I recently re-read Tom Wright’s Virtue Reborn, and have found myself recommending the book to others on a fairly regular basis. Although it’s aimed at a popular audience, the volume deserves serious reflection for at least two reasons: (1) the argument presented throughout is quite nuanced and therefore easily misunderstood, and (2) the practical application… Continue reading The Christian Character Crisis – Part 1
We’ve seen how the preceding section, in John 14, gives us a clue as to what Jesus employs the vine metaphor for in chapter 15; what it is he is trying to illustrate through this analogy. This background context was the first of two threads, which will be brought together in a moment. But the… Continue reading The True Vine – Part 2
John's expressed purpose for writing his gospel is, “that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31). So it's with this goal ever in mind that John recalls the actions and teachings of Jesus, including the… Continue reading The True Vine – Part 1
The mention of temple practices, fornication, and idolatry in this passage would have provoked a very specific image in the minds of the Ephesians. They would almost certainly have been thinking about their local temple, which was dedicated to the worship of Artemis. What’s more, Paul would no doubt remember his own experiences in the… Continue reading Ephesians 5: A Life of (Pure) Love – Part 2
There’s often a temptation to read Ephesians in two parts: chapters 1-3 as doctrine (what to believe) and chapters 4-6 as ethics (how to behave), and at one level perhaps that’s helpful. But what we need to realise is that belief and action are inseparable. What we truly believe will always eventually be demonstrated through… Continue reading Ephesians 5: A Life of (Pure) Love – Part 1
This book explores the possibility of a historiography which isn't afraid to start from (and develop out of) a particular theological tradition. Anyone who's studied history, even at an undergraduate level - and has given any thought to the matter of the philosophy of history - very quickly realises that there's a pervasive assumption in… Continue reading Available Now: Pentecostal Imagination and the Retrieval of Identity
As a teacher, I try to keep abreast of current issues in my profession generally, as well as trends within my subject areas (philosophy, religion, and ethics) more specifically. One of the most popular online venues for teachers of RE is the REspect facebook group (formally Save RE). There’s a lot I could write about… Continue reading In Defence of Tom Holland
Paul S Baker 