My good friend, Ben Freeman, and I sat down again and recorded the second episode of the Out of Context podcast. Again, it was a blast (and, again, Ben did all the work).
Continue readingCategory Archives: Christianity
Israel Antiquities Authority showcases Beit Shemesh “Gloriorius Martyr” Church
The Israeli Antiquities Authority showcased information about the excavation of a sixth-century Byzantine church in Beit Shemesh with an exhibit at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem. The excavations were directed by Benjamin
Here’s a snippet about the excavation of the church structure from the full article:
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An Early Description of Christians
A description of Christians from the Epistle to Diognetus by an author named Mathētēs (“disciple”). The date of the text is not clear, with estimates ranging from the early 2nd century to the late 3rd century. Continue reading
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Just Met A Dreamer: I Hope We Don’t Break His Trust
Just randomly met a young man who is a “Dreamer,” one of those young people benefitting from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). He was brought here when he was 12. He’s working hard. Doing his best, making his way, and trying to do the right things. Continue reading
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One of the Things I Love About The Bible
Most often there is no one “biblical position” on a topic, especially modern ones. Continue reading
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E. Stanley Jones: The Sermon on the Mount, Creeds, and Christianity
E. Stanley Jones was a Methodist missionary and theologian. He is most well known for his work in India and, espeically, his friendship with Gandhi. He has many well known works in missionary, theological, and Methodist circles, including The Christ on the Indian Road, which sold over 1 million copies.
One of his works that has been formative for me is The Christ of the Mount, in which Jones focuses on the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. I really cannot recommend this book enough. It is transformative. Continue reading
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Pew Research: Why Americans are Leaving Religion—and Why They’re Unlikely to Come Back
This report is not surprising, but re-affirms the trends that we have been witnessing since the early 1990’s. As the report states:
“By the end of the 1990s, 14% of the public claimed no religious affiliation. The rate of religious change accelerated further during the late 2000s and early 2010s, reaching 20% by 2012. Today, one-quarter (25%) of Americans claim no formal religious identity, making this group the single largest “religious group” in the U.S.” (page 2)
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Fasting Meditation 4: From the Didache, a first century guide to Christian life and community
The Didache is dated by most scholars to the end of the first century. It’s opening line (essentially its title) is: “Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles (or Nations) by the Twelve Apostles”. It contains elements regarding Christian life and community, quoting and echoing the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Continue reading
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Fasting Meditation 3: A Christian Writing from the Second Century (2 Clement)
Although labeled “2 Clement” this excerpt is from a text written by an anonymous author from the second century (A.D. 140-160) and not Clement of Rome (who was from the generation following the apostles). However, the work was included along with 1 Clement in several Christian collections, one of which (Codex Alexandrinus) dates from the fourth century. Continue reading
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Fasting, Meditation 2: Shepherd of Hermas
From a text known title “The Shepherd of Hermas”. One of the earliest Christian texts we have after the New Testament, dating from the first or second century. It was very popular among Christians in the second and third centuries. Continue reading
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The Weapons of Our Warfare: The Question of Churches Arming Themselves
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend who works on the staff of a nearby church. He shared with me that they were having conversations about what to do if an extremist attack took place at one of their services or programs. According to my friend, much of the conversation centered on the idea of providing armed security (off-duty police officers) as well as intentionally arming and training some staff or congregation members. Continue reading
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Scot McKnight and Miraslov Volf on Twitter: Do Muslims, Jews, and Christians Worship the Same God
There is a fascinating discussion between the two theologians on twitter, sparked by Volf’s latest work, Allah: A Christian Response, in which he takes the position and Muslims and Christians worship the same God but have different understandings. Here are a few of the interchanges between the two of them on twitter (sparked by an initial tweet by Justin Taylor of McKnight’s comments):
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