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

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Biblical Horizons

An Older Essay on the Gospel Order

I thought it might be good to put this up here, since it is 14 years old, and itself reflects earlier discussion. From this you can see that we at BH have been considering this notion for quite some time. Clearly, the last word has not been said. — James…

by James B. JordanFebruary 14, 2008
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Biblical Horizons

Chiasms in James

Hopefully, my commentary on James will be out later this year. But here are a few chiasms for your consideration. I think the James 5 chiasm orginally came from Doug Jordan. The entire book of James is focused on how the pastors and leaders (“brothers”) of the church use their…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 14, 2008
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Job

Parables | (Part 2)

In my first post I noted that the parables of Jesus were not simply illustrative stories. They are really nothing like the kind of simple, homely illustrations that preachers often use to explain difficult concepts to their congregations. Just to be clear: there’s nothing wrong with illustrating one’s sermonic statements.…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 14, 2008
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Ephesians

The Praise Precedes the Indicative

Ephesians is often treated as a pure type example of the Pauline method that “the indicative preceds the imperative.” But what Paul does first is pray . Simply reading verse 3 and following involves readers in a prayer of thanksgiving to God–and much more so for those listening to the…

by Mark HorneFebruary 14, 2008
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Luke

"I Came Not to Call the Righteous, but Sinners"

Yesterday, I took part with my oldest son in a church-sponsored city outreach project (not because I’m especially prone to such behavior but because my son has a Boy Scout requirement that this would help him meet). Before we were sent out on our various jobs, the leader gave a…

by Mark HorneFebruary 11, 2008
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Biblical Studies

The Sequence of the Four Gospels

There is a scene in Prince Caspian , the second in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia that helps explain why it is we have four Gospels, that is four accounts of the Good News of Jesus Christ—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is the account of Lucy’s longed-for experience…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 9, 2008

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Romanticism and Copyright

In his Copyrights and Copywrongs , Siva Vaidhyanathan traces the history of copyright legislation in Britain and America. In the US, Mark Twain’s advocacy was important, but the US lagged behind Britain, where writers in the Romantic mold played a crucial role: “As the British author rose in status, British…

September 1, 2014

Temperate Imagination

David Reynolds’s The Serpent in the Cup is a study of the role of temperance in American literature. Hawthorne, for instance, drew on themes and images from temperance reform in his story. In the short story, “A Rill from the Town Pump,” which Reynolds describes as an “ur-source of some…

September 1, 2014

Gift of Glory, Gift of Unity

I explore the links between unity and glory in Jesus’ prayer (John 17) at the Trinity House site .

September 1, 2014
Modernity

Many Modernities

Jeffrey Herf begins his study of Weimar and Third Reich views on technology and culture ( Reactionary Modernism ) with the observation that “There is no such thing as modernity in general” (1). There are instead “national societies,” each of which becomes modern in its own way. German modernity provides…

August 30, 2014

Caffeinized Napping

It has nothing to do with any twinge of conscience about my coffee intake, but I’m always intrigued by the latest research on caffeine. I’m also always looking for whatever weapons I can find to defend the ancient habit of taking an afternoon snooze. When I see a headline containing…

August 29, 2014

Operation Infinite Justice?

It’s no surprise that William Kristol is critical of Obama’s response to the murder of James Foley. But some of the reasons for Kristol’s opposition are disquieting ( Weekly Standard , September 1). He chastises the President for speaking as a citizen of the world instead of as the American…

August 29, 2014

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