What does Plato have to do with Christianity? Greek philosophy is a Bad Thing, and it has corrupted Christian theology. Right? Perhaps not. Allow Simon Oliver to explain, in a short video.
How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil (D. A. Carson) Be prepared! That is the key message of this helpful book. When days of darkness come upon us, we need to have in place some clear beliefs to sustain us.
Who is to Blame? Disasters, Nature and Acts of God (Robert S. White) We tend to blame God for natural disasters. God is responsible for processes such as earthquakes, but it is usually humans who turn them into disasters.
The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? (David Bentley Hart) David Bentley Hart’s book from 2005 is lucid, brief and profound. It amounts to a sustained attack on the idea that suffering has some kind of explanation.
Finding Ourselves after Darwin This book explores the implications of evolution for human uniqueness and the image of God, for Adam and Eve and original sin, and for the problem of evil.
The God of the Bible and the God of the Philosophers The God of classical theism is immutable and eternal. But the God of the Bible is responsive and relational. How could these be the same God?
Animal predation before the fall Ronald Osborn, in his 2014 book, Death Before the Fall, explores whether a ‘very good’ creation could have included elements of ferocity among animals.
Curacy announcement I’m delighted to announce that, on 30 June 2019 in Durham Cathedral, I am due to be ordained as a deacon to serve as curate in Spennymoor and Whitworth.
Postcard from Durham (3) As I begin my third and final year studying theology at Cranmer Hall (Durham), here is a quick update.
What is an ‘inclusive’ church? ‘Inclusive’ has become a form of doublespeak in Christian circles, signalling sympathy with LGBT ideas. But what does it actually mean to be ‘inclusive’?
Alastair Roberts on (women’s) ordination Three insightful videos on the topic of ordained ministry were posted recently by Alastair Roberts. Here they are, preceded by my notes.
Biblical liturgy? Biblical songs, biblical preaching, biblical prayers … but what about biblical liturgy? Is there a biblical recipe for putting it all together?
What does baptism do? Alastair Roberts is a fount of biblical and theological knowledge, and has recently started making videos. Recently he shared a few thoughts on baptism.
Creation: A Guide for the Perplexed (Simon Oliver) Many of our contemporary problems (Simon Oliver argues) stem from the same cause: our failure to identify the world, first and foremost, as created.
Even Better than Eden American Bible teacher and author Nancy Guthrie has a new book out: Even Better than Eden. It looks fascinating, given her recent Crossway article.
Christian Theology: An Introduction (Alister McGrath) This historical introduction to ‘the systematic study of the fundamental ideas of the Christian faith’ has very little Bible, but for good reasons.
Did Paul write Paul’s letters? ‘I am unconvinced that Paul wrote any of his letters.’ So says New Testament scholar Scot McKnight. But what on earth does he mean?
The key to lectionary preaching Most Church of England churches follow the Common Worship Lectionary for their Bible readings. And most preachers, it seems, struggle to make sense of it.
The Anglican way as the middle way What do Anglicans elsewhere in the world think about Anglicanism? For Thomas McKenzie in the USA, the Anglican way holds together apparent opposites.
Greg Beale on the temple and the church’s mission Why, in Revelation 21, when John sees the new heaven and earth, does it look like ‘a city in the shape of a temple that’s garden-like’?
Liturgical Man, Liturgical Women James B. Jordan writes that ‘the differences between men and women are … fundamentally liturgical and only secondarily biological and psychological’.
Predation and young-age creationism Even within young-age creationism, it is not easy to explain why animals ‘savagely kill and devour each other’. It seems neither plausible nor justifiable.
Why was Joseph so harsh on his brothers? The account of Joseph in Genesis is one of my favourite parts of the Bible. But have we missed a key element of the story?
Spurgeon on the death of animals before the fall The views of the great preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon about the death of animals before the fall seem to have evolved during his ministry.
