Roman Catholics place a strong emphasis on Mary as worthy of homage and devotion. They refer to her as The Virgin Mary, believing that she was a perpetual virgin. This goes beyond the idea of a virgin conception or virgin birth to a permanent, celibate life. I want to have a look at this in… Continue reading Perpetual Virginity – Making theology unnecessarily complicated
Category: Theology
Why does Open Theism matter?
I’ve been spending a few days talking about Open Theism. Why have I given so much attention to what on the surface looks like an obscure theological viewpoint which is not widely known. I want to suggest that there are significant things at stake, not just theologically but pastorally as well. You see, whilst there… Continue reading Why does Open Theism matter?
Is Open Theism Biblical?
The Biblical argument for Open Theism is set out in Richard Rice’s chapter in The Openness of God.[1] As we saw in the previous post, the foundation for the argument is 1 John 4:8. Rice goes on to argue that the approach is supported more widely by Scripture. The next part of the argument is… Continue reading Is Open Theism Biblical?
Divine Love and the case for Open Theism
The crucial question when making a decision about Open Theism is whether or not it faithfully points us to the God of the Bible. As I mentioned in my previous article, a key starting point for Open Theism is 1 John 4:8 where the apostle says: 8 But anyone who does not love does not know… Continue reading Divine Love and the case for Open Theism
Open Theism
I recently did a straw poll on social media to find out whether or not people have heard of Open Theism and what they made of it. A significant proportion of those who responded indicated that they did not know enough to form a judgement. Yet, I want to suggest that elements of the thinking… Continue reading Open Theism
Beautiful Union?
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?
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
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