“In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1.1). There are few more evocative words in all of the Jewish or Christian Scriptures than these, their very first. They begin, of course, the first of two creation stories recorded in Genesis. The passage as a whole stretches thirty-four verses, from Genesis … Continue reading God among the Gods: Genesis 1.1-2.3
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
[This Summer I'm taking a few weeks off from writing on the blog to work on other writing projects. Taking a cue from my childhood TV watching, I thought I'd do some 'Summer Reruns' , revisiting some old series/posts that I haven't thought of for a while, starting with my Fall 2020 series, 'Sanctified Imagination'. … Continue reading Sanctified Imagination: Part 3 – Scriptural Imagination [Repost]
Lately, I've been thinking about the positive place imagination, and specifically a sanctified imagination, can have in the life of faith. The first post in this little series looked at why imagination has been controversial within Christianity; the second looked at the role the imaginative symbols of visions and dreams have played in the mystical … Continue reading Sanctified Imagination: Part 3 – Scriptural Imagination
There’s an old episode of The Simpsons in which Homer, having sold his soul for a donut, is brought to Hell. Specifically, he is taken to Hell’s “Ironic Punishment Division,” where he is force fed donuts for all eternity. Of course, being Homer J. Simpson, the joke is on the demons: he goes on happily … Continue reading By Our Own Words (A reflection on Luke 19.11-28)
Matthew Root 