Singing from the same hymn sheet: reflections on Christian unity I must confess that the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has passed me by almost unnoticed. But I’ve been pondering the topic this week.
The Groaning of Creation: God, Evolution, and the Problem of Evil I’m going to be engaging this term with Christopher Southgate’s wide-ranging book, The Groaning of Creation. Here I attempt to summarise the book.
Encountering God’s Word: Beginning biblical studies Evangelicals can face serious challenges when they are exposed to biblical studies in an academic context. This book aims to prepare students for the task.
Scripture and Authority Today ‘Authority is not a concept which has fared well in the modern period,’ writes Richard Bauckham. What are the implications for biblical authority?
Feasting in the kingdom As promised, there is more food and drink for the final instalment of this four-week series, as we return to the chapel at Hild Bede College for Communion.
On sheep, goats, and eternal fire The ‘parable’ of the sheep and the goats is pretty clear, in terms of its practical implications. But it raises some massive questions.
Choral evensong I’ve been eating and drinking a lot during my placement at Hild Bede College. But chapel services are a central part of the ministry of the chaplain here.
Table Talk: meaningful conversations On placement this week at Hild Bede College I’ve been involved in a discussion group after chapel on Wednesday evening, exploring the theme of identity.
Fleshing out Galatians What is the message of Galatians? Easy. Don’t get circumcised! Fair enough, but not particularly relevant to most of us. Can we say more?
Is Christianity fit to survive evolution? Often people assume that the only obstacle is the interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. But much more is at stake.
A chaplain’s brunch I’m on placement this year at Hild Bede College, Durham University. This is the first of four short blog posts telling you what I’m up to, and why.
That we may perfectly love thee: Cranmer and the reformation of the heart Inspiring and heart-warming day yesterday, as Ashley Null paid a visit to Cranmer Hall to speak to us about none other than Thomas Cranmer himself.
Postcard from Durham (2) As I begin my second year (of three) studying theology at Cranmer Hall (Durham), here is a quick update.
Confident: Why we can trust the Bible Daniel Strange and Michael Ovey argue for the plausibility of the Bible, and for its supreme authority, based on the example of Jesus.
Is Anglicanism all about the local church? Article XIX of the Thirty-Nine Articles describes the church as ‘a congregation’. But is this referring to a local congregation, or to something else?
The New Creationism What are we to do with the apparent conflict between science and the Bible when it comes to origins? Do creationist scientific models offer any hope?
A History of Christianity (Johnson) The task of the historian is not to record the past, but to make sense of it. And that is exactly what Catholic writer Paul Johnson attempts to do.
The mindset of the heavenly empire (sermon on Philippians 2:1-11) I don’t tend to post sermons on here. But here you can find an approximation to the text of a sermon (or two) I preached yesterday.
What is the Church of England doing on the continent? I’ve just spent two weeks visiting the Diocese in Europe, along with five other ordinands from Cranmer Hall. But what is the Anglican church there for?
Sermons worth preaching Though I preach with the tongues of Wesley and Whitefield, but do not have a sermon worth preaching, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Why pray for politicians? Have we misunderstood what the Bible says about praying for our political leaders? Why are we told to pray ‘for kings and all those in authority’?
Not Anglicans, but Anglicans If ‘Anglican’ means ‘of the Church of England’, then are GAFCON, AMiE and the ACNA ‘Anglican’? Why not find an alternative to the word ‘Anglican’?
The end of the world is nigh The great prophets of Israel prophesied at a time when the world as they knew it was collapsing. Do we need a revival of prophetic preaching today?
99% of Christians do not believe in the resurrection According to a recent survey commissioned by the BBC, 85% of ‘active’ Christians ‘believe that there is life after death’. But what do they mean by that?
Is the Church of England Anglican? Isn’t it obvious, like asking if the Pope is Catholic? Sadly not: it depends on what you mean by ‘the Church of England’, and what you mean by ‘Anglican’.
