The Mark of a Good Book If you asked me to recommend a theology book, it is quite probable that I will emphatically ask: “Have you read Miroslav Volf’s Exclusion and Embrace? No? You HAVE to. It’s a game changer!” So emphatic is this answer that I wrote a previous …
We Are Going Somewhere: A Progressive Theology
Theology can be a beautiful thing. The ideas that we hold about God shape how we view the world we live in and our places within it. It can give us hope when things begin to go dark. Theology can also be toxic. Our ideas about God can harden our hearts …
Did Jesus have Lady Pimps? (What His Funding Model Tells Us About Women)
A couple of weeks ago I sat in the front row at University Bookstore with my friend Sara. She got there early to save seats for us; I got there just in time to thank her for being so on time and on top of it. Soon, after conversations with …
Ten Things I Learned at Seminary
[Kurt Note: This is one of the most helpful reflections about one’s experience in seminary that I’ve read. The ideas in this piece, apply to many arenas of life, even if you never go to seminary yourself!] I remember my first seminary class: The Trinity in Theology, History, and Discipleship. …
Disclaimer: I’m a dude. I do theology. But I want to listen.
Alternatively titled: “In which I state the obvious, because sometimes the obvious must be said.” Disclaimer: I do White, North American, Male theology. It only seems fair to let you know. If others are told, or feel that they need to put a qualifier in front of the word theology …
Exclusion and Embrace: Reconciliation with Enemies Two Decades Later
On December 1, 1996, Miroslav Volf released his poignant and powerful Exclusion and Embrace. At the time, I was three years old (much too young to offer a review of such heavy reading!). So now, two decades later, it is time for me to review this important book that has …
Paul Didn’t Believe in the Rapture. Neither Did Jesus. Neither Should You.
The rapture. This is still one of the most influential beliefs in pockets of Christianity. The old mantra goes, “this world is not my home, I’m just passing through.” But is that true? Are we just sort of stuck here until something apocalyptic happens like the second coming of Christ, …