(21 minutes) LITERALISM: With the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment which occurred in Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries, humans (at least, some of them) began to emphasize reason and science in their interpretation of the world. Superstition gave way to a more objective pursuit of knowledge… Continue reading
(12 minutes) THE LEGACY OF AUGUSTINE: Perhaps the theologian who has most influenced Western Christianity is Augustine (354-430 CE) who became the Bishop if Hippo in North Africa. Augustine was a genius whose thought often focused on the inner life of individuals. He was the church father who emphasized Original… Continue reading
(6 minutes) In part one of this series, I focused on the disconnect between the teachings and example of Jesus and the practice and theology of the church throughout history. In part two, we looked at two of the reasons for this historical disconnect: the abandonment of Christianity’s Jewish heritage… Continue reading
(11 minutes) In part one of this series, I wrote about a fundamental disconnect between the life and message of Jesus and Christianity as it has been practiced over the centuries. Of course, there have been times when the church and individual Christians have been faithful to the revelation of… Continue reading
(13 minutes) Consider this remarkable fact: in the Sermon on the Mount, there is not a single word about what to believe, only words about what to do and how to be. By the time the Nicene Creed is written, only three centuries later, there is not a single word… Continue reading
