Peripatetic Pastor
Biblical Reflections from Clay Libolt
Picture of Mt Baker
Dear readers, the blog has morphed into four streams. I’ve recently added a page with blog posts on the book of Genesis, called “Riffs on Genesis,” a title I would like to use some day for a book. In the Riffs series, I’ve begun looking at one of the most intriguing stories in the Bible, the story of Jacob. The Jacob story is literarily brilliant, theologically powerful, and funny. I hope you will read the posts. The next page contains Biblical Reflections not focussed on Genesis. The third page has various Thoughts and Reflections not based directly on a biblical text. The fourth and last page has the posts on Human Sexuality that began this iteration of my blog. I hope in all of that you will find something that fits your fancy. Thanks for reading. (Click on the menu above to access the blog pages.)
Clay
The latest posts:
WHAT THE SYNOD DID NOT TALK ABOUT: THESES ON DENOMINATIONAL LIFE 7
Start with a question: Where in the deliberations of synod–Synod 2022 of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC)–was attention given to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)? I realize that synods, whether CRC or any other denomination, are focused on their own stuff and rarely bring up anything happening in other denominations, but this was a synod […]
WHAT TRUE ORTHODOXY LOOKS LIKE: THESES ON DENOMINATIONAL LIFE 6
One of my correspondents recently put an interesting question to me: “Are there any truths that you would include in a summary of Christian (or perhaps, Biblical) Orthodoxy? If so, what would they be and how would you arrive at them?” There may well have been a barb in the question, something like, “Clay, do […]
WHITENESS: THESES ON DENOMINATIONAL LIFE 5
Kuyper and the Square Inch In these posts, I’ve been reflecting on denominational life. My focus has been on my own denomination, the Christian Reformed Church (CRC), especially the CRC after Synod 2022, but I intend these reflections to be applicable more broadly to denominationalism in general. Which said may make you wonder where I […]
Introduction
I am a retired pastor living in the Pacific Northwest (and sometimes in Arizona). Actually, I’m intermittently retired. Since my retirement, I’ve served as interim pastor four times in three churches (one twice) and once as a high school principal. I have launched this website and the accompanying blog because I love the Bible and because I believe what’s best about the Bible is often lost in the theological welter of our age. I bring to this task and to this love not only seminary training (Calvin Theological Seminary) but a Ph.D. in Ancient Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. You may at first find my approach to the Bible different from the approach you were taught–more literary, more embedded in ancient culture–but press on. There is much to be gained and little to be lost by reading the Bible in this way.
6 responses to “HOME”
Just found your blog. I’m in.
Put me onl your list of people to receive your blog.
Daniel, at the bottom of the blog page, in the middle of a lovely picture of Fairhaven harbor, there’s a place to insert your email and sign up.
Clay
Thank you for sharing your reflection on Genesis 3. It helps me understand elements of the story that have always puzzled me in typical explanations from my tradition.
First time to read your blog. Found it on an FB post of a friend. Thank you for writing. Looking forward to reading more of your blogs. Keep well and God bless!
Good stuff and at a needful time