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The Upper Room: A Peaceful Dwelling for Systematic and Biblical Theologians

This paper investigates select contributions of Trinitarian Hermeneutics and Nicene Docmatics presented in On Classical Trinitarianism (Matthew Barrett, ed.) as they interpret texts in John 14-16. In that volume, seventeen authors analyze various biblical texts to identify the necessity of approaching Scripture via the lens of Classical Trinitarianism. For these authors, Nicea defined Trinitarianism, offering … Read more

Works of Mercy: The Missing Link of Discipleship

Works of mercy (i.e., compassionate ministry) are an essential component of discipleship development if one takes seriously the example of Jesus in training His disciples. But in the contemporary church, it is a “missing link” for a reason: it isn’t as efficient or as comfortable as the mere sermon or Bible study. Still, if training … Read more

Restored: Job’s Epilogue Experience as a Return from Exile

As is commonly observed, Job 42:10 depicts Job’s restoration with the phrase שׁב את־שׁבית [שׁבות] which is dominantly associated with corporate return from exile elsewhere in the Old Testament. Building on this observation, this paper proposes that the Joban Epilogue contains numerous other allusions to the ‘return from exile’ motif, especially as that motif is … Read more

“Hail Incarnate Deity”: Christ as Subject and Object of Worship and Glory

This paper attempts to hold together three strands of literature that have each grown in recent years, yet frequently grown apart: (1) classical, dogmatic Christology [e.g., Pawl, Cross, Duby, Wellum, McFarland], (2) biblical theological accounts of worship and glory [e.g., Lamport, Block, Beale, Peterson, Kaiser, etc.], and (3) philosophical accounts of humanity’s “chief end” [e.g., … Read more

Anime-ted Afterlife: Comparative Eschatology in Modern Anime

In recent years, Anime has experienced a surge in popularity in Western culture. Accordingly, the theology of anime, reflecting a fusion of eastern and western beliefs, has become increasingly influential. The diverse array of storylines reflect deep thought and lively speculation on an equally diverse array of theological themes. The proposed paper will examine one … Read more

Shaping Christian Identity in Acts 1–6: An Indexical-Cycle Analysis of the Jerusalem Church

This paper examines how early Christian social identity is constructed and institutionalized in Acts 1–6, focusing on the Jerusalem church. By employing Allan Bell’s sociolinguistic concept of the “Indexical Cycle,” this study investigates how repeated interactions between language and social behavior contribute to the formation and reinforcement of group identity. By tracing four discourse-action cycles … Read more

Christian Theology and Old Testament Law: The Case of the Cities of Refuge

Theological interpreters frequently retrieve the multiple senses of biblical texts. However, beyond the Reformation’s ambiguous stance on allegory, another crucial aspect of its exegetical heritage remains underexplored: the distinction between history and doctrine. For John Calvin, who applied this distinction in his Mosaic Harmony, his exegesis of narratives allows for engagement with the central figures, … Read more

Ethos Over Logos: Preaching to the Generations

Preaching, as a communication event, includes the management of at least three important elements: source characteristics, message effects, and respondent concerns (see the seminal work of Carl I. Hovland, Irving L. Janis, and Harold H. Kelley, Communication and Persuasion, Yale University Press, 1953). This is already a complicated and formidable prospect even among homogeneous audiences. … Read more