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During the late 20th Century, American evangelicals placed renewed emphasis on the spiritual disciplines through influential writings like Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, Dallas Willard’s The Spirit of the Disciplines, and Donald Whitney’s Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. These books, with combined sales in the millions, have exerted a generational influence regarding Christian spiritual … Read more
Proverbs 8 was a key text in Pro-Arian arguments for the begetting of the Son in time, as seen even in the succinct example from Eusebius of Nicomedia’s “Letter to Paulinus of Tyre.” The refutation of such interpretations in Pro-Nicene argumentation reveals how Pro-Nicene theologians made their own use of Proverbs 8 by placing it … Read more
In “The Psalmist as Historiographer” (T&T Clark, 2018), Jeffrey Leonard concludes his essay on Psalm 78 by claiming that numerous other psalms which allude to earlier Scripture are in need of ongoing research. One of the Psalms that fits Leonard’s call is Psalm 135, particularly with respect to exodus allusions within the Psalm. Psalm 135 … Read more
In this essay, I argue that John Owen’s views of the Old Testament’s inherent Christological frame of reference and the nature of the literal sense of holy Scripture can correct and guide our own reading of Scripture today. Though quality work has been done on John Owen’s hermeneutics (e.g., Tweeddale, Howson, McGraw, Knapp, Hindsman), a … Read more
The question of whether or not metaphysics can be encapsulated within confessional frameworks remains complex and contentious. This paper demonstrates the interplay between metaphysical assumptions and theological convictions, particularly within the Reformed tradition. Drawing upon recent critiques and theological insights, it argues that metaphysics, particularly the concept of actus purus (pure act), has been a … Read more
The doctrine of actus purus—typically associated with Aristotle and Aquinas—finds its inchoate metaphysical assumptions worked out in the Nicene controversy. Figures like Marius Victorinus were instrumental in adapting Neoplatonic metaphysics to defend divine simplicity and immutability in a way that upheld Christian Trinitarianism and refuted Arianism. The Council of Nicaea thus became a defining moment, … Read more
This paper will argue that there is no unified, “biblical” perspective on animals, contrary to the claims of both the ecocentric camp (following Lynn White’s allegation) and the anthropocentric camp, but that there are clear implications about animals that both viewpoints need to acknowledge. Prooftexts are often used to justify either an anthropocentric or ecocentric … Read more
This paper explores the discourse structures of Job 41 in the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Old Greek translations, with a particular focus on the depiction of Leviathan. The discourse features in the MT and the OG translations emphasize Job’s inability to conquer Leviathan. Additionally, the discourse features in the OG provide insight into the … Read more
In the last century or so, the doctrine of inerrancy has exerted an influence within evangelical theology to move the doctrine of scripture to the beginning of systematic theologies, offering to serve there as an epistemological foundation for all other doctrines derivable from scripture. This paper will draw primarily on the work of B. B. … Read more
Complementarians and Egalitarians both agree that Jesus humanized women, especially in light of his Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts. But humanizing women is one thing; ascribing leadership roles is another. In this paper, I will scrutinize the assertion that the gospel writers considered women to be leaders through three lenses. First, I will survey several passages … Read more