One of my favorite stories in scripture is that of the patriarch Jacob. Or, “that rascal,” as I like to call him. From birth, Jacob was never anything but a piece of work. His entire life was one giant con. Born trying to supplant his brother’s place (which is the meaning of his name), Jacob lived asContinue reading “Another Look: Now there’s a story”
Category Archives: The First Testament
Bruggemann: Our life with God — characteristically open and unsettled
Ah, when I need something to really chew on, Walter Bruggemann is always a good go-to. I have testified here at IM to a journey of having learned something much different than what I was taught in my evangelical background. That is, that God and his people, particularly as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, shareContinue reading “Bruggemann: Our life with God — characteristically open and unsettled”
Wisdom and Hope
Before I run my next post on Pete Enns’s book, How the Bible Actually Works, I thought I would give some personal perspectives with regard to the questions: What is the Bible? What is the Bible for? Our last post raised a number of questions in the comments that lead me to do this. InContinue reading “Wisdom and Hope”
Another Look: A Sudden Burst of Light
So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” • Genesis 32:27 • • • If you’re lucky, there comes a moment, a moment of clarity. At this moment, “the hopes and fears of all the years” find some resolution. It involves an unveiling. Heavy drapes of self-denial, torn in twoContinue reading “Another Look: A Sudden Burst of Light”
Monday with Michael Spencer: My View of Genesis 1
Note from CM: In preparation for tomorrow’s installment of Genesis: Where It All Begins, I thought I’d bring back Michael Spencer’s perspective on Genesis 1, a general perspective that matches my own. • • • From To Be or Not to Be? Everybody thinks I should be a young earth creationist. I’m not. Why? byContinue reading “Monday with Michael Spencer: My View of Genesis 1”
Why I am an Ally – Part 3
If you are new to this series you might want to jump back in and read Part 1, where I talk about some of my personal interactions, or Part 2, where I discuss Romans 1 (and 2). Thank you to everyone who posted comments. They have definitely enriched the posts. One of my paragraphs inContinue reading “Why I am an Ally – Part 3”
Thoughts on the origin of sin by RJS (2014)
Thoughts on the origin of sin by RJS (2014) This is the exact conclusion I have reached as well, after years of studying Genesis. Over the last few years I have to say that I have become less than convinced that the Bible intends, anywhere, to portray the origin of sin. We don’t know why,Continue reading “Thoughts on the origin of sin by RJS (2014)”
Another Look: The Purpose of the First Testament
Why did the Jews compile sacred books together and form a canon of Scripture known as the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh? For what purpose did they put together what Christians have traditionally called the “Old Testament”? I believe they brought the canon of the Hebrew Bible to completion, at the end of a long process, because ofContinue reading “Another Look: The Purpose of the First Testament”
Mondays with Michael Spencer: John 3:16 and the Importance of the Old Testament
Note from CM: Andy Stanley raised a bit of a theological ruckus last week when he suggested to seekers of the Christian faith that they should “unhitch” it from the Old Testament. We’ll probably talk a bit more about this in the days to come, but today I thought I’d re-run this older post byContinue reading “Mondays with Michael Spencer: John 3:16 and the Importance of the Old Testament”
The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve (4)
On Fridays, we’re doing a series on Stephen Greenblatt’s The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve. In this book, he examines how “the story of Adam and Eve has over centuries decisively shaped conceptions of human origins and human destiny.” The next two chapters explore the seminal (pun intended) impact of St. Augustine onContinue reading “The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve (4)”
The Internet Monk Archives 