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Writing

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

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Advent

5 Reasons I Don't Like Advent

First, I love my Christmas songs. This is how I think of it: the season of Advent gets in the way of singing what I want to sing. How can you not listen to Nat King Cole in December? Or Bing Crosby, Harry Connick Jr., and Amy Grant? Even though…

by Caleb SkogenDecember 16, 2021
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Covenant

Grandparenting and the Transcendent Summons

Introduction Imagine the stereotypical American grandparents. Once you have the outline, start filling in the details. What picture emerges? Maybe something like what Ogden Nash said, “When grandparents enter the door, discipline flies out the window.” Or maybe the oft-repeated assertion that it’s the grandparent’s job description “to spoil the…

by Jason CherryDecember 14, 2021
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Deuteronomy

The Audacity of Lament

Hundreds of generations of ancient Israelites grew up as children of Abraham, inheritors of the covenant—the promises of God. These promises were more than nice bumper stickers or framed photos to cover empty space in their homes–these promises were at the heart of their very identity–individually and collectively. Genesis “I…

by Zach MccartneyDecember 9, 2021
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Hermeneutics

Barren Worlds

Aliens and Sojourners When the question “Is there life on other planets?” is asked, even the best theologians can only reply, “The Bible doesn’t tell us.” Well, in truth, the Bible does tell us, but only if we are paying attention. …and there was not a man to till the…

by Mike BullDecember 7, 2021
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John

Jesus’ Search for a Wife

John runs a theme throughout his gospel that bubbles under the surface—Jesus is searching for, and finding, a wife. John launches into the narrative proper with a statement of where he’s going. “On the third day there was a wedding” (John 2.1) is about as good an example of flash…

by Tim SuffieldNovember 30, 2021
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Touch

I have come to believe that a great many people are almost too weak to repent in any very open way. There must first be some level of healing. In some cases, including biblical ones, there is not even any evidence of faith on the part of the recipients of…

by Richard BledsoeNovember 23, 2021

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Theology

Eschatological Economy

At a quick glance, Douglas H. Knight’s The Eschatological Economy (Eerdmans, 2006) looks very good. Some of Knight’s other work has been on John Zizioulas, the Orthodox Trinitarian theologian, and this book includes discussions of Zizioulasian themes like Trinity, personhood, Trinitarian personhood, personhood and being, etc. Yet, Knight’s book is…

July 4, 2007
Uncategorized

New Pentecost, New Babel

A reader, Dan Glover, sends the following reflections concerning my quotations from John Mbiti on the “Pentecostal” experience of getting the Bible in the vernacular: “Your comment from John Mbiti got me thinking of what the Bible in the vernacular of a culture does. It ignited the reformation as well…

July 4, 2007
Music

Bach’s Bible

In his biography of Bach, Martin Geck quotes a number of notes that Bach penned in the “Calov Bible,” a copy of Luther’s translation that belonged at one time to the theologian Abraham Calov. On Miriam and her singing women, he writes, “First prelude to be performed in two choruses…

July 3, 2007
Music

Bach’s Bible

In his biography of Bach, Martin Geck quotes a number of notes that Bach penned in the “Calov Bible,” a copy of Luther’s translation that belonged at one time to the theologian Abraham Calov. On Miriam and her singing women, he writes, “First prelude to be performed in two choruses…

July 3, 2007
Biblical Studies

Scriptures and separation

Studying African independent churches, David Barrett concluded that the single most important factor in dividing independent churches from missionary-founded churches was the vernacular translation of the Bible. As soon as the Bible was available in the native tongue, readers could check the teaching and practice of the missionary churches against…

July 3, 2007
History

Museums or churches?

Mbiti laments that often “African Christians feel terribly foreign within the doors of the churches to which we belong. Lutheran missionaries have made us more Lutheran than the Germans; Roman Catholic missionaries have made us feel and behave more Roman than the Italians; Anglican missionaries have made us more Anglican…

July 3, 2007

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