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Throughout New Testament studies, and Pauline studies in particular, the topic of suffering is often treated as a peripheral issue, with scholars such as Schreiner, Jervis, and Wu highlighting the difficulty of finding monographs or even chapters on the subject. More specifically, regarding 1 and 2 Thessalonians, outside of commentaries and a few select works … Read more
The so-called “Paul within Judaism” perspective—championed in recent years by Mark Nanos, Magnus Zetterholm, Paula Fredriksen, and Matthew Thiessen—has made a significant impact on the modern landscape of Pauline studies by contesting the assumption that Paul ceased to be a Jew upon his becoming a Christ-follower. According to proponents of this perspective, a major consequence … Read more
Robert Alter, in his The Art of Biblical Narrative, argued that “narrative analogy” is an instance in which “one part of the text provides oblique commentary on another” and is imperative in biblical interpretation. In his 2015 publication entitled Text and Subtext: On Exploring Biblical Narrative Design, Jonathan Grossman defined narrative analogy as follows: “An … Read more
Advocates of what I will term “high liturgical worship” increasingly contend that formal Reformed and Free Church worship constitutes a departure from the church catholic, especially from the fathers. (I use “high liturgical worship” to distinguish the liturgical practices characteristic of high church Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and some Lutheranism from formal Reformed and … Read more
John R.W. Stott (1921-2011) stood as a towering figure in 20th century evangelicalism. His 1965 work, Basic Christianity, was designated by Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top fifty books (ranked #16 of #50) that have shaped evangelicals. Yet in their book, A Short History of Global Evangelicalism, authors John Wolffe and March … Read more
Co-authored Proposal As Western Christians seek to discern their contribution to and benefit from global evangelicalism, we need to understand our unique cultural outlooks. Social science can be of some utility, but its findings must also be carefully sifted and evaluated theologically. Social scientists increasingly note that the methods and the findings of their disciplines … Read more
Proverbs 31 has long been a source of confusion and frustration for readers and preachers of Scripture. But this paper will argue that Proverbs 31 is surprisingly relevant for the church today when interpreted carefully, applied skillfully, and preached with sensitivity. The surprise of Proverbs 31:1-9 is that the mother of Lemuel (“the other Proverbs … Read more
John’s Gospel features six Jewish festivals during its account of Jesus’s ministry. One is not identified by name (5:1), three are Passover Festivals (2:13; 6:4; 11:55), one is Tabernacles (7:2), and one is Dedication (10:22). All except the Festival of Dedication, also called the Festival of Lights, originated during the days of Moses, and are … Read more
While the Church fathers throughout the entire patristic era manifested common concern to defend and remain within the shared faith of the Church as handed down by the apostles through the generations since their time, Irenaeus of Lyons and Vincent of Lérins paid special, detailed attention to that unity in the faith. In Against Heresies, … Read more
In the last several decades, moral theologians have looked to Augustine and Augustinian themes in order to lay out contemporary political theologies. Meanwhile, several recent works of scholarly study on Augustine himself have appeared which foreground his Christology, particularly as it relates to political life. In this essay I will evaluate how Augustine’s distinct Christology … Read more