Our relationship to pleasure has been tormented since the serpent appeared in Eden, right after the repeated affirmation of the goodness of creation. How are we to look at trees that are good for food, a delight to the eyes, and desired to make one wise? Such trees lie in the midst of paradise, always…

“The divorce of the natural and moral universes is perhaps the worst legacy of the Enlightenment, and the most urgent challenge facing modern humankind.” So said British theologian Colin Gunton 35 years ago. One might reasonably claim that little progress has been made over the last quarter century. Ideas like meaning, value, and purpose are…

In his exegesis of Colossians 3:10, John Davenant follows much of the patristic and medieval tradition in asserting that the image of God is located in the mind. Building on Paul’s teachings here and elsewhere, however, he argues that this imperfect image is not coextensive with the true image of God in humanity, which awaits…

In his interpretation of Romans 1:19, Martin Bucer (1491-1551) argues that Paul’s theological anthropology teaches the notio Dei, the idea that God “possesses power over all things and is the highest good.” Distinct from the knowledge of God, which is made known through Christ, the notio Dei is a natural recognition of God imprinted on…

The question whether humans were mortal before the fall only comes up in a religious, and more specifically a Judeo-Christian, context. That is not just because the notion of the fall refers to the Bible, but also because from a secular point of view it is obvious that humans must have been mortal all along….

I am grateful that our book, Adam and the Genome, was selected by the Creation Project for this discussion. This is a timely issue for the church that affects both our witness to those outside our communities whom we long to reach with the gospel, and for those among us who have come to accept…

A popular Franciscan preacher at the Mainz Cathedral, Johann Wild (1495-1554) was known for his irenic spirit and ability to accommodate his teaching to the needs of common people. While Paul’s greetings at the end of Romans are often passed over, Wild pauses to find their pastoral significance, and carefully notes the prospective benefits they…

John Calvin’s (1509-1564) enthusiasm for the word of God is clear as his interpretation of this passage meditates on the value of Scripture and its role in the Christian life. He defends the value of both Old and New Testaments for the edification of believers, arguing that as the same Spirit of Christ oversaw the…

Known for his uncompromising views on church discipline and the assertion of obedience as a mark of the church, Lutheran theologian Tilemann Hesshus (1527-1588) was often embroiled in controversies and was asked to leave numerous cities during the course of his pastoral career. In his interpretation of Romans 14:23, he follows Augustine and many of…

In his interpretation of Romans 14, German Reformed theologian Wolfgang Musculus (1497-1563), like many of his contemporaries, frames his discussion around the distinction between primary, indisputable matters of faith, and those things that are adiaphora, or indifferent to faith. Christian freedom, he argues, should not result in controversy and division on account of these secondary…

In beginning his discussion of the thorny questions that surround the relationship between the church and the state, Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), Martin Luther’s successor as the leader of the reform of Germany, sets forth a logical rationale for the need of civil government. Many aspects of life, he argues, are not immediately related to the…

While Martin Luther (1483-1546) has often rightly been castigated for his harsh words against the Jews, there is no question that he desired their salvation. In hoping that the Jews saw the riches of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, it is clear that he saw no distinction under the Gospel between Gentile and Jew and…