Writing about faith, theology, culture, and life.
What does it mean that God is “personal”? Roughly speaking, that he is “like us” in many ways. But for Jews and Christians, it is actually we who are like him: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (Gen. 1:27). …
Continue reading “A “Maximally Personal” Understanding of the Incarnation”
What is the ocean? What is the sound of the depths? Shall we “become” the ocean? These are the questions John Luther Adams calls forth in his compelling orchestral piece, “Become Ocean”. The listener quickly realizes that the floodgates of melody and harmony have been breached, and water flows through them as it pleases–sometimes as …
Last year I had the privilege of visiting one of America’s lesser-known national parks, Great Sand Dunes (on the same trip that I experienced sunrise in the San Juan Mountains). Nestled in a bay-like formation between Colorado’s soaring Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the vast Rio Grande river valley to the west …
Recently I’ve had long discussions (and debates) with a good friend of mine, a Millennial, on topics such as religion, sex, morality, and more. This friend, while not an atheist/materialist, would identify as “spiritual but not religious” and has a strong aversion towards organized religion and dogma. In these discussions I noticed a curious way …
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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