2. Pride Screwtape attends now to the believer’s pride. A pride that displays itself in naivete about oneself and contempt for the ordinary collection of people in the church. About oneself, Screwtape writes, “He has not been anything like long enough with the Enemy (aka God) to have any real humility yet. What he says,... Continue Reading →
To slip on a banana skin once is funny. To slip on a banana skin twice is tragic. Mathew Parris opens his Spectator article by reminding people that the post he wrote for the Times on Easter Saturday was met with “hundreds of comments from Christians protesting that I’d misunderstood the Crucifixion’s meaning…” Well, right... Continue Reading →
The Christian Life In the very first letter, Screwtape advises Wormwood to make sure he keeps the man away from anything to do with contemplation and thoughtfulness about the deeper meaning of the world. The man is encouraged to think in the binary terms of “academic” or “practical” and is always to be nudged into... Continue Reading →
The recently deceased scholar Prof. Anthony Thiselton has written a wonderful little book (2016) called Discovering Romans - Content, Interpretation, Reception from the 'Discovering Biblical texts series. In the opening chapter he suggests eight reasons why we should read Paul's marvellous letter to the Romans. I will outline the first four here and the second... Continue Reading →
In the massive volume 'The Modern Theologians - an introduction to Christian Theology since 1918' (3rd ed. 2011), editor David Ford offers an Epilogue: Twelve Thesis for Christian Theology in the Twenty-first Century. They are: God is the One who blesses and loves in wisdom. Theology is done for the sake of God and the... Continue Reading →
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 →
" People sometimes say that Scripture is sufficient for theology, but not for other areas of life, like science, history, plumbing, politics, car repairs. But that idea misunderstands the sufficiency of Scripture. Remember always: Scripture is sufficient as the word of God. It gives us all the words of God we will ever need. So... Continue Reading →
Some good will have been done if we can convery some of the essential vitality of theology through the [life and theology] of Athanasius (b. c. 297, Patriarch of Alexandria, d. 373). Too many well intentioned persons, not a few of them clergy and ministers, decry theology. 'Leave it to the learned fellows in the... Continue Reading →
“For this purpose, then, the incorporeal and incorruptible and immaterial Word of God comes into our realm, although he was not formerly distant. For no part of creation is left void of him; while abiding with his own Father, he has filled all things in every place. But now he comes, condescending towards us in his... Continue Reading →
Guest post by Theologian Dr Rob Knowles, responding to questions in a Theology Group from 2014. This post explores the problem of polarized debates and how to avoid them. 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... Continue Reading →
Gralefrit Theology 