“De Futilitate”

If you get a chance, check out C.S. Lewis’ essay “De Futilitate” (in Christian Reflections). It’s a fun read. Here’s a snippet, which gives us a window into how Lewis understood faith, doubt, justice, and morality. “There is, to be sure, one glaringly obvious ground for denying that any moral purpose at all is operative…

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Celebrating Advent with Apocalyptic Eyes

The Advent season is about preparing our hearts for Christmas by reflecting on Jesus’ coming to the earth 2,000 years ago. (And it also involves anticipating what is to come in the future — awaiting the day when he returns again.) And as we reflect upon the coming of Jesus, we have to ask ourselves,…

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On Walking

I went for a walk the other day and came across a cross. One might chalk it up as happenstance. Perhaps the wind blew these two sticks until they eventually married one another on this random path at just the right time before I chanced upon them. Or maybe it was by design. Perhaps some…

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New SAET Article on Justification

Matthew Thomas recently published a new article on the doctrine of justification for the St. Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology. You can read it here. Thomas offers a well-rounded overview of all the important questions (and controversies) that have accompanied the doctrine through the years. I’m fascinated by the subject. It’s interesting to reflect upon not…

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Nobody’s Mother

I’ve started reading Dr. Sandra Glahn’s new book, Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament. I’m a little more than a fourth the way in, and it’s fantastic. She’s a great writer, and if you’re interested in questions surrounding women in ministry or the cultural background of the New Testament,…

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Latest Podcast Episode

In the my most recent podcast episode, I discuss Romans 9:14-33. Here Paul talks about God’s right to show mercy in the way he wants (with the same being said about divine hardening). To illustrate this, the apostle brings to the fore the story of Pharaoh, who God hardened. I connect this story, and the…

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Have you heard about my podcast?

If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out my podcast, The Bible (Unmuted). The focus of every episode is anything relevant to biblical studies. Most episodes are either long form studies (we’re currently in a series on Romans right now). I also feature interviews with authors and scholars with the goal of connecting folks…

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Would ET existence undermine Christianity?

I just published a new article at Premier Christianity on the topic of UFOs and ET. A lot of people are talking about UFOs, now known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). And with the recent public hearing in the U.S. Congress, a lot of people will continue to do so. At the congressional hearing, testimony…

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Reflections on Table, Time, and Church

When it comes to church, one thing I’ve learned is that “community” is important. In fact, the communal life is necessary. And by “community,” I mean more than a place for shop talk (as important as that is). I mean something along the lines of habitual participation, constant give-and-take, and sacramental union. I mean koinōnia. …

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Science and Religion

Here is a conversation between Nick Spencer and Philip Ball on science and religion. Their discussion touches on a variety of topics: artificial intelligence, aliens, meaning, other minds, and even those aliens closer to home — namely, octopuses. Here’s the description, followed by the video: It’s a widely held view that science and religion are…

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