Category Archives: Scripture

Can Science & Theology Work Together?

Posted on by under Bible, creation, faith and science, Genesis, science, Scripture

Sunburst_over_EarthIn a theological forum on Facebook, I recently saw these, and similar, questions posed:

“How do you personally believe science and theology can work together? In other words, what limitations do you place on science? Only to the point of contradiction…or do you adjust your hermeneutic? Secondly, how would you evangelize or disciple a biology student who believes he has to choose between science and Christianity?”

They are good questions, one’s that Christians have been engaging with for centuries (if not always). I offered some thoughts on the forum and, so, thought I would also post them here for any conversation.

What do you think?

Here are my thoughts below (side note: I used all caps for some words because Facebook doesn’t allow for bold or italics).

Continue reading →

My Working Thesis on Our Fear of God’s “Earthiness”

Posted on by under Bible, church, Jesus, Scripture, theology

earthinessIt’s possible I might have come on to something. A few weeks ago, an idea hit me pretty strongly. It might simply be some bad pizza from the night before, or I might be on to something. So I’m simply using this as a place to think through some thoughts, a kind of journal, if you will.

A few months ago, I had already written on the problem of our fear-driven biblical interpretation. Not healthy fear, as in reverence for the Lord, but a fear that the Bible really doesn’t fit the paradigm for which many of us argue. But I want to talk about another fear.

What’s that fear. I’m calling it the fear of God’s “earthiness”. Continue reading →

The Bible Tells Me So – Review

Posted on by under Bible, book review, books, Scripture

TheBibleTellsMeSoNot too long ago, I received a review copy of Peter Enns’ newest release, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It. Thanks to HaperCollins for the book!

As with most books, the subtitle easily identifies the thesis of this work. Enns takes issue with a strongly conservative, evangelical approach towards defending Scripture, or perhaps even more, his challenge goes out to all who embrace the word inerrancy as an apt adjective describing the nature of Scripture.

I actually think that, to understand Enns’ theological views and perspectives, one needs to know his story. It is a tough one, one that stirs empathy in me. What is that story? Continue reading →

C.S. Lewis on Poetry

Posted on by under Bible, books, C.S. Lewis, devotional, poetry, Psalms, quotes, Scripture

reflections on the psalmsFor my birthday, I was given a gift card to Barnes & Noble. It’s great to know the people in my life know me so well – coffee, beer and books. I’m pretty easy to please!

So I stopped in to Barnes & Noble over the weekend to browse the shelves to see if I might find a candidate worth purchasing with my gift card. I did find something. My choice fell to C.S. Lewis’s Reflections on the Psalms. I decided on it because a) I’m teaching Old Testament Survey this semester, and we’ll take a whole 3-hour session to cover biblical poetry and the Psalms and b) knowing I teach at a creative-hub, such as Visible Music College, it seems appropriate to share C.S. Lewis’s thoughts on the Psalms. Here was a creative and imaginative giant. More a philosopher and story-writer, over and above being a poet. Yet still, I believe he’ll have some beautiful thoughts to offer on the Psalms.

Here’s something I came across in the Intro chapter on God’s desire to speak, or incarnate, through poetry: Continue reading →

Surprised by Scripture – Review

Posted on by under Bible, book review, books, N.T. Wright, Scripture

Surprised by ScriptureJust this month, New Testament scholar, N.T. Wright, released his newest book to date: Surprised by Scripture. Wright continues to make more of his work available to a popular Christian audience, as opposed to his more weighty and academic works, such as his Christian Origins and the Question of God, currently a 4-volume and 3700+ page set (with 2 more volumes to be released at some point).

First off, I want to offer a special thank you to Renee Senogles, Publicity Manager at HarperOne. She was kind to send a review copy a couple of months back. I always appreciate kind publishers willing to make copies available for free in exchange for reviewing them on one’s blog. Thanks, Renee! Continue reading →