Paul

Reconciliation in Paul’s theology

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I have just edited my chapter for a forthcoming volume from Lion Hudson on reconciliation, due out in the Autumn. The first part explores the language of reconciliation in Paul, and its importance in his theology. The middle section looks at reconciliation in Jesus and the gospels. The final section draws out the relevance for contemporary … Continue Reading

Sex and the Church

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Last Friday I very reluctantly tuned in to watch Oxford church historian Diarmaid MacCulloch talk about Sex and the Church. I was reluctant for several reasons. First, don’t we talk about this enough already—aren’t there more important things to focus on at the moment? (Tonight’s ‘Kill the Christians’, for example, highlighting how the US/UK invasion of … Continue Reading

Do Christians love one another?

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‘And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.’

So we sang in the late 1970s, in a culturally appropriate rock ballad idiom, and very real it seemed at the time. I came to faith in an evangelical Anglican tradition which had been shaped by the charismatic renewal movement, and a key sign of this was an authenticity of relationships which had been absent from the starchy formality of much church life.

Is Tom Wright’s ‘Paul’ convincing?

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Tom Wright, former Bishop of Durham and Professor at St Andrew’s, is often described as a ‘leading New Testament scholar’ in the world today. There is no doubt that he has significantly shifted the debates about Paul and his interpretation, and alongside that has (almost uniquely) popularised his views on Paul and the rest of … Continue Reading

Is gender difference innate?

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Earlier this week there was a fascinating Horizon on BBC2 exploring whether there are basic differences between male and female brains. Horizon is sometimes a little thin on content and big on special effects, but this one was different—it was packed with fascinating and compelling information, and presented in a fascinating format. Michael Mosley, of … Continue Reading

What does it mean to be ‘lost’?

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The idea that those outside the Christian faith are ‘lost’ has, in the past, been of central importance in evangelical devotion. Around 10 million times a year, Christians sing John Newton’s autobiographical devotional hymn: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, … Continue Reading

Do Christians grow more holy?

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Across the pond, another dispute has arisen and another split taken place, though it has not been much reported beyond narrow interested circles (fortunately). I have to admit to struggling to relate to this kind of debate, so you will need to look elsewhere for a better reporting of it (if you are interested). But it does … Continue Reading

Paul in Greece

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This is the first cut of the filming I did last year with Stephen Travis (and my son Ben acting as cameraman) following Paul’s journey in Greece in Acts 16–18. There is still a little editing to do, and the final edition will (we hope) be available as an hour-long DVD. Do let me have … Continue Reading