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Writing

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

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Tyranny of the Agreeable

Inspired by the “Moscow Mood” Debate In a shocking 1961 study, Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram would don an official-looking white lab coat and tell a volunteer to administer increasing shocks to another “volunteer” in an adjacent room strapped into an “electric chair” just out of sight. The shocks were incrementally…

by John CarpenterJuly 22, 2024
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Apostle Paul

Why Doesn’t Paul Quote Jesus?

My title and the substance of the article are borrowed from a section of David Wenham’s excellent book, Paul: Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? I am appropriating ideas from the pages in his book which address the question, “Why Does Paul refer to Jesus’ Life and Ministry so…

by Ralph Allan SmithJuly 9, 2024
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James

The Epistle of James: Shotgun or Sniper

Some of us may be familiar with the notion that the epistle of James is like a New Testament version of Proverbs or other wisdom literature. According to this line of thinking, the epistle of James (together with the other wisdom literature) is basically a collection of timeless sayings without…

by Chris JohnsonJuly 4, 2024
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Virtue

Doing What You Don’t Want to Do

This summer I started walking a long trail that ran north from our home. On my best days, I would walk a total of five miles at a brisk pace. This trail follows the power lines that serve a significant portion of North Dallas and stretches far past the two…

by Mandi GerthJune 25, 2024
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American Culture

Is Queer Theology Christian?

I am an Australian. I went to the American Academy of Religion mega-fest last year to meet up with some friends, to present a paper at a ‘science and religion’ panel, and to marvel at the sheer scale of how Americans do things. It was quite a ride. Looking at…

by Paul TysonJune 18, 2024
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Ecclesiology

Consumerism, Oikos, and the Role of Women in the Church (Part 4)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 We evangelicals do not often understand the roles of men and women in ministry. Because our consumerist culture has gutted the notion of family as it was historically understood, all Biblical passages about women in church ministry (a familial organism) are almost incomprehensible to…

by John CarpenterJune 11, 2024

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History

“Ecumenical History”

In a 1985 Presidential address to the American Historical Society, William H. McNeill has advocated a form of historical writing that he calls ?mythistory,?Ewhich, in McNeill?s view, should take the form of ?ecumenical history.?EScientific models of history, McNeill argues, are no longer persuasive. Indeed, not even science could live up…

January 5, 2005
History

“Ecumenical History”

In a 1985 Presidential address to the American Historical Society, William H. McNeill has advocated a form of historical writing that he calls ?mythistory,?Ewhich, in McNeill?s view, should take the form of ?ecumenical history.?EScientific models of history, McNeill argues, are no longer persuasive. Indeed, not even science could live up…

January 5, 2005

Liturgy and Mere Symbolism

Since we adopted a new liturgy in Advent, a number of church members have, quite reasonably, raised the question about our identity. What kind of church did we just become? The very fact that changes in our liturgical practices can have this effect is intriguing. Many in the modern world,…

January 2, 2005

Eucharistic Meditation, January 2

Luke 22:19: And Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ?This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.?E In this morning?s sermon, we considered how the liturgical changes that we have made are rooted in Scripture.…

January 2, 2005

Exhortation, January 2

God is a communicative being. He doesn?t just use words; He is the Word. He made us in His image and likeness, as communicative beings. Even if we keep our mouths firmly shut, we cannot avoid saying something; we cannot not communicate. Suppose you want to spend an airplane flight…

January 2, 2005

Sermon Outline, January 9

INTRODUCTION Solomon?s marriages led him into idolatry, but the consequences were not confined to Solomon?s own life. Because of his sins, Yahweh raised up adversaries to oppose him and the entire kingdom was torn in pieces. The sins of the king ?Ethe sins of any leaders ?Ehave consequences for the…

January 2, 2005

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