The Suffering of Love

One of the biggest theological ‘problems’ in Christian theology (as opposed to Christian life) is what we call ‘atonement theory’, essentially the mechanics of of our salvation, particularly as it relates to the Cross. Christians across all time and space agree that “Christ died for our sins” — but the question of what exactly that … Continue reading The Suffering of Love

Pain and Joy Are One Love

Over the past two days we’ve been looking at Julian’s unique take on sin: first how God is able to turn everything bad to our ultimate benefit, and second, how sin is ‘no thing’, leading her assertion that “all will be well and all will be well and every manner of thing will be well” … Continue reading Pain and Joy Are One Love

Sin is Nothing

Yesterday, we saw how Julian came to understand that God turns everything intended for evil to the good of the faithful. This idea turns the idea of sin and its relative importance on its head. And, versed as she was in a medieval monastic spirituality that emphasized the the dangers of sin, this probably came … Continue reading Sin is Nothing

Strength against All Devils: A Reflection on Matthew 4.1-11

The theme of sin and temptation to sin runs all through today’s Sunday readings. There’s the story of the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden from Genesis, Paul’s reflections on the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin, and the Gospel reading features the temptation of Jesus in the desert. As one might expect … Continue reading Strength against All Devils: A Reflection on Matthew 4.1-11