The end of good disagreement? A look at the bishops’ report on same-sex relationships Whatever else the bishops said in their report on same-sex relationships, they didn’t use the phrase ‘good disagreement’. Is this significant?
Intercessions as emails If intercessions were emails, far too many of them leave blank the minor details of who they are from and who they are to, and do not even have a body!
How does God change people? How does God change people? Easy: through the Bible and by the Holy Spirit! But how does that happen? Roger Hurding helpfully describes four models.
What is God saying to you through this passage? Have you ever been in a Bible study in which the leader asks this question? There is much to be commended in this approach, but there are problems.
Postcard from Durham Just a quick update on where I am and what I’m doing. Exactly one month ago (3 October) I started as a CofE ordinand at Cranmer Hall in Durham.
New creation: continuity and discontinuity? When comparing the present creation to the new creation, we often say there will be ‘both continuity and discontinuity’. But does this mean anything?
Four futures for the Church of England Given what may well be fundamental disagreements between ‘revisionists’ and ‘traditionalists’, it seems that there are, logically, four possible outcomes.
Tom Wright on Gnosticism Which religion is all about ‘discovering who I really am’? I recently wrote about the New Gnosticism, so I thought find out about the old Gnosticism.
The CofE is not about to split Don’t believe what you read in the headlines. The Church of England is not on the verge of schism. But why are there so many reports suggesting it is?
Forget the New Atheism: what about the New Gnosticism? A movement that some are calling the New Gnosticism has taken almost complete hold of the centres of Western society. How can we make sense of it?
Calvin on Christ’s person and work These chapters tell us about Jesus Christ: his divinity and humanity, why he was sent by the Father, and how he has fulfilled his work of redemption.
Calvin on Christ in the law and the gospel In our fallen condition, the law of Moses functions to show and restrain sin and to point to Christ. But for believers, it is principally a guide.
Christianity: A Very Liberal Introduction Linda Woodhead’s ‘Very Short Introduction’ tells the story of three types of Christianity: Church (bad), biblical (bad) and mystical (good).
Calvin on our need for redemption in Christ Before Calvin introduces God as Redeemer in Christ (in Book II, chapter 6), he makes us acutely aware of our need for redemption (chapters 1-5).
Wright on resurrection A few reflections on NT Wright’s 2003 book, ‘The Resurrection of the Son of God’.
A prospective ordinand’s travel journal My quest for a CofE theological college took me to Cranmer Hall (Durham), Oak Hill College (London), Ridley Hall (Cambridge) and Wycliffe Hall (Oxford).
The mission of the church and the decline in voluntary organisations Voluntary organisations are declining as consumerism rises. This affects the church too. How should we respond? How should we do church in this context?
The parable of the sower, dramatised Is Jesus, perhaps, acting out the parable of the sower as he tells it? Jesus tells the parable so that the crowd do not understand but the disciples do.
What if Jesus’ body were still in the tomb? What if I told you that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but that his body was still in the tomb? What difference would it make?
What if it were still Holy Saturday? What if Jesus’ body were still in the tomb until the day when God ushers in his eternal kingdom? What difference would that make?
Whatever happened to congregational singing? The text of a short talk I gave as part of my BAP. There’s something about singing together (as opposed to singing along) that forms and binds a community.
Dating Easter: a brief (and inadequate) guide One of the outcomes of the meeting of Anglican primates in January was an agreement to work towards a fixed date for Easter. What’s that all about then?
Revving up Just a quick announcement to say that I’ve been given the green light to train for ordained ministry in the Church of England!
Twenty years of following Jesus It was twenty years ago today, but I remember it vividly. At that youth service, the preacher encouraged us to commit our lives to God, and I did so, out of a real sense of God drawing me to himself.
Calvin on providence Calvin is perhaps best known for his teaching about predestination, free will and providence. His approach to providence is both scriptural and pastoral.
Calvin on creation, angels and devils Picking up Calvin’s Institutes after a short (ahem) pause, we move from the doctrine of God to the doctrine of creation, in chapters 14 and 15 of Book I.
Hymns of hope (10) Amazing grace John Newton’s classic hymn, Amazing grace, was published in 1779 as part of his Olney Hymns. How does it speak about our future hope?
Hymns of hope (9) Lo! He comes If you had to describe the Christian hope for the future in terms of someone moving in some direction, then who would be moving, and in which direction?
Hymns of hope I’ve been wanting to resurrect this occasional series, looking at the theme of hope in Christian hymns and songs. Here is an index for the series.
Back to Genesis: why was Eve deceived? Still thinking about women’s ordination, I’m afraid. The key verses from 1 Timothy 2 clearly allude to Genesis 2 and 3, so maybe we should head there?
Women teaching men: why was Eve deceived? I honestly thought I’d have nailed 1 Timothy 2 by now (‘I do not permit a woman to teach…’). But I haven’t. So this post is a bit of a work in progress.
Women bishops and the question of conscience Supposing we reach the conclusion that women shouldn’t be ordained as priests or bishops, then what next? What are we consicence-bound to do?
It is not a supper you eat John Stevens has a timely and provocative article on the Lord’s Supper, in which he argues that it should be celebrated in the context of a proper meal.
Kenneth Bailey on women in the New Testament Discussions about the ordination of women often focus on certain key passages in the New Testament. This can give the impression that it’s just a matter...
John Stott on women’s ordination John Stott seemed broadly in favour of women’s ordination, based on his Issues facing Christians today (4th edition, 2006). He unpacks the Bible’s teac...
The ordination of women I’m trying to think through my position on women’s ordination, having tried to avoid the issue for years. Since I came to a living faith in my teens, t...
I’m not a person of faith There are two types of people: normal people, and everyone else. How you unpack that depends on what you think of as normal. So there are Brits and fo...
Faith at the ballot box: Greens Over on Thomas Creedy’s blog there has been a series of posts, in which Christians from various political parties answer a set of questions. I took part...
Coding for Christ? There was a post of mine on the Faith in Scholarship blog a couple of days ago. It begins as follows… While I was an academic astronomer, I probably...
General election Bible study I cobbled this Bible study together at the weekend. It is unrefined and untested, but I post it here in case it might be useful. The main inspiration is...
Christianity and the Green Party A little flurry of online activity on this topic over the past few days. First, there was Gillan Scott’s post on Archbishop Cranmer, entitled Green Par...
A Christian guide to the General Election: Votewise 2015 If you’re a Christian thinking about how to vote (or whether to vote) in the 2015 General Election, and if you read just one short book on the topic, th...
The first chapters of everything This recent (2014) book on Genesis 1-4 by Alasdair Paine (of St Andrew the Great in Cambridge) is a joy to read. The emphasis is on how the chapters mak...
Christians in Politics: will you #ShowUp? In politics, it has been said, decisions are made by those who show up. Christians in Politics launched a new campaign today: The Show Up campaign ...
Christian same-sex marriage? I recently read one of the most prominent books of its kind: Jeffrey John’s Permanent, Faithful, Stable: Christian Same-sex Marriage. It’s the first suc...
Election 2015: Christian comment from KLICE The excellent Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics (KLICE) has a new page devoted to the 2015 (general) election. You can read all about it in th...
Steel Angels: the personal qualities of a priest The Church of England puts people forward for ordination based on nine criteria. Those criteria form the basis for this 2014 book by Magdalen Smith, who...
On feeling called to be ordained The most helpful parts of Francis Dewar’s book Called or Collared? are those dealing with the idea that you must believe that you are ‘inwardly moved by...
Ministry in Three Dimensions I’m writing this from the Bible Belt of the Netherlands: a strip running from the south west towards the east of the country, in which there are many co...
Do you feel called by God? You don’t need to! That’s the main point of Michael Bennett’s 2012 book, Do you feel called by God? (Matthias Media). From the back cover: When Mic...