It has been a common (though not universal) assumption in the history of Christian thought that humans were created immortal, and only lost their immortality with the entrance of death as the consequence for sin. This is, however, a misreading of the biblical data, which suggests that humans were created mortal with the possibility of…

Hans Madueme is both a doctor and the son of a doctor. Born in Sweden, the son of a Nigerian nuclear physicist, Madueme was destined for a successful career. Like a prize horse, he was not only born from the right family line, but also received the proper grooming and training: boarding school in England;…

Our word “hypocrite” comes from a Greek word that meant “actor,” that is, one who wore a mask and pretended to be other than they were. Contrasting Saul’s repentance to that of David in 2 Sam 12:13, Anglican preacher and expositor Andrew Willet (1562–1621) criticizes Saul’s confession, believing it to be that of a hypocrite:…

Do you remember when you first realized that the Apostles were real people who kept sinning despite walking with Christ? Or when you read about Paul taking Peter to task? Johannes Brenz (1499–1570) was a German Lutheran theologian and pastor, overseeing reform in Schwäbisch-Hall, Württemberg, and Tübingen. Like many of his contemporaries, Brenz finds encouragement…

Reading Journal Home << Previous Entry Next entry >> N.B.: The following is a guest post by Jonathan Castele (BA ’15). I never asked to be associated with Evangelical Christianity, but I was born and bred in it. I know its virtues and, sadly, its ugly vices all too well. Graduating from Trinity College felt,…

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from mine sin. For I know mine iniquities, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, against thee only have I sinned, and done…

Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498) was an Italian Catholic preacher and martyr. Outraged by ecclesial corruption and neglect of the poor, Savonarola preached against these sins, calling people to repentance and renewal in Christ. He was hanged and burned in Florence on charges of conspiracy and false prophecy. In his work on Psalm 51, he models how…

I have been dwelling much on the enabling grace of God as the hope and means for modeling Jubilee-like existence and practice. Through such modeling, an attempt to facilitate human flourishing while recognizing that an essential element of personal flourishing is the empowerment of others to flourish, the church could have impact on the business…

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” Psalm 103:13-14 Psalm 103 focuses a great deal of attention on the reasons why the palmist is consumed both with blessing the Lord (103:1) and with…

The ‘downward pull,’ an idea that I previously developed, threatens to pull individuals and institutions towards decay and possible destruction if it is not properly recognized and respected in terms of its impact. To limit its damage, nothing short of the grace of God is required, both to maintain vigilance when decay begins creeping into and…

A crowd gathered around Jesus of Nazareth and wondered: Could this person be the son of David, the one who, like David, wreaks havoc upon our enemies? A few of the local leaders standing by did not take kindly to the clear implications of what they witnessed and accused the man of beating up his…

Through the generous support of the Kern Family Foundation’s “Faith, Work, and Economics” program, I have been working on a project called “The Jubilee Summit.” The name originates from the same categories that provide the framework and topical treatments of my present Sapientia series, namely, “God, Image-Flourishing, and Jubilee.” This past weekend, January 23–24, a group gathered at…