In the history of theology, there have been many issues which for those who are not “professional” theologians seem rather abstract. I know that there are times when I drive my wife crazy talking about some minutia of theological detail which has no connection to her world as a pre-school teacher, and she has never had a taste for the kind of hypothetical speculation which makes systematic theologians so excited. She is, however, very patient and tolerant, and I can even get her to do final proof-reading of manuscripts … [Read more...] about Theotokos – Mary as the Mother of God. An Advent Devotional
Re-Examining Lewis’ Trilemma
In the world of apologetics, there are few arguments more famous than C.S. Lewis' trilemma, which is found in his most popular apologetic work, Mere Christianity. Even classic arguments like Anselm's famous ontological argument for the “being greater than which nothing can be conceived” and Pascal's wager, while still part of the discussion of apologetics, have not in recent years been as popular, or reviled, as Lewis' trilemma. It even spawned a book (Josh McDowell's More Than a Carpenter) and a song (Dana Key's “Liar, … [Read more...] about Re-Examining Lewis’ Trilemma
Apologetics – the What and the Why
In my last post, I said that as an academic teaching religion, I should not consider that my role as a teacher is apologetic in its nature. And by that I mean that I can teach religious systems (in my case Catholic theology) as religious systems without feeling like I have a responsibility to point out where these religious systems do not agree with the basic tenets of Christianity or with my own position as an evangelical Protestant. But this raises the question, what then is the nature of apologetics and why do we … [Read more...] about Apologetics – the What and the Why
Teaching Religion and the Curriculum
I thought about naming this teaching religion non-apologetically, but that might be too narrow of an idea. So instead, I will take up the issue of what it means to teach according to a curriculum, and then apply that concept to my own field, the teaching of religion. When we think about our role as academics, we spend a lot of time thinking and working toward a competency in our research skills and subsequently our writing skills. Our place in academia is defined for us in the simple phrase, though no less real, … [Read more...] about Teaching Religion and the Curriculum
Review of Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis — A Life. Part II
Review of Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis -- A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2013) for the Emerging Scholars Network (ESN). Part II. Click here for Part I. Things which I felt did not work: Moving on to things that I found difficult about the work, I think the biggest thing was that the writing style was confusing to me. At times, McGrath seemed to fall into the awkward habit in his writing style of announcing his transitions in a way that seemed unnecessary. For … [Read more...] about Review of Alister McGrath, C.S. Lewis — A Life. Part II