The “Holy War” passages in the Bible that describe the Israelite Conquest of Canaan are surely some of the most disturbing – and disturbingly misused – passages in all of Scripture.
In Deuteronomy 7:2, for instance, Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter the Land of Canaan, which God had promised to […]

Continue reading " The Drama of Redemption in the Conquest of Canaan: Considering Biblical Genocide "

The idea of Heaven is fascinating. It’s actually one of the few universal human fascinations. Everybody thinks about heaven. Even if it’s your own made-up, private version of “heaven,” you think about it. C.S. Lewis once described heaven as that remote music we’re born remembering.

Continue reading " A Sermon on “Heaven” - Or, the New Heaven and New Earth "

As a Presbyterian passionately committed to the central insights of the Protestant Reformation, it feels a little awkward to say this: we should appreciate the recent statement on the church approved by the Vatican, and we should not embrace the highly publicized Protestant over-reactions to it.

Continue reading " Responding to Rome: Presbyterians Should Embrace Honest Ecumenism "

A few months ago I had the privilege of participating in an interview on “Trinitarian Spirituality” with a PC(USA) publication called “Hungryhearts.”  Excerpts from that interview were published in the Spring edition of that magazine, and I just discovered that it’s available online. You can download a PDF copy of it here. The interview starts […]

Continue reading " Trinitarian Spirituality: An Interview "