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The slightly odd title to this post arises from a conversation I had with a friend last week. We were (in passing) noting the tone of the public discussion since the House of Bishops’ statement on same-sex marriage, and the response to the Pilling report, and she commented: Of course, I cannot say anything—because I … Continue Reading
In the March edition of Christianity magazine, Steve Chalke launched what he described as a new debate the authority and interpretation of the Bible, and called for a ‘global conversation’ to begin. He has included some resources around this on the Oasis site. Some people have given the whole enterprise pretty short shrift: There will be no … Continue Reading
My friend and former colleague David Runcorn has written a reflection on the use of the Bible in relation to the issue of same-sex relations, and it is available on the Fulcrum website. In many ways, it functions as a methodological justification for his contribution in an appendix to the Pilling report. As ever, David … Continue Reading
Simon Jenkins has a wonderfully witty article about the theological significance of beards over at Reform Magazine. (That’s the magazine of the URC, not the other lot!). It was prompted by the arrival through the post of a Jesus Shaves mug, where a bearded Jesus becomes clean-shaven when you fill it up with hot tea. … Continue Reading
I continue to believe that understanding the shape of the story of Scripture is a key part of biblical literacy. Knowing how it fits with the wider story of the Bible and interacts with it affects the way we read every single passage. I have previous offered some resources for gaining an overview, and also … Continue Reading
The Daniel Plan is the latest best-selling 40-day plan from the spiritual guru and one-man publishing phenomenon that is Rick Warren. Naturally, it comes with a book, a journal and of course a website. Without getting too cynical about the juggernaut of the US Christian publishing industry, I have to say that there are some … Continue Reading
Both popular and academic readings of Revelation still suffer from a need to find some future supposed reference to various features of the text. This is despite considerable evidence that the text would have made good sense to its first-century readers, and that many would have been able to understand it as a depiction of … Continue Reading
One of the puzzles about the ending of some of the letters in the New Testament is knowing how to read the ‘household management codes’ in Ephesians 5:21-6:9, Colossians 3:12-4:6 and 1 Peter 2:11-3:22. Most of Paul’s letters, once the theological argument is done, have specific instructions on practical living (‘the indicative followed by the imperative’), but in these … Continue Reading
I recently posted some notes on the passage in Luke 18 to help those of you preaching on this passage. It so happens I’ve had to write a sermon on it myself now! So here is my script (written using the dictation process built into the Mac operating system). A few things to note: 1. … Continue Reading
We cannot avoid the need to interpret Scripture; since it is a bearer of meaning, and not a cipher or code of marks on a page, then to read is to interpret. My first essential was to read the part in the light of the whole, to be aware of the big picture of the … Continue Reading
I am sorry to spoil your preparations for Christmas before the Christmas lights have even gone up—though perhaps it is better to do this now than the week before Christmas, when everything has been carefully prepared. But Jesus wasn’t born in a stable, and, curiously, the New Testament hardly even hints that this might have … Continue Reading
Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Associate Senior Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod and Archbishops' Council. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo
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