Pursuing Veritas

Reflections by Jacob J. Prahlow
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  • A Proposal: Application

    This post is part of a proposal for approaching theology from the perspective of history. Women in the Apostolic Fathers As an application of this approach, I want to quickly examine conceptions of women which appear in the early Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers. To keep this example as brief as possible, consider…

  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    Happy Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with celebrations of the abundance and family with which our heavenly Father has blessed us! Psalm 100: For Thanksgiving Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness!     Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!     It…

  • A Proposal: History then Theology

    This post is part of a proposal for approaching theology from the perspective of history. History then Theology Once our historiographical assumptions are clarified, we may then turn to the task of integrating historical insight and context into theology. I suggest three steps for this process. First, discern what Christian X says about topic Y,…

  • A Proposal: Historiographical Models

    This post is part of a proposal for approaching theology from the perspective of history. Four Historiographic Models When approaching theological concepts from a historical angle, the issue of historiography must be addressed as a matter of primary important.2 That is, before we make appeals to, for example, what Ignatius of Antioch’s Epistles say about…

  • A Proposal for Approaching Theology Historically

    Several months ago, I was privileged to present a paper at a regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. There is nothing quite like the amassed scholarship of these conferences, the gathering of minds eager to pursue knowledge and discuss the finer points of theology, biblical interpretation, and Christian praxis. Of course, it would not…

  • How to Approach Difficult Bible Passages

    As a teacher, I am regularly asked about Bible passages and the theology they convey. Sometimes the questions are straightforward; other times, not so much. Some time back, for example, as I was innocently trying to lead our community group through Romans 8:18-30, I was asked how to interpret verses 29-30 in light of that…

  • The Dangers of Isolation

    Isolation is dangerous. Webster defines isolation as “to set apart from others; quarantine; insulate.” While brief periods of isolation may not be dangerous, isolation has become a way of life for many. Despite easier, less-expensive, and more accessible interaction with other people, contemporary humans may be the most isolated in history. I will leave others…

  • An Argument for Prima Scriptura

    This post originally appeared as a contribution at Conciliar Post. One of the great privileges of being a part of the Conciliar Post community is the opportunity to have meaningful conversations about substantive theological issues while remaining charitable toward our interlocutors. Not that we are the only website that promotes this type of dialogue. But…

  • The 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation

    Today marks the 500th anniversary of the event that launched the Protestant Reformation: the nailing of Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, by a young monk and scholar named Martin Luther. As with all important historical events, this one is debated. Did Luther intend to cause the greatest schism…

  • Random Thoughts from a Western Adventure

    Earlier this year, my family embarked on an excursion to the wild western part of our great nation, where we were summoned for my brother’s wedding. Going for drives—especially long ones—is something that I rather enjoy, even with an infant in tow (though I should note she has always been quite generous with her patience…