All religious creeds should be understood as metaphorical in nature. In fact, all words are metaphorical, something biblical literalists and Fundamentalists never understand. At best, words point to something beyond themselves. Continue reading
In my blog, I have been very critical of what is called “Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory.” (See the articles “The Death of Jesus: Penal Substitutionary Atonement” and “Demons: Part Three.”) I will not repeat the details of my critique of the theory in this article. However, I want to share… Continue reading
Thomas Erskine (1788-1870) and George MacDonald (1823-1905) were two Scottish theologians whose forgotten legacy is one of the tragedies of Western Christianity. Erskine was a Scottish lord and lay theologian. MacDonald was a Scottish Protestant minister and fantasy novelist. Erskine influenced MacDonald, and MacDonald influenced C. S. Lewis and J…. Continue reading
Perhaps one of the most difficult fruits of the Spirit for me to receive is patience. Like most people I am perhaps most impatient with myself. I expect too much of my life, my vocation, and my development. My compromised discipleship, my petty concerns, my hesitancy to have my day’s… Continue reading
Intro: What is salvation and how does it occur? Western Christianity, especially within Fundamentalist and conservative Evangelical circles, emphasizes what we are saved from (which is eternal torment in hell). Eastern Christianity, when it is at its best, focuses on what we are saved for (which is eternal transformation into… Continue reading
How many wars, conflicts, and confrontations could be avoided if we truly lived according to Jesus’ insistence that violence and vengeance are not God’s ways at any level (individual, communal, national, and international)? When will we ever learn that it is blasphemy to call upon God to do violence for us or to bless our violence against others even in the cause of patriotism? Continue reading
(24 minutes) What Jesus meant by “the Kingdom of God” is often misunderstood by those in and outside the church. By “entering the Kingdom of God,” he did not mean going to heaven when we die. Part of that misunderstanding is based on Matthew’s preference for the phrase “Kingdom of… Continue reading
(13 minutes) In part one of “The Eye of a Needle,” we acknowledged the addictive danger of wealth in Jesus’ teachings. We also recognized that his warning about the love and pursuit of money can be found in several parables and various teachings. He even saw wealth as the chief… Continue reading
(11 minutes) Jesus said, “How hard for those possessing wealth to enter the Kingdom of God, for it is easier for a camel to enter through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.” And those hearing this said, “Can any… Continue reading
We experience time in a linear fashion—a line which moves from past to present and toward an unknown future. The past is gone and can never be visited. The future does not yet exist and therefore cannot be experienced. However, the transcendent God “experiences” all of time simultaneously. Continue reading
