In a prior post, I gave some attention to the doctrine of justification by faith. With this post, I am circling back around to look at the doctrine again but from a broader theological perspective. It is clear that with some articulations of justification, the separation between justification and sanctification is obscure (or, in the… Read More If God’s acts speak of God as he is, how does this apply to salvation?

I recently read a brief but informative volume on the Mercersberg Theology (hereafter, MT) by William B. Evans[1] which highlighted some thinkers that proved influential in this theological movement. These influences, in turn, seem to shed light on a certain connection in modern theology that I will discuss below. To begin with, a recent movement… Read More The (Possible) Implications of the Mercersburg Theology for Modern Theology

In an earlier post, I offered some thoughts on justification by faith in conversation with a Catholic theologian. What often arises from this line of inquiry is the question of whether or not, in light of the Catholic Church’s denial of justification by faith (preferring by faith + works of love), she is in fact… Read More Is the Catholic Church a False Church? An Attempted Answer

The book of Daniel is one book that has elicited much controversy. This is due in large part to the apocalyptic chapters found at the latter half of the book (Dan. 8-12). Yet, another oft-neglected issue deserves exploration, namely, the reason for the Aramaic and Hebrew portions of the book. The Aramaic section of Daniel… Read More Some Thoughts on the Message of the Aramaic Section of Daniel (Dan 2:4b-7:28)

Justification by faith alone is a significant doctrine and arguably the main reason why the Protestant Reformation happened. Yet, this doctrine is minimized in some quarters, obscured in others, and rejected or drastically modified in still others. Perhaps the clearest opponent to this doctrine remains the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church (hereafter RCC).… Read More Is Justification by Faith alone Wrong? An inquiry in conversation with a Roman Catholic and a New Testament scholar

In his book Grace in Auschwitz, Jean-Pierre Fortin[1] provides an account of Auschwitz by summarizing the stories of the survivors of Auschwitz. Here, we see an event reaching the heights of insanity and the depths of horror and tragedy. The cruelty, the evil of Auschwitz, which epitomizes that of the Holocaust as a whole, is… Read More Christ and the Horror of the Holocaust

The way of faith in Jesus is nothing if not paradoxical. Jesus does not avoid the paradoxical nature of our faith when he states, “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). Jesus is making plain a theme that is found throughout Scripture, namely, that before… Read More To Serve the Lord means First to Live in Him: A Theology of Christian Service