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Redeemed man is unarguably simul iustus et peccator in general (simultaneously justified and sinful), but not in the sense of Luther’s commentary on Romans 7:25. Perhaps simul iustus et gemens (simultaneously justified and groaning) per Romans 8:23 comports better with a new creation anthropology (Jer 31:31-34, Ezek 36:22-27) and leads to stronger assurance, better shepherding, … Read more
The Creeds of Nicaea and Constantinople were not novelties that characterized innovations in theology or ecclesiology in order to combat the novel threats of Arianism and Eutychianism but were rooted in longer traditions that predated even Irenaeus’ and his own battles with the Marcionites and other gnostic teachers. As for back as the Didache, we … Read more
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
Attempts to understand the purpose of the Gospel according to John almost always and inevitably focus on John 20:30–31. This so-called true ending is an explicit purpose statement. The goal of this presentation, however, is not to recount how the scholars have spoken of purpose and John in former times up to the present, but … Read more
The Nicene Creed is undeniably one of the greatest theological statements in Christian history. But the strongest orthodox statement also needs to be fortified with teaching in orthopraxy. John Wesley famously suggested that “orthodoxy is but a slender part of religion, if it could be counted a part at all.” Statements like the Nicene Creed … Read more
According to one award-winning biography, Sam Houston remains the singular figure “standing like a colossus astride the middle decades of the 1800s.” Remembered by Texans for his leadership during the war for independence, he was also a man with complex and developing understandings of Christianity and religious devotion. He carried misunderstandings of Christian theology and … Read more
Co-authored: Epic stories like The Odyssey, the Aeneid, or more recently The Lord of the Rings are universally accepted and beloved stories. But beyond mere entertainment, these fictional accounts engage humanity at deep formative levels, especially utilizing the genre of myth to interact with and promote metaphysical and ethical realities deemed key to human existence. … Read more
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
The relationship between confession, ecclesiology, and authority in protestant literature has been variously appraised. Dorner considers confession as a product of the certain character of Christian faith; Bavinck considers confession as arising genetically from Scripture; and Webster posits that confession is act of the eccentricity holiness of the church. Norwegian Lutheran dogmatician Gisle Johnson (1822-1894), … Read more
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