Peripatetic Pastor

Tag: Reformed theology

  • THE SUBTLETY OF STORY: NOTES ON READING THE BIBLE

    The story of Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-22) is a marvel of concise storytelling. In the space of just 13 verses, it satirizes not just one ancient holy place but two. It speaks hope and purpose to the scattered people of God. It lays out in brief a theology of election. It allows Jacob to make…

  • INSIGHT AND IDOLATRY

    For the last long while in this blogspace, I have mostly had my nose to the proverbial grindstone, sharpening my responses to decisions made by recent Christian Reformed synods—synods which adopted for human sexuality a punitively rightwing version of church teaching. In doing so, these synods have purposely excluded churches and church leaders who differ…

  • THE FUNDAMENTALIST IMPULSE: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HUMAN SEXUALITY V

    Fundamentalism is not about fundamentals. It’s about drawing lines. Where the line gets drawn is dictated by cultural developments. Fundamentalists often claim that they represent what has been the historic stance of the church, but this is not true. Fundamentalism is as much a product of the culture as is whatever fundamentalism opposes.  In this…

  • WHAT’S THE SIN? WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT SEX, PART FOUR

    What’s the Sin? Let’s talk about sin. Queer sin, to start with, although I will come around to straight sin before this piece is done. I want to talk about sin for two reasons. The first is that many people seem to assume that living queer is living in sin. This is often true even…

  • A CONVERSATION: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT SEX. PART 2

    This is the second in a short series of posts addressed to the common perception among Christians that the Bible stands squarely opposed to queer sex. Anyone who would argue differently, so this goes, has to do so in the face of the plain sense of the scriptures. To support same-sex marriage is to oppose…

  • A Conversation: What Does the Bible Say about Sex? Part One

    Lately, I have had people approach me —often people who have encountered my blog for the first time—to say that they find what I have written troubling. They are not hostile. Their approach is diffident and respectful. They do not wish to contradict me, but they find the idea to be unthinkable that the church…

  • WHAT’S NEXT: WISPS OF A DREAM

    Dwell not on former things; Ponder not the past. Look, I’m doing a new thing. It’s already sprouting up; do you not see it? (Isaiah 43:18-19a) I confess I do not yet see it, the new thing sprouting up. Perhaps it is still too early. Perhaps the past is too much with us, with me.…

  • RIP CRC

    “Jesus called [his disciples] over and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them, and their big people rule over them, but not so among you. If anyone among you wants to be great, let them be your servant, and if anyone wants to be first, let them be your…

  • WHAT JEFFREY WEIMA GETS WRONG ABOUT THE FILM 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE

    It’s not often that Calvin Seminary professors review movies, but recently Dr. Jeffrey Weima, Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theology Seminary, did just that. The movie is a 2022 documentary, 1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture, directed by Sharon Roggio.  The film alleges that by mistranslating a brace of Greek words in 1 Corinthians 6:9, the…

  • NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS FOR SYNOD 2024: GRAVAMEN

    Synod 2024 of the Christian Reformed Church begins meeting in person on June 14. Until then and while synod is in session, I hope to offer a few notes and observations about the synodical process. This synod could mark the beginning of the end for the CRC or, perhaps, the beginning of something new. I…