Below are this week’s selection of recommended blog posts from across the internet. May you find them thought-provoking and insightful. Cheers, JP If You Only Read One Article, Read How Jesus Became “God,” per Ehrman by Larry Hurtado Theology and Religion Christian Pornography Addiction: A Study in Personhood by Ben Cabe Who Am I? HenriContinue reading “Recommended Reading: May 24 -30”
Monthly Archives: May 2014
Rethinking Authority During the Reformation
The issue of authority within and for the church has long been a topic that has sparked debate within the Christian tradition. Even in our own context questions remain concerning the Christian’s attitude toward the state, the role of women in the church, and questions concerning the sufficiency of ecclesiastical offices. In the essay thatContinue reading “Rethinking Authority During the Reformation”
C. S. Lewis on Meaning and Joy
How many times have you sat down after a good meal and thought about how good it tasted? Or how often after an enjoyable evening with friends do you sit back and think about the true meaning of your conversations? While most do not consider themselves philosophers reflecting upon the deeper mysteries of the universe,Continue reading “C. S. Lewis on Meaning and Joy”
The Historical Jesus and the Parable of the Vineyard Laborers
In the ongoing search for the Historical Jesus, critically important for many scholars is determining authentic Jesus material in the Gospel accounts. Scholars apply multiform methodology in their interpretations of canonical material, but there are several criteria that the majority employ to determine the historical character of a passage of scripture. Qualities such asContinue reading “The Historical Jesus and the Parable of the Vineyard Laborers”
A Protestant Reformation Without Martin Luther?
One of the more interesting thought-experiments that Reformation-era scholars embark upon is asking if there could have been a “Protestant Reformation” without Martin Luther. Understanding that we would likely need to reconceive our current notions of “Protestant” and “Reformation,” it seems likely that some form of theological reformation would have occurred in 16th centuryContinue reading “A Protestant Reformation Without Martin Luther?”
Book Review: The Rapture Exposed (Barbara Rossing)
In her book, The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation (Basic Books: New York, 2004), Barbara R. Rossing confronts perhaps one of the most confusing and highly debated theological topics within the modern Christian Church: the interpretation of the Biblical book of Revelation. In this book, Rossing covers the tenantsContinue reading “Book Review: The Rapture Exposed (Barbara Rossing)”
Recommended Reading: May 17-23
Below are this week’s recommended readings from across the internet. As always, I hope that you find them insightful and challenging. Cheers, JP If You Only Read One Article, Read The Days of Socially Acceptable Christianity are Over by Robert P. George Theology and Religion Treating People Like Human Beings by Ben Cabe The FutureContinue reading “Recommended Reading: May 17-23”
Reflections on an MA
“A man who has been many places is not likely to be deceived by the local errors of his native village: the scholar has lived in many times and is therefore in some degree immune from the great cataract of nonsense that pours from the press and the microphone of his own age.” –C.S. LewisContinue reading “Reflections on an MA”
Ten Thoughts on Reading the Bible
Ten thoughts on reading the Bible: 1. Never read a Bible verse. Always read at least a paragraph, preferably more. Best is reading a whole book (more on that below). You can make any one verse mean any number of things, but considering the larger context of passage places that verse within a more meaningfulContinue reading “Ten Thoughts on Reading the Bible”
Why Does the NT Contain These Books?
Some of the most common questions that I am asked are some variation of “Where did we get the Bible?” or “Why are these specific books included in the Bible?” In conjunction with yesterday’s post on Where We Got the New Testament, this post seeks to address why the New Testament includes the writings whichContinue reading “Why Does the NT Contain These Books?”