In this paper, I argue the vine discourse of John 15 is a foundational reference point for Thomas Aquinas’s account of man’s friendship with God because it illuminates implicit theological dimensions of charity as friendship in the Summa Theologiae. Several contemporary scholars have shown that while Aquinas appropriates Aristotle’s philosophical account of friendship in many … Read more
Wildernesses appear throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, and play a major role in the narratives of Israel and Jesus. Wilderness is also an effective way of conceiving of the lives of believers in both testaments as a sojourn between our past redemption and final rest. Yet, especially compared with that other pivotal moment … Read more
In the books of 1-2 Kings, the prophet Elisha is the Spirit-filled man of God who walks with God, represents God, and shows the way to covenant faithfulness through word and deed. Elisha shows Israel who God really is, particularly when compared to the false gods the people are choosing to worship, and he shows … Read more
In the books of 1-2 Kings, the prophet Elisha is the Spirit-filled man of God who walks with God, represents God, and shows the way to covenant faithfulness through word and deed. Elisha shows Israel who God really is, particularly when compared to the false gods the people are choosing to worship, and he shows … Read more
The history of thought on Paul’s so-called allegory in Galatians 4:21–31 has entertained two basic choices concerning Paul’s hermeneutic: The apostle to the Gentiles was either reading typologically or allegorically. Scholars have sometimes hesitated to charge Paul with allegorical reading because ancient allegorical interpretation is often removed from close textual issues. Those scholars have attempted … Read more
Gospel scholars agree that the Olivet Discourse is, on the first level, clearly about the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. But apocalyptic language also naturally affords derivative historical and theological referents—typically taken to be other eschatological events around 70AD, the life of the church, and/or the return of Christ. It is underappreciated, however (though not … Read more
Purity and Impurity are fundamental to the most basic forms of religion, evident not only in the ancient Near Eastern context but also throughout the Pentateuch. The book of Leviticus, where the terms of purity and impurity are highly concentrated, is typically where most discussions originate concerning a purity worldview. However, some biblical theologians argue … Read more
The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and transhumanist ideologies poses a paradigmatic challenge to Christian theological ethics, particularly concerning personhood, embodiment, and moral agency. Defined by disembodiment, autonomy, and post-human ambition, these movements recast human identity through technological prowess, mirroring the typological hubris of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9). This paper argues that such ideologies constitute … Read more
Deuteronomy 6:4, known as the Shema, is a key proclamation of the belief in one God in the Hebrew Bible: אֶחָֽד יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל שְׁמַ֖ע. This verse captures the Jewish faith’s core by highlighting God’s oneness and uniqueness. It acts as a fundamental theological principle that sets Israelite beliefs apart from the polytheistic customs … Read more
In John 14:28, Jesus says, “You heard that I said to you, ‘I leave, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” In western trinitarian theology, this passage, especially the last clause “the Father is greater … Read more