Honzo March 19th, 2008
I have had a terrible approach to the study of scripture since the great fracture of 2002 (my adventures at Central Christian College of the Bible). As I am reapporaching my faith in the wake of that experiance, I am looking for good ways to reapproach the Bible. One of my convictions is constructing a book by book Biblical theology. Another one that I am looking to start is paraphrasing the Bible, one chapter at a time. Basically, all it would/has entail[ed] is the translation of a passage of scripture into my own vernacular. I think this helps one see the curves of the narrative of the passage, but this paraphrase would be an excellent item to revisit the next time you go to approach the same text.
What do you all think? Does this idea sound fruitful? Do any of you utilize this approach in your study of the Word of God?
Honzo March 19th, 2008
The latest Christian Carnival (CCXVI) is up over at Crossroads: Where Faith and Inquiry Meet. Check it out.
Christian Carnival CCXVI–At Crossroads Today
Here are some of the highlights:
John 18:1-4 - Getting Christological Perspective - A good post on the dangers of looking through scripture with a singular, forced perspective from Deep Bible Study. (Hint: the danger is heresy)
Why This Friday is so Good - As Good Friday approches, Brain Cramps for God looks 50 fifty reasons the Bible gives for Jesus’ coming to die. (We’ll forgive the use of Piper! 
)
A different view of Scripture by Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength - A “||” reading of scripture.
Honzo February 29th, 2008
This comes from my favorite blogger, April DeConick of The Forbidden Gospels Blog
The question of the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus is a fine example of this as we have discussed on this blog and others in the past. As a historian, this is not a historical event because dead bodies don’t rise. It is a faith event. Even the second century Valentinians seem to have understood this. What did the Valentinian teacher tell Rheginus about this? He said quite bluntly, “For, my child, ‘the dead shall rise!’ belongs to the domain of faith, not of argument.”
I don’t want to give it all away here, so go there: What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? My perspective
Honzo December 15th, 2007
Came across this excellent link today via while reading novus lumen :: The Redemption of “I Am Legend”, that listed 10 ways to “deconstruct” your faith. I know some of them are excellent ways to refresh or re-examine the way you orient yourself towards God and fellow humans. I can’t vouch for the readings on the list, but I am sure that they are at they are at least worth reading and considering. I really liked #3, 5, and 10.
10 Ways To Deconstruct Your Faith
Honzo December 9th, 2007
The sometimes funny WuzzaDem looks at Hitchens’ reply to Romney’s Mormon speech: Shocker: Christopher Hitchens Bashes Mitt Romney Speech.
According to the admittedly very contradictory scriptures of the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth warned his disciples and followers that they should expect to be ridiculed and mocked for their faith. After all, how likely was it that God had decided to reveal himself to only a few illiterate peasants in a barbarous backwater?
What better way to make this point than by mocking and ridiculing Christians?
I think what I like the most about this quote from Hitchens (the first part) is that he is completely anthropomorphizing God here; something the new atheists are always complaining about theists doing (and rightly so!). God must act in the ways that Hitchens thinks that God should act, or the God that others posit does not match Hitchen’s imagined God and therefore does not exist (is there a man of straw in there somewhere?).
C/P at Hundiejo.com
Honzo November 25th, 2007
If we accept, which I do, Tom’s rejection of the soteriology of the State, how should Christians interact with the government? I don’t see a scriptural imperative, as the situation of a participatory government as we Americans have currently did not exist during the writing of our set of sacred texts. Given that lack of an imperative, do Christians vote, run for office, try to legislate the tenants of our faith?
Do we wash our hands of participation in government and focus solely on the work of the Kingdom of God, the whole while reaping the benefits of this country’s contradicting history of domination and freedom? Do we actively engage it, using it as a tool to bring God’s distributive and or retributive justice to the people that we can bring it to?
I don’t know, but with the November of 2008 slowly approaching debate by debate, I am giving increasing thought. I’d like to hear yours.
Honzo October 12th, 2007
As of yesterday, the latest Christian Carnival is up over at Lingamish, a blog by a Bible translator living in Africa.
The Christian Carnival is a great way to a) find some of the best posts on Christianity/theology out there and b) find some of the best Christian blogs. It is a weekly publication consisting of author submissions that are Christian in nature.
Christian Carnival 193: Lions in Africa edition
Some of the highlights:
Honzo October 10th, 2007
Ok, so the play on early 90’s rap did not work so well. However, I think that on the surface, this quiz encapsulates my current ways of thinking about Christ, theology and the Bible.
You scored as Neo orthodox
You are neo-orthodox. You reject the human-centredness and scepticism of liberal theology, but neither do you go to the other extreme and make the Bible the central issue for faith. You believe that Christ is God’s most important revelation to humanity, and the Trinity is hugely important in your theology. The Bible is also important because it points us to the revelation of Christ. You are influenced by Karl Barth and P T Forsyth.
|
Neo orthodox
|
|
79% |
|
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
|
|
68% |
|
Emergent/Postmodern
|
|
68% |
|
Reformed Evangelical
|
|
61% |
|
Modern Liberal
|
|
46% |
|
Fundamentalist
|
|
39% |
|
Charismatic/Pentecostal
|
|
32% |
|
Classical Liberal
|
|
29% |
|
Roman Catholic
|
|
21% |
Mine is…
