I recently wrote in response to an article that appeared on The Gospel Coalition website. The article was an extract from Josh Butler’s new book “Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything” The extract provoked a great deal of controversy, hence the… Continue reading Beautiful Union?
Category: Theology
Jesus and Gender revisited
One question that sometimes gets asked is how Jesus as a man could represent women in his death and resurrection, bringing salvation to all. Amy Peeler, has offered this solution to the perceived problem. All orthodox Christians who affirm the virginal conception would affirm that he—in a way unique to the human race—embraces female and… Continue reading Jesus and Gender revisited
There is a hope
Throughout Isaiah, among all the warnings of judgement and desolation are scattered promises of salvation and restoration for God’s people. In the early parts of the book, the theme of judgement is the one that dominates but there is light in the darkness with the calling of a messenger, glimpses of God’s glory and the… Continue reading There is a hope
Where did we get the whole idea of Atonement from? – A response to Matthew Parris
Matthew Parris has written in the Spectator arguing that: Christians should face up to this: the whole atonement thing is a terrible muddle, a tangle of primitive and modern thinking, a proselytising salesman’s wheeze, a mess. Trying to make sense of it is a waste of time. Blame Paul. But don’t blame Jesus: it was… Continue reading Where did we get the whole idea of Atonement from? – A response to Matthew Parris
What the hope of resurrection doesn’t encourage us to do -and why that’s good news
Something struck me over the past few months, particularly as our family have been through a period of grief having seen Sarah’s dad and my mum die in a very short space of time. One of the emotions that we go through in grief is that strong sense of missing a person and wishing that… Continue reading What the hope of resurrection doesn’t encourage us to do -and why that’s good news
It’s about more than preaching
Yesterday, I argued that If we wanted churches that are theologically rich and culturally engaged (and I believe we need that), then rich preaching has a big part to play. However, even if we do the things that I argued for then I still think there’s a lot we need to do. We can’t expect… Continue reading It’s about more than preaching
Why Biblically rich cultural engagement may not be happening in our churches as much as we would like
I’m picking up on a theme from two sources. First, there is my friend Tim Suffield’s tweet that prompted my little survey the other day. Then there’s a recent book that has been generating a lot of excitement among conservative evangelicals “Biblical Critical Theory” by Christopher Watkins. The book, according to some of the most… Continue reading Why Biblically rich cultural engagement may not be happening in our churches as much as we would like
How well are we eating?
Not physical food but spiritual food. The question was prompted by these comments from my friend Tim Suffield. They link to an article he wrote, arguing that we need more parachurch institutions not less, especially when it comes to theological education and training. As it happens I disagree with Tim’s particular solution here but I… Continue reading How well are we eating?
Arise and Shine
I’ve now put together all of the teaching and devotional material we’ve been covering in Isaiah in one place. You can read it here. This should be a useful training resource for those of you making use of Faithroots resources for equipping for urban ministry. Part 1 offers an overview to the book, setting it… Continue reading Arise and Shine
The Harrowing of Hell and the filling of silence
Over the last few years, I’ve noticed two particular trends at Easter and I suspect they are linked. The first, that seemed to start earlier was that some Christians began to start making a bigger deal of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Comments include that we shouldn’t be in a rush to… Continue reading The Harrowing of Hell and the filling of silence
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