Geoffrey Holsclaw
In the older evangelical (and fundamentalist influenced) mindset there was often a split between “culture” and “society” (albeit, not a conscious one). Culture was usually viewed with suspicion leading to separation or withdrawal. But society was viewed neutrally leading to capitulation. Let me explain. Culture Culture is often viewed by older Evangelicals as the field […]
Last month, at the Ecclesia National Gathering, I had the privilege and honor to preside over communion for the whole group. I led through the time as we usually do here at Life on the Vine, but many people not from a more liturgical background asked about the prayer leading into the Table. Many commented […]
Headline news is usually bad news. Viral blog posts are usually polemical. And those “way-too-long” conversations on Facebook and Twitter are often based in controversy. Pain, division, and anger drive on-line traffic and often directs the content. And church news is little different: pastor so-and-so is embroiled in a moral failing; church such-and-such fired its […]
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’m working on my notes for my DMIN class at Northern Seminary, and I just added this text for my lecture on tradition. Here Paul is not just mentioning that he is passing on what he has recieved, but commands Timothy to continue this process, the process of traditioning. Or, rather, be a “traditionator”!. 2 […]
I’m working on my sermon on John 3:1-21, which covers the ‘born-again’ conversation with Nicodemus to the famous “for God so loved the world” verse. But neither of these themes should be disconnected from the two episodes covered in John 2. There Jesus first turns water into wine, and then goes on to clear the […]
Temple Christology So I’ve been reflecting on N.T. Wright’s claim that Christology should properly begin with an understand of the Temple as the initial place of God’s dwelling on earth, of the union of heaven and earth (I believe this is in Simply Jesus, but I don’t have it in front of me right now). […]
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 […]
Jesus doesn’t seem very nice when he says stuff like this. Some help please. Luke: 17:7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper […]