In Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael Gorman brilliantly captures Revelation’s critique of civil religion that undergirds empire: Revelation is a critique of civil religion (first of all, but not only, Roman civil religion), that is, the sacralization of secular political, economic, and military power through various mythologies and practices—creeds and liturgies, we might say—and the corollary […]

Michael Gorman’s wonderful book on Revelation, Reading Revelation Responsibly, is a challenging and prophetic word to the American church, situated in the heart of a global empire and subject to the temptations of civil religion. He regards Revelation as “anti-assimilationist, or anti-accommodationist, literature” (p. 24).  The Apocalypse of John calls the church to an ethic […]

Last Fall I taught a course on Galatians, so at home we read through Galatians 5:13-26 regularly.  This Spring I’m teaching 1 Corinthians, so we’ve read chapter 13 repeatedly over the last four months. I must confess (and I’m sure I’m the only one like this) that I tend to think first about how others […]

  Richard Hays on the centrality of the resurrection for Christian faith: Paul saw that underneath all the dismaying problems of the Corinthians lay one massive theological fallacy: they denied the resurrection of the dead.  And by doing that, they denied the importance of the world that God created.  They denied—whether they meant to or […]

I’m teaching 1 Corinthians this Spring and we’ve noted repeatedly how Paul’s pastoral theologizing is completely dominated by eschatology. The coming judgment, the resurrection of the body, and the transformation of all things orient his approach to the life of the church and the character of being Christian. Paul notes quite often that “waiting” for […]

In the wake of the Wheaton Theology Conference, I’ve been giving some thought to the church’s relation to politics.  IVP has several very interesting new books out along this line. I just received my copy of Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph Modica.  I wish I had it a […]

A few recent conversations have sparked some thoughts about going to church as a critically-engaged exegete. Biblical exegesis is all about critical analysis of the details of a text and critical scrutiny of other exegetes’ work.  Several times after intense and involved class discussions, someone has commented that it must be tough to go to […]

Once again, it’s Masters Week, the unofficial beginning of the year for golfers.  The tournament begins tomorrow and several of the top players are in good form.  Anything at all can happen, however, in this very unpredictable first major of 2013. Phil Mickelson was on his way to winning it last year when a triple […]

In a number of passages in his letters, Paul casts non-Christians (or, humanity outside of Christ) in pretty dark terms.  Just read Romans 1:18-3:21, or Ephesians 2:1-3 and 4:17-19. When Paul writes to his churches about life outside the Kingdom of God community, he puts it in terms of idolatry, alienation from God, enmity with […]

We’re nearing the time for college and university graduations and a bit after that, high school graduations.  I’ve been asked to speak at a high school graduation in a few months and so I’m giving some thought to what I’ll say. What’s the best commencement or graduation speech you’ve ever heard?  Do you remember what […]