Faith Improvised

In this episode — the call of Levi — Mark clearly contrasts Jesus’ and the Pharisees’ perception. Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them. As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” […]

Having encountered in several places some less than lovely prose on a heavy-lidded afternoon, I’m provoked enough to fussily register a few fastidious notes. The creationist proponent and erstwhile debater is named “Ken Ham,” not “Ken Hamm.” I saw this regularly over the last few weeks from both his friends and foes. While I understand the […]

Alan Storkey, in his very interesting book, Jesus and Politics: Confronting the Powers, reads Jesus’ temptation through a political lens. It’s a fascinating study and a very interesting take on the historical Jesus. The following passage regarding Matthew’s account of Jesus’ temptation helpfully exposes why Christians ought to be wary of the seductions of earthly […]

I’m doing a little writing project on Paul’s conception of the church and have been reflecting on some recent online discussions about the church – its virtues, its faults, its necessity, and its possible dispensability. I’m struck by how I resonate with people who write critiques of the church. And I tend to agree with […]

We had a fun discussion in hermeneutics class a few days ago. Surveying interpretive strategies throughout church history, we touched a bit on lectio divina (“divine reading”). In our course textbook, Mark Strauss discussed this reading strategy and noted that many evangelicals may be suspicious of it because it seems “too Catholic.” I think he’s […]

In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus eats a meal with Levi the tax collector and a number of other notorious sinners. This is offensive to the Pharisees in the narrative – and likely to modern readers – because to share a meal is to embrace others in the familiarity of kinship. Further, there is no indication that […]

I don’t have considered opinions on the policy specifics of immigration. I’m struck, however, by how often discussions are driven by corrupted values — parties gaining seats in upcoming elections, crafting proposals to please this or that angry voting group, etc. Our contested cultural climate shapes the way many Christian people to consider this issue, […]

*A homily, originally given at Midtown Christian Community, Feb. 7, 2009. Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of […]

I used to teach evangelical undergrads who were not only well-versed in a scientific reading of Genesis 1 but were thoroughly saturated in the highly-charged rhetoric of the culture wars. In one course I included a few sessions that focused on the text of Genesis 1-2. I’d typically begin by noting that I was really […]

Many have weighed in already on the debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham. The issue, probably because of the social and cultural implications, arouses intense passions. I don’t claim to have the last word, but I’ll just offer here some scattered thoughts and perhaps they’ll serve as an explanation for why I said the […]