On:
In: Philippians, Reviews, Spiritual Formation

Having taught a class on suffering and evil recently, I’m always looking to expand my knowledge on topics that I will likely teach again. When I learned Michael Gorman recommended Laura Reece Hogan’s book, I Live, No Longer I: Paul’s Spirituality of Suffering, Transformation, and Joy, I quickly requested a review copy from theRead More

On:
In: Discipleship, Spiritual Formation

Scot McKnight has a brief post pointing to Larry Hurtado‘s newest release Destroyer of the gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World. There he highlights distinctions between political, cultural, and religious identities in the first century world and notes that a Christian religious identity was unique among them all.Read More

On:
In: Church, Reviews, Spiritual Formation, Theology

Likely a full-on review coming for the new book by Gisela Kreglinger titled The Spirituality of Wine. These quotes are intended to whet your appetite (every pun intended!). I’m half way finished and really enjoying this! “All things have spiritual meaning in the Christian faith precisely because of our beliefRead More

On:
In: Anglican, Foundations, HTC, Spiritual Formation, Theology

As Eleonore Stump so carefully and rightly observes, “there is no one orthodox interpretation of the doctrine of the atonement and no one universally agreed upon interpretation of the Eucharist.” Nonetheless, “the general Christian consensus includes the conviction that something about this rite makes a powerful connection between those participatingRead More

On:
In: Spiritual Formation

Good article here by Dr. Gary Shogren on legalism. Check out his Grumpy Legalists. Here’s a quote: The authentic legalist lives in fear, like those folks who feel compelled to wash their hands all day long or touch the door a dozen times before leaving the house. As a friendRead More

On:
In: Holiday, Spiritual Formation

I cannot think of a better way to begin a new year (or to end an old one) than to make a determined resolve to exercise the spiritual disciplines of the Christian life. I don’t know of any church that has preached through the disciplines, but this would be anRead More

On:
In: Discipleship, Fruit, Spiritual Formation, Theology

Joy and Human Flourishing: Essays on Theology, Culture, and the Good Life contains essays by Jürgen Moltmann, N. T. Wright, Marianne Meye Thompson, Mary Clark Moschella, Charles Mathewes, and Miroslav Volf. It ties joy with other biblical themes such as ecclesiology, happiness, pastoral counseling, creation, and, of course, suffering. The followingRead More