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A Christmas Reflection
Read more: A Christmas ReflectionPhoto Credit: “Nativity” by jeffweese is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Christmas and the Christmas tradition can trigger a host of emotions and memories for nearly everyone who lives in our country. Whether it’s the decorations in the neighborhood, the familiar holiday music on the radio, or the fact that nearly everything shuts down on Christmas Day, it’s…
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Women and the Gender of God with Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler (Podcast)
Read more: Women and the Gender of God with Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler (Podcast)In this episode we are joined by Rev. Dr. Amy Peeler, associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College, to talk about her forthcoming book, Women and the Gender of God (published by Eerdmans on October 4th). Over the course of our conversation, Rev. Dr. Peeler explains that this book is trying to address where…
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Fruit of Lips
Read more: Fruit of LipsEugen Rosenstock-Huessy’s Fruit of Lips is biblical theology done in the mode of T.S. Eliot. The Four Quartets is the only thing like it that I have read. The title comes from the promise in Isaiah 57.19, “I create the fruit of lips,” and its fulfillment in ecclesial life in Hebrews 13.15, “Through Jesus, let us continually…
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Advent and the Meaning of Life
Read more: Advent and the Meaning of LifeChristmas and the days leading up to it, otherwise known as advent, have profound implications for our everyday experience. The incarnation infuses meaning into a humanity lost in a void of meaninglessness. It has certain clear ethical implications, as well as direction for reflections on place and vocation. Lastly, it musters up an incarnational ideology…
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John of Damascus on Divine Images
Read more: John of Damascus on Divine ImagesSt. John of Damascus penned the Treatises on the Divine Images in response to iconoclasm which swept across the Byzantine Empire under Emperor Leo III. Throughout his three treatise, St. John of Damascus works to distinguish veneration from worship, and he justifies icons imaging Jesus and the saints. As a modern reader the distinction between…
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A Needy Jesus
Read more: A Needy JesusToday marks the Day of the Epiphany. While Christmas has come and gone, I’m still going to post about Christ’s incarnation, to continue the reflections on His coming after being reminded by fellow Two Cities bloggers about Epiphany (See King-Ho’s post on “Christmas Eve Beyond Christmas” and Tanner’s post on “Let Christmas Continue“). For the…
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The Shameful Company of Prostitutes, A Pregnant Teenager, and Farm Boys
Read more: The Shameful Company of Prostitutes, A Pregnant Teenager, and Farm BoysIn studying the theology of shame throughout the Bible, I’ve been noticing how Jesus came into the world in the midst of shameful company. Since the New Testament culture was a collectivist culture, where honor and status were highly regarded, honor and shame were essential parts of the society at large. From His lineage, Jesus…
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Good Grief, It’s Christmas Charlie Brown!
Read more: Good Grief, It’s Christmas Charlie Brown!As Christmas quickly approaches, I don’t feel ready for the holiday season. While many people enjoy the holiday cheer and the magic of the Christmas season, I sometimes resonate with Charlie Brown in A Charlie Brown Christmas, not enjoying the Christmas season because the true Christmas story gets lost in the hustle and bustle of…
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On the Incarnation in the New Year
Read more: On the Incarnation in the New YearI am notorious for listening to Christmas music at any time of year. This produces a gamut of responses from utter disparaging of the thought to confessions of similar behavior. My reason is never an attempt to sustain the festivities long past their due. Rather, I am deeply and profoundly encouraged by the gift we…
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Jesus and His Father
Read more: Jesus and His FatherAnyone who’s come over for dinner has seen my collection of Peruvian oil paintings of the Virgin Mary. Several years ago, a spending spree and newfound obsession with Catholic art (despite being a Reformed Baptist) landed me with a few too many Marys: three hanging in the hallway and one above my bed. Buyer’s remorse…