On Sunday we will be celebrating Pentecost, the feast commemorating the gift of the Holy Spirit, sent to all the faithful to make possible a whole new way of being in the world. Today, I’m going to start a new series about the Creed, that ancient, much argued over, sometimes derided, often forgotten, statement of … Continue reading We Believe… : The Spirituality of the Nicene Creed
Today’s post brings the series on understanding biblical genres to a close. In the vein of ending it well, there are three major takeaways that I’d like to discuss today. 1. First, the Bible is not a book, but a library. (Fun fact, our word ‘Bible’ comes from the Greek, ta biblia, ‘the books’ - … Continue reading Understanding Biblical Genres: Concluding Thoughts
Today we're bringing this survey of common biblical genres to a close with Epistles, which probably represent the least likely type of literature to find its way into a canon of Sacred Scripture. Epistles are nothing more nor less than letters written from a person to another, or to a group of people. They are … Continue reading Understanding Biblical Genres: Epistle
I don’t need to tell anyone that we are living in strange and frightening times. The world is changing in innumerable ways and it seems like society — and the people who make it up — are flailing in response. One of my only real consolations in this situation is that people have felt this … Continue reading Do Not Be Surprised: A Reflection on 1 Peter 4.12-14, 5.6-11
For the most part, understanding biblical genres is about situating the books of the Bible within their broader cultural context: Understanding Ancient Near Eastern Law codes can help us better understand how the Law of Moses functioned, for example, or understanding how Apocalyptic functioned in Second Temple Judaism can help us to avoid serious interpretive … Continue reading Understanding Biblical Genres: Gospel
Matthew Root 