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Writing

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

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evangelists
Matthew

Dating Matthew, (Part 1)

When might the Gospel according to Matthew have been written? Of course, any answer can only be speculation, but that does not mean we are reduced to groundless opinion. In this series of articles I point the way to an approach different from the general consensus among scholars today which…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 22, 2016
hebrew-manuscript-3
Hermeneutics

Synopticity, (Part 2)

In my first essay on “synopticity” I offered a rather rough definition of the phenomenon and important, though not exhaustive examples. In this essay, I want to introduce broader aspects of the phenomenon of “synopticity.” The first example that I have in mind is conventional stories, stories of different historical…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 17, 2016
screen-shot-2016-03-31-at-9-32-11-am
Ascension

Brexit and the Binding of Satan, Part 4

Since the judgment of Babel was followed by the initiation of the circumcision, the impending end of the circumcision in AD70 explains the significance of the first century miracle of foreign tongues. Except for a few Aramaic “teasers” in the book of Daniel, the Word of God was monolingual and…

by Mike BullNovember 15, 2016
four-evangelists
Hermeneutics

Synopticity, (Part 1)

To the best of my knowledge “synopticity” is not a word used in theology or Biblical studies, but it seems an appropriate word to describe the kind of phenomena associated with the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three Gospels tell essentially the same story with significant — sometimes…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 10, 2016
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Humor

Learning to Laugh

Humor is a funny thing. It is altogether familiar yet also mysterious. What makes us laugh? Why do we find things funny? There are academic fields of study dedicated to discovering what makes things humorous. These academicians even have a journal entitled International Journal of Humor Research . No joke.…

by Bill SmithNovember 8, 2016
chaucer
Literature

Flawed Means of Grace: Liturgy in The Pardoner's Tale

Out of all the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales , the Pardoner has been called the “one lost soul.” The pious Parson, who closes out the collection of tales with a sermon on the seven deadly sins and how a sinner can absolve himself of them, connects the…

by Christian LeithartNovember 3, 2016

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Philosophy

American Confucius

Rosenstock-Huessy offers this synopsis of the beliefs of Dewey’s pragmatic followers: 1. God is immanent in society. 2. “Hman speech is merely a tool, not an inspiration; a set of words, not a baptism by fire.” Dewey exhorts us to find a new set of words to formulate a new…

January 3, 2007

Chiasm in 1 John 4

The first 6 verses of 1 John 4 are organized in a roughly chiastic pattern: A. Test spirits, v 1 B. Confession, vv 2-3 C. From God/the world, vv 3b-4a D. We overcome them, v 4b C’. From God/from world, vv 5-6a B’. Hearing (AKOUO), v 6b A’. Spirits, v…

January 1, 2007

On research grants

A friend, Jim Rogers of Texas A&M, sent along a rejoinder to my post summarizing Rosenstock-Huessy’s views on grant-supported research. He points out that grant support in science and social science is not intended to provide revolutionary break-throughs, but to support the empirical research necessary to confirm or deny theory-driven…

January 1, 2007

Sermon outline, First Sunday After Epiphany

INTRODUCTION As Jesus predicted, false prophets arose in the first century, misleading many believers (Matthew 24:24; 1 John 4:1). Christians have to be on guard; not everyone who claims to speak for God does speak for God. But how can we tell? THE TEXT “Beloved, do not believe every spirit,…

January 1, 2007

Eucharistic meditation, First Sunday After Christmas

Luke 22:18: Jesus said, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He was looking forward to a future kingdom and a future feast. That is a central theme of this meal: It…

December 31, 2006
Theology

Exhortation, Sunday After Christmas

As we’ll see in our sermon this morning, time is a good creation of God, and a good gift to us. Since that’s true, we are stewards, not owners, of our time. As stewards, we will have to give an account of how we use the time that God gives.…

December 31, 2006

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