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Writing

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

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Lent

Embrace Pessimism

Optimism is “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.” 1 On the other hand, pessimism is “an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome.” We can see that optimism and…

by Bogumil JarmulakFebruary 21, 2024
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Biblical Theology

2 Trees of Eden & What They Mean: Knowledge of Good & Evil vs. Life

If we wish to understand the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we must begin with seeing them as a part of the creational order. Trees, along with plants and seed-bearing things, come to life by the word of God as part of…

by Mark BriansFebruary 13, 2024
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Death

Training to Die

“I chant slips and irreversible disasters, wiltings, failures, scars, the little disappointments and the large, blue streaks down a world that wishes it was only suncolors.” Paul J. Pastor from Kintsugi Song I recently lost something very valuable. Something I’d had for years and used every day. But, it wasn’t…

by Mandi GerthFebruary 7, 2024
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Jonah

Jonah’s Backward Exodus

In his eponymous book, Jonah follows an exodus pattern. He travels through the waves and east of the city into the wilderness. On a first reading, it looks like another use of this common literary shape in the Old Testament: salvation through the waters of death and the wilderness of…

by Tim SuffieldJanuary 30, 2024
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Revelation

Where is the Tree of Knowledge in New Jerusalem?

“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” The unknowing master of ceremonies didn’t know how right he was. We see this play out in John’s apocalypse. The end is like the beginning,…

by David AppoldJanuary 23, 2024
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Luke

The Test of Adultery

Read in isolation, The Test of Adultery (Num 5:11-31) presents the reader with a seemingly bizarre ritual, conjuring up ideas bordering on the Salem Witch Trials. Beyond this, pressing questions linger—such as, “Why is the woman in particular singled out, while no test is provided for the husband of a…

by Ben LoveladyJanuary 17, 2024

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Theology

Abraham

Kant viewed Judaism as a narrow, particular, hostile political entity. The fact that God promised that He would bless the nations through Abraham seems not to have registered with Kant. Kant’s treatment of Judaism has central importance in his construction of modern, Enlightened religion. And in this context, recent work…

September 12, 2007
Philosophy

Kant’s eschatology

Postmodernism is rigorous disbelief in eschatology, in final judgment. And this arises from and is a reaction to Kant, who (as Hamann recognized) believed he had somehow arrived at the eschaton ahead of schedule and spend his life sending back reports.

September 12, 2007
Philosophy

Kant’s eschatology

Postmodernism is rigorous disbelief in eschatology, in final judgment. And this arises from and is a reaction to Kant, who (as Hamann recognized) believed he had somehow arrived at the eschaton ahead of schedule and spend his life sending back reports.

September 12, 2007
Theology

Barth on post-Kantian Theology

Barth’s includes an extensive treatment of Kant in his history of 19th century Protestant theology. According to Barth, Kant represents the 18th-century’s coming to self-consciousness. He saw both the possibilities and the limits of the Enlightenment’s obsessions with reason. He announces that his age is the age of criticism, but…

September 12, 2007

Kant’s impossible atonement

Nicholas Wolterstorff analyzes the “conundrum” of atonement in Kant’s treatment of rational religion. We need to be forgiven for the evil we’ve done, and we are incapable of doing this ourselves. God has to do it. Yet, Kant assumes a radical form of autonomy, which makes our moral value depend…

September 11, 2007

Kant’s impossible atonement

Nicholas Wolterstorff analyzes the “conundrum” of atonement in Kant’s treatment of rational religion. We need to be forgiven for the evil we’ve done, and we are incapable of doing this ourselves. God has to do it. Yet, Kant assumes a radical form of autonomy, which makes our moral value depend…

September 11, 2007

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