In my journey of faith, if I’m honest, I’ve always wanted to get somewhere. As a teenager, I thought I had God figured out. Sure, I could continue to grow in my understanding of God but all the major puzzle pieces were in place and no tectonic shifts were going to take place. That felt […]
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Maybe Certainty Makes Jesus Angry & Other Inspirational Thoughts
If I ever posted inspirational quotes on social media, which I don’t because it would ruin my sarcastic win streak I have going on Facebook, I know which one I would post first. It’s a paragraph from Jack Caputo’s book What Would Jesus Deconstruct? that has inspired me ever since I read it when it came […]
Judaism and the Jesus Movement Were Both Solving an Old Testament Problem
Hear me out. One way (not the only way, but one way—hold your horses) of describing the Old Testament is as a story of striving for national identity. Yeah, that sounds “secular,” but it’s not. We’re in the ancient world here, folks, and there is no secular vs. sacred dichotomy when it comes to nationalism. […]
The Bible, Wisdom, and Our Sacred Responsibility
[The following is adapted from the conclusion of How the Bible Actually Works.] Christians and Jews have always been “reimagining” God—adapting the sacred past of their tradition to discern God’s presence here and now. That process of adapting the past is also baked directly into the Christian Bible itself, Old and New Testaments. The biblical […]
The Idolatry of the Oscars
When I was an impressionable youth I had an adult compare the Oscar statue to the idols of old, those stone figures that the Israelites foolishly worshipped instead of the true God. And so, for as long as I remember, Hollywood and Christian were mutually exclusive. Fortunately for me, unfortunately for my parents, my thirst […]
The Bible’s True Purpose Is to Make You Feel Good About Yourself (JK)
From where I stand, the Bible’s true purpose is more than supplying spiritual information to be downloaded. It holds out for us an invitation to join an ancient, well-traveled, and sacred quest to know God, the world we live in, and our place in it. Not abstractly, but intimately and experientially. A quest—meaning this is […]
Why Does Paul Call Christ a “Mystery”?
Glad you asked. The New Testament reading in church this past Sunday was Ephesians 3:1-12. What struck me was how the author (Paul or a later follower of his) speaks of his commission to preach the gospel to Gentiles. And he keeps using the word “mystery.” He says in verses 3-6, The mystery was made […]
What Do You Get When You Combine Academics and Game of Thrones? an Interview with Anthony Le Donne
Today’s post is an interview with Anthony Le Donne on his new book, Gods of Thrones: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Religions of Ice and Fire. Le Donne (PhD, Durham) is Associate Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary. He is also the author/editor of seven books including Historical Jesus: What Can We Know and How Can We […]
St. Nicholas Was an Absolute Beast.
In church this past Sunday, as he does each year, our rector handed out a card with an icon of St. Nicholas, similar to the one to the left. On the back of the card we read the following: Nicholas was born in the 3rd century in Asia Minor. He used his entire inheritance to help the poor, […]
What You Risk Theologically When You Say “God Is Love”
Ironic, isn’t it, that two cherished pieces of evangelical theology—God’s love and God’s unchangeableness—sit so uncomfortably together, at least once you dig down a bit.
