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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
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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
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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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History

Chivalry

CS Lewis pointed out that the critical thing about chivalry was “the double demand it makes on human nature. The knight is a man of blood and iron, a man familiar with the sight of smashed faces and the ragged stumps of lopped-off limbs; he is also a demure, almost…

October 6, 2006
Literature

Sexual Salvation in Lawrence

In his fascinating Erotic Faith , Robert M Polhemus argues that the vulgarity of D. H. Lawrence’s novels aimed at a kind of sexual redemption. Lawrence believed that modernity “has brought the deadly glorification of abstractions on the one hand (nationalism, progress, and civilization), and, on the other, inanimate matter…

October 5, 2006

Room in God

It seems that we can dwell “in” God only if He is Triune. To put it pictorially, and somewhat quaintly: Is there any space in a god like Allah where we might find a place? It seems that at best we can only come near him, but not indwell him.…

October 4, 2006
Philosophy

Lovers and Theorists

In Is There A Sabbath For Thought? William Desmond distinguishes thinkers that are “lovers” from those that are “theorists”: “When I was in love with my beloved, I sang my beloved. Now that I am not sure about my beloved, or my love, I begin to analyze my love, and…

October 3, 2006

Sermon Outline

INTRODUCTION John insists that talking that’s not backed up by walking is a form of lying (1:6). He returns to a similar point here: True knowledge of God is evident in obedience to His commandments (2:3), and the one who abides in God must walk as Jesus did (2:6). THE…

October 2, 2006

Eucharistic meditation

Jesus said, This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. John assures us several times in our sermon text that our sins will be cleansed and forgiven. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the…

October 1, 2006

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