Of Hair and Homosexuality Few people are aware of Paul’s interest in hair styles. That’s because most haven’t read 1 Cor 11:14: “Does not nature itself teach you that, if a man wears long hair, it is dishonoring to him?” Jesus, apparently, didn’t get the memo. Few people also know of the connection the New … More Using the Bible in LGBTQIA+ Discourse (Part 4)
What do L+ discourse and the Bible have to do with an old-fashioned card catalog from a library? Actually, quite a bit. These catalogs were ways of categorizing. Information was sorted, boxed, and labeled. Close study of the Old Testament reveals a passion for categorizing and labeling things. It starts with Genesis 1 when God … More Using the Bible in LGBTQIA+ Discourse (Part 2)
I’m on a quest to explore the use of the Bible in Christian discourse on LGBTQIA+ issues. These explorations are exercises in testing the traditional view of marriage and gender. As a theologian with a genuine appreciation for the Christians theological tradition, I think it’s important to take a teaching or two off the shelf … More Using the Bible in LGBTQIA+ Discourse (Part 1)
Why should we read the Bible? Because it reveals the truth. But sometimes truth can be a slippery prey. Take, for instance, the doctrine of justification. This doctrine was one of the principal issues of contention in the era of the Reformation. It was one of the most important reasons for the schism between Catholics … More Why Read the Bible? Part 5
Factors Behind Biblical Illiteracy A serious student of scripture at work Last week I complained about the problem of teaching the Bible in a context where, increasingly, people are ignorant of the Bible. This week I’d like to talk about a related issue. One of my goals is to get students to see each biblical … More Why Bother with the Bible? Part 2
July 19, 2016 Another report on modern art and its lessons for biblical interpretation. This painting is named, “Shaking Out the Bed.” It shows household items being flung up toward the viewer as a bed-sheet is shaken; there are also items lying on tables and the floor around the edges. The painting is thus a … More Modern Art and the Bible (II)
July 15, 2016 I’m in Phoenix and visited the Phoenix Art Museum. I was struck by the points of contact between modern/contemporary art and biblical interpretation. So, here is the first in a series of very short comments on some pieces of art and some thoughts about interpretation. Here’s a piece, Tumbling Forms. What struck me … More Modern Art and the Bible (I)
July 4, 2016 As readers of this journal may know, I am writing a book on how to read and interpret the Bible. So, I’m thinking a lot these days about hermeneutical matters. Yesterday provided me with a shock that somehow has to find its way into the book. My Sunday School class is studying … More Why I Hate the New International Version of the Bible
The Christian faith affirms the reality of progressive revelation; without it, the New Testament would be, not new, but only a different version of the Old Testament. For Christians, the New Testament bears witness to a revelation that is more complete than what we find in the Old Testament. And even in the New Testament … More Progressive Revelation
Knowing who is and who isn’t a member of the holy people can be difficult to determine. … More A Few Observations about Holiness
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