If you’ve missed the series Firefly, you may go to Hulu right now and start catching up. It was canceled after one season but managed to produce not only a huge cult following but also a feature film entitled Serenity. Following up on the series, and assuming for the most part that you know the [...]
“What we do in life echoes in eternity!” Thus saith Maximus, the Gladiator. Now the question we’re all asking: is Gladiator good theology? I’ve been reading through Revelation, and today came through a few chapters close to the end. This is where the great whore goes up in flames and becomes sport for her own [...]
I keep trying to finish my review comments on Douglas Campbell’s The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul. This is the next-to-last installment, in which I will be singing its praises for the last time. Next time, I will be summarizing some of my hesitations about the project. Campbell begins his [...]
Yesterday I read a book review that issued a passing commentary on the author’s decision to read πίστις Χριστοῦ (pistis christou) as “Christ’ faithfulness” rather than “faith in Christ.” The review’s comment was, “Once we take faith out of Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith, one wonders what we have left.” To which my reply [...]
In my snail’s pace through Douglas Campbell’s The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul, I’ve gotten through his assessment of the problems with a traditional reading of Romans 1:16-17 and 3:21-26 (pp. 377-81). Although this was a short section, it was a good reminder that (a) there are some serious problems [...]
Ok, class. Get out your black highlighters and your pencils! We’re going to play, “Correct your sanitized translation!” We’ll start by all turning to the same passage: Galatians 5:6. Is everyone there? Great! What does your translation say that faith does? “In Christ Jesus, neither does circumcision avail nor uncircumcision but faith ______ through love.” [...]
