Last week I talked about using formal and material norms to help guide biblical interpretation. Of course, there are other factors that make this more complicated. Some people see a particular norm as a formal norm, while others see it as a material one. Where that happens, all manner of mayhem can ensue. Some examples […]
There is a tension in evangelical theology between two principles. One the one hand, there is the right/responsibility of each Christian to read and interpret the Bible personally. On the other hand, there is the call for Christians to collectively interpret Scripture in accordance with sound doctrine (Paul uses this term in a few places […]
The impulse to allow individuals to suffer the consequences of their actions is not a purely Christian one. I came to this realization as I listened to couple of radio interviews in conjunction with some new research and a proposal that drug addicts be provided not only a safe place to inject drugs, but also […]
Over the past few years, I worked on a pamphlet sponsored by the Board of Faith and Life of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches about a theology of creation. It came out in print recently (you can find it here). But there was a lot more material that ended up on the cutting […]
Today I ran across this great citation in a great article by Joel Green on biblical/theological hermeneutics. It has long struck me that the force of biblical texts upon contemporary readers is not, despite frequent protests, constrained by the limits of their intelligibility, but rather by the intransigence of readers. Interestingly, in other avenues of […]
In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. … It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge … Joy in God is in course of being extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. […]
I’m passing on a couple of links I saw posted on Twitter a while back. The Mennonite is the denominational newsletter of the Mennonite Church USA, and it mentioned that faculty from AMBS in Elkhart IN were producing materials to resource the MCUSA discussion on human sexuality. Interesting to read through and see the nature […]
I am involved in the planning of a study conference on the topic of human sexuality, to be held in Edmonton in October. You never saw anything raise the eyebrows of a bunch of Christians like the promise of a bunch of talk about sex. We’re Christians; should we be talking about sex? Come now, […]
. . . is the question running through my head as I embark on the enterprise of writing my own blog for the first time. Do I really think I have anything to say? My answer is that this is a question for others to answer. I am not sure if I have anything to […]
What Are You Thinking? 