Geoffrey Holsclaw
Misogynists? Was Paul faithlessly capitulating to the social norms of his day? Was Paul really a supporter of subjugating women in the home? Was Peter again reverting to his old ways when he offers commands to wives? Were these stalwarts of the faith hopelessly captive to their culture? This is often how we react when […]
I’ve been reading two books on a theology of Scripture in order to beef up my class on “Biblical and Theology Reflections on Ministry and Culture” (what a mouthful, not my title) at Northern Seminary (their MDim program). They are both from a more Reformed perspective, for what it is worth. “Words of Life” is […]
Late last week someone accused me of being grumpy about evangelical history (I’ve been writing about it here and here). Well, beyond the reason that I’ve already stated, here are a couple of reasons that get under my skin. First off, I’m part of a historically Holiness (though non-Wesleyan) denomination (the Christian and Missioary Alliance) […]
The middle can be messy and misunderstood. It can also be apathetic and atrophying. It all depends on whether this “middle” is merely ignoring and hiding from important issues, or taking a reasoned stand in a different place. A recent study by Baylor University suggests that the “messy middle” among evaneglicals is growing, specifically in regard […]
I think that much of theology works with the assumptions expressed by Matt Damon’s character in “The Good Shepherd” (about the CIA). When asked about what “you people have?” he answers, “We have America. The rest of you are just visiting.” (FYI, racial slurs in the dialogue) (My thoughts below). I think many pop theologians […]
The evolutionary mut of the Protestant Reformation, the Anabaptist tradition is like the Platypus, hard to classify (see here for more). But, I believe, this tradition could be the secret agent of renewal everywhere. Just like an unbecoming platypus could become “Agent P”, so too the Anabaptist tradition is on a covert mission. What do […]
Why was Jesus killed? Answering this question really gets to the heart of who we believed Jesus to be, what his mission was, and why it matters for us. But too often answering this questions falls into a polemic between two camps. And Kevin DeYoung’s recent post perfectly illustrates this.As he says, “Among the many sweet […]
I can see it on their faces when they come in. That look of surprise, bewilderment, and fear. “Oh, no! This isn’t a ‘church’. It’s a family!” People visiting our Sunday morning worship gathering are often looking for and expecting a ‘church’. You know: some worship music, a place for the kids and/or youth, and […]