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Elsewhere and Everywhere
Bible Studies for People Who Like Movies
Finding a Civil Gathering Place in Aspects of Universal Human Nature
Any debate regarding the nature and worth of human beings that is based entirely upon immediate social structures and/or states, presupposed ethnic and/or socio-cultural prejudices, and historical/cultural relative aspects of cultural belief should be avoided by any whom wish to ethically address the deep questions raised by an incurably social humanity. Political platformers, social activists, literary geniuses, religious visionaries, philosophers, artists and theologians have argued, agreed, pushed, pulled, and, on more than a few occasions, loosed flashes of brilliance in addresses, books, debates, and rallies regarding the topic of civility and humanity. It seems, however, that a resolution regarding a universally complementary society remains unattainable. Read More
The Socio-liberal and Conservative Religious Onion
A question concerning the way the Bible is used in this left vs. right USA socio-cultural context of ours has been nagging at me for more than a few days. I can’t quite put my finger on the problem that I feel is revealed in the way the Bible is used to buttress conservative and/or liberal arguments inherent to contemporary socio-cultural debate(s). I do know this much: I think such use of the Bible only produces that which the Bible was never intended to produce. The product? A nationalistic and extremely limited expression of the Gospel. This does great damage to God’s story.
The following is my best attempt to articulate the convolution conceived during the socio-cultural left and right’s wrestling match for the Bible. It’s abstract, at best.
The socio-religious liberal is quick to brand the literal interpretation of the Bible advanced by the socio-religious conservative as detriment. For example, when an important subject such as homosexuality is raised, the liberal interpreter quickly flips to Deuteronomy and points at archaic, forgotten, and/or discarded aspects of the Code. We don’t care if our fabric is made with mixed-materials anymore; we don’t adhere to the Sabbath; we don’t execute adulterers. “This material can not, therefore, be taken literally,” says the liberal interpreter. Fair enough; no ‘major’ problems, yet. The problem, however, arises when the socio-religious liberal, in an attempt to defend his or her respective argument(s) in contemporary socio-cultural debate(s), leaps to another hermeneutic and proclaims aspects of the Code - aspects that are rooted in identity rather than historical and/or cultural relativity, and are consequently not as easy to dismiss - irrelevant. This problem is not located in the declaration of Code irrelevancy itself, but in the literal gymnastics required to make it. Read More
A Pastoral Letter to Parish Ioner Concerning Paul
Parish Ioner – Greetings, Parish! I’m writing you in response to the brief conversation we had regarding my upcoming summer series on the Apostle Paul. I know you would rather “take the summer off,” as you said, to satisfy your personal distaste for the material. I really wish you wouldn’t. I think this sort of reaction would be most unfortunate. The Apostle Paul still has a lot to teach us today, apart from our modern understanding of “liberal” and “conservative” social approaches. I think you may be surprised at what one finds when the material is approached with an open and critical mind. A detailed look at Paul, power, and authority will reveal a lot that might surprise you. I will gladly volunteer a brief introduction to these matters in this letter, so as to stir your curiosity and prompt your summer attendance, hopefully. Read More
Luke’s Pragmatic Attribution of the Term Savior
The Lukan reference to Jesus of Nazareth as ‘Savior’ has more to do with the later Christian community’s need for eschatological reconsideration than the author’s Christological perception. Read More
Jesus and Conflict in a Proclamation of God’s Reign
Jesus of Nazareth’s public life and ministry were burdened with an absurd amount of conflict because of his incredible commitment to an ideological view of God and God’s place in a life wherein social, political, and religious aspects were inseparably fused. The final climax of this conflict - Jesus’ crucifixion - can be seen in all four canonical Gospels (Matt. 27.35; Mk. 15.24; Lk. 23.33; Jn. 19.18). The multiple layers and deep dynamics characteristic of the conflict leading up to this quadruple Gospel attestation are, however, most vividly displayed in the Gospel of Mark. Read More
Trinity as Model for Church Community
Jesus’ prayer in the 17th chapter of John’s Gospel is that we would be as one. Unity! Let’s put this prayer in perspective. Jesus and his disciples gather in a small upper room. They gather there for one purpose: to share the Passover meal. They sing a few songs together, praise God, pray a lot, eat, and drink their wine. During this meal, Jesus institutes our sacrament of the Last Supper. He also washes the feet of the disciples. Jesus, after they finish with all of this, prays the John 17 prayer.
Jesus either prays this prayer right there in the room, upon completion of the other events shared, or he prays it as they walk towards the Garden of Gethsamene, where he prays some more while the disciples pass out under a tree from too much Passover wine. Jesus knows what is coming. He knows he’s going to be arrested, tried, and killed. How important is this prayer for unity in light of this foreknowledge? Seriously! Jesus, knowing full well death is imminent, prays first that these disciples find unity; the same unity that he shares with the Father. Read More
Three Major Presuppositions of the Jesus Seminar
The three major presuppositions of the Jesus Seminar: 1. Scientific Naturalism (i.e., anything outside the realm of natural explanation can never be backed by historical evidence). 2. The primacy of the apocryphal gospels. 3. The necessity of a politically correct Jesus. Read More
The Difficult Parable of the Dishonest Manager
A recent chat with friends regarding peaceful, non-violent resistance of cultural norms led to one of the most difficult parables taught by Jesus. Luke 16:1-9 has stumped and mystified interpreters for years, if not centuries. Some argue that the real meaning of this parable is lost to us forever; others point to Jesus’ overarching penchant for non-violent subversion as the key that unlocks the real meaning and intention of this parable. Given the social, political, and religious setting in which Jesus was situated, I tend to side with those who cite subversion. Read More
Matthew’s Subversion of Our Ordinary Norms
The Gospel of Matthew has been called the most Jewish of all the Gospels. Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish, mind you. I think that simple truth alone has been subtly buried by the crushing tide of our popular, Western expressions of Christianity. Jesus was Jewish, as were his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew reflects this Jewishness more so than any other canonical Gospel. This is very important. The Jewishness of Mathew is very, very important.
You see, in Matthew, the author is writing specifically to Jewish people who are well trained in Jewish Law or Torah. That’s why the Gospel begins immediately with a long and tough to read genealogy. Yeah, we may as well admit it, we all skip that part of Matthew, right! Right. It is, however, a very important feature of this Gospel. The author of Matthew includes it because he is writing to a Jewish audience and he wants to show his audience that the redemptive work God began with Israel is completed in Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. So, in this long and tedious genealogy, Matthew not only links Jesus’ heritage with King David, but also with Abraham. Jesus of Nazareth is Son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of God. That’s pretty important info., not only for Matthew’s Jewish audience, but for all of us Gentiles too. Read More
