author…
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“In just about every case of a millenarian tyrant,” writes Waller Newell in his 2013 Tyranny , “we find a shattering experience in early life – failure to achieve a respectable career, distant or oppressive parents, shame and disgrace over the family name, a feeling of being excluded by the…
Paul's visit to Athens is nestled in the middle of a narrative sequence describing Paul's missionary journey. When Paul and Barnabas part ways because of their dispute over John Mark (15:36-39), Paul continues his missionary work with Silas. Together with Timothy, they visit Philippi (16:6-40), Thessalonica (17:1-9) and Berea (17:10-15).…
In ancient Israel, the vast majority of those circumcised were circumcised as infants. If one were developing a theology of circumcision, it wouldn't make sense to focus on the comparatively rare adolescent or adult circumcisions. What is normal in practice would naturally be the norm of theology. In the two-millennia…
In a 2010 article in The Other Shore , Rice University's Ewa Thompson argues that post-colonial categories are useful for explaining the experience of formerly Soviet-occupied areas of Eastern Europe, especially Poland. Many Poles, she admits, associate imperialism with European imperialism in Africa and link orientalism with the far east.…
Marjorie Garber's amusing summary ( Shakespeare After All ) of Shakespeare's Pericles captures the flavor of the play: “a man who woos a wicked, incestuous princess, solves a riddle, and flees her land—and who just happens to be shipwrecked on the shore of another land, where there is another princess…
In his recent biography of Charles Williams , Grevel Lindop summarizes Williams's essay on the cross, calling it Williams's “most powerful and honest theological essay.” Williams observes that the cross is “revolting to our sense of justice,” justifable only because it shows that God entered into our suffering. He challenges…
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