forest and trees
I’m teaching a ‘Bible Overview Morning’ today at St Paul’s. Our goal is to see how the Bible fits together, and how we can read it as Christian Scripture today. It’s ambitious…foolish? But I think it will be fun.
Here’s the handouts for those who are coming, in case they want to make notes on their iPad.
Filed under bible
Despite a century-long decline, religious affiliation has shown a marked resurgence globally since 1970. Both Christianity and Islam make up growing segments of the world’s population. Africa and China have witnessed the most marked religious change.
These are among the findings discussed by religious demographer Dr Todd M. Johnson in an overview of religious identity and trends in world Christianity since 1910, presented at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, on 13 March.
Read the rest here
Filed under Uncategorized
“The prediction of Jesus’ passion conceals a great irony, for the suffering and death of the Son of Man will not come, as we would expect, at the hands of godless and wicked people. The suffering of the Son of Man comes rather at the hands of ‘the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law.’ It is not humanity at its worst that will crucify the Son of God but humanity at its absolute best (emphasis mine). The death of Jesus will not be the result of a momentary lapse or aberration of human nature, but rather the result of careful deliberations from respected religious leaders who will justify their actions by the highest standard of law and morality, even believing them to render service to God (John 16:2). Jesus will not be lynched by an enraged mob or beaten to death in a criminal act. He will be arrested with official warrants, and tried and executed by the world’s envy of jurisprudence – the Jewish Sanhedrin and the principia iuris Romanorum.”
James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 254.
Filed under easter, Uncategorized
In Anticipation 