Theology for non-Theologians
Connecting Theology to Everyday LifeLatest Posts
We are justified by faith—or so the story goes
People who take the trouble to think of themselves as “Protestant”—as heirs of the Reformation—are likely to be of the view that the doctrine of justification by faith sits right at the heart of their religious identity. But what sort of thing is “justification by faith”? What does it look like? What does it do?
The Love of God and the Unforgivable Sin
How do we rightly understand Jesus’ saying that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven? Especially, how do we understand it in the context of the rest of the Bible, which proclaims forgiveness of ALL our sins?
Psalm 23, Ikea manuals and the restoration of my soul.
I often hear the Bible characterized as an instruction manual. But instruction manuals are mono-layered, have a single purpose and method. If I want real, life-giving, applicable, intimate advice, I don’t go to my IKEA flat-pack furniture...
How Can Jesus Have All Power?
A Reflection on Ephesians 1:17-23.
What does it mean to “Wait for the Lord”?
Has a well-meaning friend ever advised you to, “Wait for God: His timing is perfect!”? But when you really think about their counsel, you’re not entirely sure what they mean? Like me, do you read the Psalmist declare, “I wait for the...
What is Worship?
I grew up in a church which was home to two competing attitudes to Christian worship. One of them was expressed when people emerged from a service grumbling that they “didn’t get anything out of” the worship that morning. The other was...
Does Theology Bring you Closer to God?
Through encounters with both anti-intellectualism and ivory-tower elitism, I have come to some opinions about the rightful place of theology in Christian life.
What is Belief?
Belief is not about what you intellectually consider correct: it is an orientation of your entire life towards a target.
The New Year and the Christian view of Time
Three ways the Gospel transforms our understanding of time and sets us free from bondage, regret and anxiety.