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Writing

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

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Culture

Consumerism, Oikos, and the Role of Women in the Church

Part 1 We do not understand the role of women in ministry because we do not understand the role of men in ministry. We do not understand the role of men in ministry because we do not understand the church. We do not understand the church because the consumer culture…

by John CarpenterJuly 11, 2023
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Biblical Theology

Genesis’ Beginning Story

1. One structure The Creation account (G1:1-2:4) conspicuously conveys meaning using the literary shape of the text. The narrative is told with formulaic patterns, repetitions, and parallelism. The Garden account is different. It is viewed as a separate text, with its own author, employing its own structure. This second account’s…

by Scott FairbanksJune 28, 2023
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Baptism

Crystalline Baptism

I was reading James Jordan’s Creation in Six Days while also preparing for Trinity Sunday in which the gospel reading is John 3:1-15. As providence would have it Jordan dropped an easter egg for me along the lines of baptism. In chapter 5 he points out, “ On the second…

by Matthew CoreyJune 20, 2023
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Baptism

Christians Should Baptize Their Children, but Not Because of Circumcision

It's true. There is no verse in the New Testament that commands or records an infant baptism. This poses a problem for some Christians. Those who only look for explicit commands, or those whose theology is limited to the New Testament, will conclude that infant baptism is not biblical and…

by Adam McIntoshJune 13, 2023
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Biblical Studies

Polarities

1. Goal This paper’s goal is to identify and describe a literary strategy employed by scripture, namely using two episodes that cover similar territory or themes using details drawn from opposite ends of a number of spectrums. Once described the reader may recognize numerous other instances of this strategy in…

by Scott FairbanksJune 7, 2023
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Deuteronomy

Kind Capital Punishment

Numbers 14 records the tragic story of Israel’s decision to rebel against Yahweh and Moses. Twelve spies had been sent into the land to bring back a report to Israel. All twelve spies agreed: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey”…

by Ralph Allan SmithMay 31, 2023

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Literature

Bottom’s Greatness

It’s GKC, so who can argue? “It is difficult to approach critically so great a figure as that of Bottom the Weaver. He is greater and more mysterious than Hamlet, because the interest of such men as Bottom consists of a rich subconsciousness, and that of Hamlet in the comparatively…

February 4, 2008

Sermon Notes, First Sunday of Lent

INTRODUCTION Jesus continues to do miracles of healing and deliverance. In spite of Jesus’ cautions (9:30), “news” about Him is spreading and His popularity is increasing (9:26, 31). The “crowd” (9:23, 25, 33) is growing, and growing in significance. THE TEXT “While He spoke these things to them, behold, a…

February 4, 2008

Eucharistic meditation

Matthew 9:17: Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out, and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved. Jesus is the bridegroom, come at last to his waiting guests and attendants.…

February 3, 2008

Baptismal meditation

Matthew 8:27: And the men marveled, saying, What kind of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey Him? Water has a complex significance in the Bible. On the one hand, water is essential to life. Without water, plants dry and die. Without water, human life withers and…

February 3, 2008

Exhortation

The Pharisees are right. They protest when Jesus tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven. Who can forgive sins but God alone? they ask. The answer is, No one. If someone insults or offends you, no one else has the right to forgive that offense except you. Sin is…

February 3, 2008
Theology

De Lubac, getting started

A reader asks for direction in getting started with the work of Henri de Lubac. Here are some suggestions. First, for a very brief summary of his work and contributions, see the chapter on him in Fergus Kerr’s book on twentieth-century Catholic thought. Second, von Balthasar wrote a brief overview…

February 2, 2008

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