Writing about faith, theology, culture, and life.
I recently finished New Testament scholar N.T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God, one of the most thorough surveys of resurrection belief in the Jewish and Christian traditions. This academic 700+ page tome is just a fraction of Wright’s larger project of documenting the origin of Christian belief and the question of its …
Continue reading “Reflections on The Resurrection of the Son of God”
A year ago on this day of the week, I attended an Ash Wednesday service for the first time. The sweeping Gothic architecture, resonating organ, and liturgical worship of Luther Memorial Church in Madison, WI presented a sharp contrast with the services of my charismatic heritage. But I certainly sensed the personal presence of God …
Underlying Christian discussions about the nature of salvation are philosophical assumptions about possibility and the nature of God. We often are trying to square Christian doctrines with philosophical consistency when we discuss how individuals are saved, and this is a worthwhile goal. Therefore, evaluating the philosophical worldviews we each bring to both the biblical text …
Ten years of my childhood and adolescence were spent participating in competitive swimming. It was by far my strongest extracurricular commitment, extending year-round in both club and high school programs. Through it I learned priceless life lessons and cultivated a habit of applying focused, determined effort to tasks. It also became a central part of …
In Christian discussions about soteriology (the doctrine of salvation), the greatest impasse between Calvinists and Arminians* is what’s known as proof-texting. With respect to the Bible, this is the practice of cherry-picking isolated, often out-of-context verses and eisegeting one’s view on to them. Using proof-texting, one can claim that practically anything, however outlandish, is supported …
Continue reading “Calvinism, Arminianism and the Problem of Proof-Texting”
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