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Analogical language is an effective solution to the problem of religious language. However, the literature contains many criticisms, generally arguing that analogy is insufficient for bridging the gap between God and human beings. In this paper, I respond to these criticisms by proposing that analogy should not be understood in isolation but as part of … Read more
Creeds define the essential doctrines of the faith, but non-essential doctrines can cause division even within churches unified on the essentials. In contemporary Christianity, women in authority roles constitutes one such divisive issue, even though most scholars classify this issue as “secondary.” Secondary issues still are given different levels of importance, which affects how one … Read more
It has generally been accepted that the ecumenical creeds as we have them today, are mainly responses to the issues that were debated when they were written. In as much as creeds have nourished faith and undergirded ecclesial worship for centuries, however, they may not deeply present all the most important things that we should … Read more
In this essay, I will investigate how themes of divine justice are woven through the Nicene Creed. This paper will argue that the Creed’s teaching on the Son aligns with the diverse expressions of divine justice in Scripture and contains important implications for how we consider the justice of our triune God in se and … Read more
The rapid emergence of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT has prompted a wave of interest among Christian leaders, theologians, and ministry workers. Some have focused on AI’s existential and long-term implications; others on immediate applications, tools, and prompting techniques. Between these extremes lies a pressing theological and practical need: a framework for how ministry … Read more
What hath Northampton to do with Nicaea? This paper examines kingdom and monarchical language in the sermon set A History of the Work of Redemption by Jonathan Edwards and compares such language’s resonance with the theological constructs affirmed by the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381). The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed affirms, “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten … Read more
No book of the Old Testament speaks of God as one who forms and enacts plans (עצה, מעשׂה, etc.) in the world as much as Isaiah. Such theologically pregnant language, of course, has inspired a variety of constructs. Some equate references to Yhwh’s עצה with the notion of an eternal divine decree that unfolds indelibly … Read more
Hebrews uses “tabernacle” rather than “temple” language in its cultic discourse. This preference raises the question of why the author avoids temple terminology, despite Hebrews’ clear emphasis on priesthood and sacrifice. Some scholars suggest that Hebrews grounds its cultic system in the authority of the Pentateuch, viewing the wilderness tabernacle, rather than the post- exilic … Read more
The study of the theology and ethics of the Old Testament is a well-traversed path in scholarship. For this area of study, scholars have attempted to provide equal weight to the entirety of the canon in order to better understand its theological and ethical vision as a whole rather than only focus upon one book … Read more
After the Israelites entered the promised land and conquered Jericho, they ascended into the hill country to attack the fortress of Ai. Joshua 7 records Israel’s defeat at Ai, whereas Joshua 8 recounts their victory. In this presentation I demonstrate how the rhetorical elements in these two literary accounts advance the narrator’s argument. My research … Read more