Summary: Some early theologians, like Origen, saw the rapture as a purely spiritual event Rufinus viewed biblical references to a rapture as a statement about the nature of the afterlife Other early theologians, like Augustine and Chrysostom, did associate a physical rapture event with the Final Judgement Many modern depictions of the rapture [...]
SUMMARY The question of vocation--what it is, and how we should pursue it--crops up all the time in the Christian life. Though countless theologians have studied it, there are four whose perspectives are particularly helpful: Martin Luther, Karl Barth, Simone Weil, and Andrew Davison. These four thinkers, presented in chronological order, can help [...]
How should we use gender to talk about God? Summary: Three main approaches to using gender to talk about God: progressive/feminist, gender neutral, traditional masculine approach. Progressive/feminist argues that we need to expand our vocabulary beyond the Bible’s male-centered language of God the Father and God our Lord. Gender-neutral argues that we do [...]
Summary How have Christians thought about suicide over the centuries? We explore: Personal story A common misinterpretation Biblical foundations for suicide discussions What past theologians have to say on suicide Closing personal remarks Introduction I had a time, and a plan. Things had gone as bad as they could, for about as long [...]
For a lot of my friends and family members, time has passed slowly over the last few weeks. So many people that I love are plastered with a somber, quiet stillness. Earlier this month, a car full of college students—who many people in my community knew through Young Life ministries—were traveling to [...]
How do we understand the death of Jesus? Why did Jesus have to die, and how exactly does his death result in the forgiveness of sin? In today’s article, we offer an introductory glance at a few key views on the doctrine of the atonement. Introduction Throughout Church history, every doctrine has been [...]
Have you heard Christians express their frustration with society for abbreviating “Christmas” as “Xmas”? Sweatshirt by spreadshirt Or seen people on Facebook saying “Put Christ back in Christmas”? There are some who worry that replacing “Christmas” with “Xmas” will further remove the centrality of Jesus Christ from Christmas. However, the [...]