I was asked by a student if the early Jews (of the second Temple period) held to a canon of the likes of the later Church. Here is my brief response: No. There was considerable debate. For instance, the Sadducees of Jesus’ day only held to the Torah/Pentateuch. They rejected everything else. Same with the… Continue reading Brief Comments on the Old Testament as Canon
“The Lord giveth the word: The women that publish the tidings are a great host.” Psalms 68:11 RV1885 As I’ve been feverishly working to complete my conference paper for the Society for Pentecostal Studies (Titled: “‘Until I, Deborah, Arose’ (Judges 4–5): A Pentecostal Reception History of Deborah Toward Women in Ministry”), I’ve been poring over… Continue reading A Great Host of Women Preaching
I have gone back and forth about writing up a blog post about the passing of my father-in-law, Bruce William Gunderson (Nov. 17, 1948-Dec. 16, 2018), who died at home Sunday morning. I had been by his side for nearly two weeks, but had returned home briefly Saturday evening to be with my four kids… Continue reading Bruce Gunderson: The Passing of a Pentecostal Preacher
I was recently asked by a friend how I might answer someone claiming to see Satan in the message of Ezekiel 28:1-19 (HERE is the passage). Here is my brief response: First, I point to 28.2 which specifically says “prince of Tyre” and this message is embedded within a series of messages against the kingdom/city… Continue reading Could It Be … Satan
It has been a full day (though many feel that way). It has also been a good day. I was just reflecting on some of the happenings of the day and the goodness of God through it all. A video chat with a friend not seen nearly often enough who is ministering elsewhere in the… Continue reading Thoughts in a Day: Some Reflections
This last Friday I gratefully received a review copy of Mary M. Veeneman’s book Introducing Theological Method: A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approaches (2017) from Baker Academic. I so enjoyed the volume that I nearly read it straight through from the moment it arrived at my doorstep. (I’m not sure what this says about… Continue reading Review: Introducing Theological Method by Mary M. Veeneman
The following is an email reply I sent to one of my students regarding recommendations for books as he prepares for a couple of years from now to enter full-time ministry. I thought others might benefit from this as well. Shawn, Take note of syllabi. They often include such works we have found beneficial. While… Continue reading Book Recommendations for a Pastor in Training
I’ve been reading a collection of Terence Fretheim’s essays over the last month that have been fantastic in offering his many insights into theology and Scripture. Fretheim is one of those OT scholars who can write in a way that is both accessible and constructively provocative. One of the essays, “Creator, Creature, and Co-Creation in… Continue reading A Rereading of Woman in the Garden: With Fretheim
I recently learned (thanks Daniel Isgrigg) that my PhD thesis “A Theology of the Spirit in the Former Prophets: A Pentecostal Perspective” is available free online through my doctoral alma mater: Bangor University, Wales. For those interested it can be read in whole HERE. An edited version of this work is due to be published… Continue reading A Theology of the Spirit in the Former Prophets: A Pentecostal Perspective — PhD Thesis
I received the following great news yesterday that a symposium on “Re-Examining Pentecostal Readings of Female Characters in the Bible” has been approved for the 2019 Society for Pentecostal Studies annual meeting. Here are the details of the symposium: I am incredibly grateful to be a participant and am looking forward to presenting with these… Continue reading Re-Examining Pentecostal Readings of Female Characters in the Bible – SPS Symposium
