Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
My first title for this series of posts was “Evangelical Sacramental Ecumenism” – not exactly a clickbait title. But those three words, evangelical, sacramental, and ecumenical, say a lot: The centrality of the gospel; a focus on baptism, bread, and wine; and the quest for visible unity among diverse churches.…
I can imagine someone reading the title of this essay and saying to himself, "I have two questions. First, what in the world is “contextualization”?" Second, even before hearing the answer to the first question, he may wonder, "what does baptism have to do with such an awkward and vague…
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 My colleague Ralph Smith has recently written on this passage, here . I entirely agree with Ralph's thrust, which is typological, that the passage is ultimately aimed at the entire nation of Israel itself as the rebellious son. But what I am thinking is from another perspective, perhaps…
In the previous article in this series, I drew attention to the threefold meaning of the Spirit of God descending as a dove on Jesus at His baptism. On a related note, I also argued that 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Titus 3:3-7 were parallel passages that addressed the same issues…
The National Anthem protest is misguided. So too the conservative backlash. The Church’s response has been disappointing. I address each in turn. The greatest triumph of the American Civil Rights Movement was its seizing of the moral high ground in American politics. It did so by insisting only on those…
Peter Leithart’s book, The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism , argues that baptism is parallel to and the fulfillment of the old covenant rite of priestly ordination. But this is not something explicitly stated in the New Testament. Why, then, should we believe it? Leithart shows in…
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Religious freedom is basic to American freedoms, conservatives say. Bringing religion into the public square violates the separation of church and state, liberals say. Both are wrong, says David Sehat in his The Myth of American Religious Freedom . Conservatives are wrong to think that American religion has always been…
Each of the seven letters to the churches of Asia ends with a promised blessing to those who overcome (Revelation 2-3). The letter to Pergamum ends with a triple promise of “hidden manna,” “a white stone,”and a “new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who…
The US faces policy challenges of gargantuan proportions. Immigration, social security, drugs, race, crime and prison reform, health care, Islamicism and other international challenges. I'd put same-sex marriage, the ethical issues surrounding biotechnology, and abortion high on that list, and some would add environmental issues to the short list. For…
In her thorough study of American congregations, Pillars of Faith , Nancy Ammerman highlights the various ways that congregations provide social capital - networks of friends and support - to members. One of the main reasons people join congregations, her surveys and interviews found, was to get support in raising…
I recently summarized the appearances of “sitting” posture in Revelation. Lazlo Gallucz develops a similar point in T he Throne Motif in the Book of Revelation (251-7). One of the points he highlights is the connection between the harlot's enthronement in Revelation 17 and the Lord's in chapter 4: “The…
Laura Choate teaches counseling education at LSU, has a private clinical practice working with teens and families, and is a mother. She's well positioned to advise how parents can care for girls in what she calls a “toxic culture.” Her forthcoming Swimming Upstream is part cultural and psychological analysis, part…
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