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In case you missed the first post in the series, I’m summarizing each of the 25 sections in Dunn’s masterpiece on Paul to help me remember what I’ve read. Using Romans as a guide and dialogue as a model, Dunn begins by turning his attention toward Paul’s understanding of God (which is really the essence [...]

Neuromancer © 1984 Ace Books 271 pages I decided to brush up on my sci-fi history by reading this archetypal Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick award winning Cyberpunk novel. I’ve already read Pattern Recognition and Spook Country, so I knew a bit of what to expect. What I found was Gibson in his raw [...]

In my study of Ecclesiastes, I came across this quote from Bonhoeffer that elucidates the Carpe Diem passages (in Encountering Ecclesiastes: A Book for Our Time). It’s a long quote, but worth reading a few times. How many of us—especially in charismatic circles—have been taught to never be satisfied with what God gives? I believe [...]

I just finished reading Wright’s mammoth Resurrection of the Son of God. While reading about Paul’s understanding of the resurrection, I began to feel anemic. I’ve focused on the Old Testament (specifically the prophets) and Jesus for quite a while, so a healthy dose of the Apostle Paul in order. Dunn’s The Theology of Paul [...]

The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3) © 2003 Fortress Press 817 pages This book is a comprehensive treatment of the resurrection. In it, Wright plows through piles and piles of ancient literature, following every conceivable first-century resurrection idea. Furthermore, he handles modern and post-modern rejections [...]

Kidner, in The Message of Ecclesiastes (Bible Speaks Today),  nails the spirit in which Ecclesiastes 3:11 was written: We are like the desperately near-sighted, inching their way along some great tapestry or fresco in the attempt to take it in. We see enough to recognize something of its quality, but the grand design escapes us, [...]

I’ve interrupted our church’s series on Ecclesiastes to slip two Easter message into the mix. Instead of “Life and Death”, these are stories of “Death and Life”. You can listen to the messages here, or download them from my audio page. Revenge is a Dish . . . [Audio clip: view full post to listen] [...]

Watchmen © 1995 DC Comics 416 pages This was the first graphic novel I’ve read—and I’m hooked. This was a superhero story unlike anything I’ve read before. Most of the superheroes had no “super” in them at all. The cast was a mixed up group of people who used to get a kick out of [...]

I’m trying to get through Wright’s monster-sized The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3) before Easter this year. In a section of the book discussing the resurrection in Luke, Wright makes this point: Luke intends the reader to understand the whole gospel, not just the final [...]

In a lamp-lit room after a ceremonial meal and a few glasses of wine, Jesus spilled his heart to his disciples. There was an awkward tension in the room. Jesus was troubled, and sent Judas away. The remaining eleven were not sure why he left, but they knew that something didn’t feel right. Jesus took [...]