The other day I introduced a new series about the nature of authority in Christianity, specifically in matters of theology or belief. Today I’m going to start with the source of authority officially shared by all Christians: Sacred Scripture, what we call the Bible. This book, or better, this library of books, has inspired Christians … Continue reading Who Do We Trust?: The Authority of Scripture
In the relatively short period between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries, Western culture experienced a series of shocking revolutions in thought: The Renaissance with its clarion call ‘Ad fontes!’ — ‘Back to the sources!” — wanted to re-found European society on ancient Greco-Roman principles and philosophy. The Reformation applied this spirit of returning to the … Continue reading Who Do We Trust?: The Question of Authority in Christian Faith and Life
Yesterday was the great feast of Epiphany, which is celebrated on the thirteenth day after Christmas. It’s a feast with a strange and murky history, but I think it’s instructive for this whole midwinter season. It seems that Epiphany, which means ‘shining forth’, was originally a general midwinter feast that, at the darkest time of … Continue reading God’s Shining Forth: A Reflection on Epiphany and Genesis 1.1-5
[Note: Some churches (including my own) replace the readings for Christmas 1 with those for Epiphany, but I’m not ready to leave Christmas behind just yet — Epiphany isn’t for another six days! — so I’m sticking with the Christmas 1 readings. If you’d like an Epiphany-focused reflection today, feel free to check out here … Continue reading Turning Point: A Reflection on Luke 2.22-41
The message of Christmas is that God is with us -- all of us.
Matthew Root 