One of my major influences in Christian Theology is Anthony Thiselton, and I am saddened to learn of his death yesterday. He has featured many times on this blog and has been instrumental in my own theological formation, especially since one of my best friends is arguably Thiselton's ableist interpreter. His scholarly work was for... Continue Reading →
Why Trinity?
"Most orthodox Christians claim to be "biblical" in doctrine yet also "Trinitarian". Many share the view expressed by Whitely and by Kelly that the Pauline texts embody "traces of a Trinitarian ground-plan". It is certainly the case that Paul unambiguously expresses the Christian belief in one God (1 Cor. 8:6), and that in many passages,... Continue Reading →
Guilty as charged?
Abstract Rhetoric: Schism within Counselling Itself Fourth, an example of what we have just been talking about is the question of whether homosexuality relates to sexual immorality, or whether guilt associated with homosexual practice should be seen in terms of a neurosis generated by a false charge of ‘sexual immorality’ made by society and tradition. Counsellors taking... Continue Reading →
Undermining biblical wisdom
Abstract Rhetoric: Schism between Academic Theology & Biblical Wisdom Third, there is even a sense in which abstract pious rhetoric that suppresses relational wisdom has come to pervade academic theology. In particular, as Thiselton reminds us, the influence of Kant and neo-Kantianism has reduced the status of biblical language to mere ‘human projection’ for some.... Continue Reading →
Violence in the Bible: What’s your problem?
Jon Stannard and Jeff Jacobson speak with Dr. Helen Paynter. Helen is a tutor at Bristol Baptist College, director of Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence and an author. In 2019 she wrote God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today?, which explores the theme of violence in the Old Testament. Buy her... Continue Reading →
Theology Questions: #4 Why are real relationship in the church so hard?
First, regarding the description of your stance within the church, then it is clear that you rightly wish to avoid the problem of polarized debates and “positions” whereby partisan factions develop that a priori reject one another’s points of view out of hand in the name of often unexamined interests and agendas that are often... Continue Reading →
Theology Questions: #3 What does it mean to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’?
Keeping in Step with the Spirit In Galatians 5:13-26, Paul writes the following: 13 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbour... Continue Reading →
Theology Questions: #2 What is Prophecy?
I have spent many years in the thinking of Anthony Thiselton, and so am very interested by his views, not least on prophecy (note the spelling here!). The best place to look for Thiselton’s views on this subject, which I regard as authoritative, is in his large commentary on 1 Corinthians: see, Anthony C. Thiselton,... Continue Reading →
God of Violence Yesterday, God of Love Today? A review
This review in the Baptist Times of Helen Paynter's latest book is a comprehensive introduction for those new to the questions it explores; will bring new insights to those familiar with the subject: Review by Peter King Over the past few years I have become increasingly troubled by the violence in the Bible. Although this is... Continue Reading →
Three Pastoral Models of Pastoral Care (3/3)
Donald Capps very helpfully outlines models and schemata for effective pastoral action, that I think are very helpful for getting pastor’s to think about the what and why of what they do in a community over which they exercise pastoral oversight. This post is the third of three that will develop this scheme to show how pastoral... Continue Reading →
Gralefrit Theology 