Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
In the Bible, all the world is a stage, but like the Tabernacle, that stage moves around a lot. David’s defeat of Goliath can only be fully understood as liturgy fulfilled in history. Liturgy, as a sacrifice of praise, is the step-by-step process of resolving a conflict. It relinquishes all…
Aristotle isn’t fundamentally wrong about friendship, nor is the long tradition that follows him. But you might not gather that by reading some of the more pointed critics of the classical conception of friendship. I think, however, that the classical view is not only viable but taken up and fulfilled…
#13 in Theopolis Papers, Seeking Integration in a Fragmented World It is time for me to “cast off” integration, the way a knitter removes a completed scarf from the needles. I want to bring my quest concerning integration to a decent closure, though my happy quest for reality continues. With…
Below are some notes on a particular sub-theme of Daniel 3, namely the downfall of Babylon’s liturgy. First up, a few words on our text’s literary construction. One of the most conspicuous features of Dan. 3 is its author’s love of lists . Personnel are listed (vs. 2, 3, 27),…
Few things in Scripture, few things in the Christian life, are more familiar than the Lord’s Prayer. Sunday after Sunday, we pray these words together with our brothers and sisters. At home, alone or with our families, we pray this prayer daily, as Jesus taught us (Luke 11:2: “When you…
At the 2019 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, the denominational delegates considered a number of official overtures (requests for action from the regional parts of the denomination) relating to issues of gender and sexuality. The PCA is conservative. As evidence of this, the assembly passed a resolution…
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Paul uses the verb politeuo in Philippians 1:27, urging his readers to “conduct yourselves as citizens worthy of the gospel.” Doble points out that this same verb occurs in Acts 23:1, where Paul defends himself before the Sanhedrin by saying that he has “conducted himself with a perfectly good conscience…
A stimulating 2002 article from JSNT by Peter Doble argues that Philippians 3:21 is not talking about “vile bodies” that are going to be transformed, but about “our body, now discipline to humility” that will be conformed to the exalted, glorious body of the Lord and Savior awaited from heaven.…
In a 1985 article in Novum Testamentum , David Garland notes that Paul’s insults toward Jews and Judaizers in Philippians 3:2 are chiastically balanced by his commendation of the Philippians in verse 3. Thus: A. Dogs B. Evil workers C. Mutilation contrasts to C’. Circumcision B’. Spirit of God A’.…
Marilynne Robinson notes, “When crops failed in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1743, Jonathan Edwards of course told his congregation that they had thier own wickedness to blame for it. They had failed to do justice (his word) to the poor. He said, ‘Christian people are to give to others not only…
The 1648 Peace of Westphalia was, David Hart argues, not so much the conclusion of the wars of religion as the cause; that is, it was the victory of nationalism over imperialism and Christendom. Henri Daniel-Rops says, “The Treaties of Westphalia finally sealed the relinquishment by statesmen of a noble…
Several times in his stimulating Contours of Pauline Theology , Tom Holland claims that Paul’s references to displayed blood must refer to sacrifice becuase “there is only one sacrifice in the entire Old Testament that was given public display. It was the Paschal victim whose blood was daubed on the…
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