Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (5)

Blogging through “The Lost World of Adam and Eve” • Excursus by N.T. Wright We have been blogging through John Walton’s book The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate. Here are the previous posts in the series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Today, I’d like to focusContinue reading “Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (5)”

Open Forum, with a special invitation to newbies

UPDATE: Thank you so much to all the newer commenters who joined us today! You made my day.  • • • I plan to return to our discussion of John Walton’s book tomorrow and Thursday, God willing, but for today I think we should have an Open Forum. It has been quite a spell since we did,Continue reading “Open Forum, with a special invitation to newbies”

Why the Table should be Front and Center

I have developed a simple position about why I think the Table (or Altar) should be central in the architecture of a Christian church sanctuary. Remember where I come from. In my youth, this was how most of the traditional Methodist congregations I attended arranged their worship spaces. Two pulpits flanked a central table. ThenContinue reading “Why the Table should be Front and Center”

Sundays with Michael Spencer: May 3, 2015

I’ve lived most of my life submerged in the world of churches, Christians, Biblical language, and the Christian worldview. As I’ve moved into the second half of life, I’ve become aware that I need to separate myself from the Christian culture that has dominated my life, and to look closely for where my own assumptionsContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: May 3, 2015”

Saturday Ramblings, May 2, 2015, Memeing Shakespeare Edition

Hello, imonks, and welcome to the weekend.  Ready to Ramble? Happy birthday goes out this week to William Shakespeare. He is 451.  Here’s his present: Only 8 percent of the top universities in the United States now require their English majors to take even one class on him. “We have found our Bard suffering ‘the unkindestContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings, May 2, 2015, Memeing Shakespeare Edition”

Rachel Held Evans: An excerpt from “Searching for Sunday”

We’ll take a break from John Walton today and pick up the discussion next week. I had hoped to complete the series today, but I would like to discuss a few more of his concepts and need a bit of time to get my thoughts together. In a couple of weeks, we will blog throughContinue reading “Rachel Held Evans: An excerpt from “Searching for Sunday””

Non-Order, Order, Disorder

I was thinking we might finish John Walton’s book today, but I had brain cramp trying to put a final post together, so I’ll save that for another day. In the meantime, I’d like to get the community’s input on one of Walton’s propositions that we haven’t discussed yet. Here we will be dealing with theologicalContinue reading “Non-Order, Order, Disorder”

Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (4)

Blogging through “The Lost World of Adam and Eve”, by John Walton • Post #4: Propositions 12-14 The next three propositions John Walton presents have to do with the setting of the “garden” in Eden and those who dwelt therein. Adam is assigned to be a priest in God’s sacred space, with Eve as his helper.Continue reading “Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (4)”

Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (3)

Blogging through “The Lost World of Adam and Eve”, by John Walton • Post #3: Propositions 7-11 Here are the next propositions John Walton makes regarding Adam and Eve and the account of Genesis 2-3: The second creation account can be viewed as a sequel to the creation account in Genesis 1 (not a recapitulation ofContinue reading “Blogging through The Lost World of Adam and Eve (3)”