By: Chad Warren on September 5, 2024
My friend got to the cast list before me and blurted out, “You got the part!” I got the lead role in the upcoming school theatre production. I got the part I auditioned for but now I was overwhelmed with what that entailed. Much of the success of the show would be tied to my…
By: Kari on September 5, 2024
It was a crisp autumn day. The wind was blowing through the trees arching over the street. Premature foliage was scattered across the sidewalks. My sister and I marched up to the next address on our list. A pleasant older lady opened the door and smiled at us. I introduced us as we campaigned for…
By: Ryan Thorson on September 5, 2024
When I reflect on the writers and theologians that have had the most influence in my life, NT Wright quickly comes to the top of the list. His book, “Surprised by Hope”[1] has changed the way I see and work for God’s Kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven. Needless to say, I…
By: Diane Tuttle on September 5, 2024
Our Father who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.[1] I don’t know that God’s kingdom on earth will ever be as it is in heaven. We are not God and humans are sinful. But Jesus taught His follows this…
By: Elysse Burns on September 5, 2024
Political theology [1] is a term that might make some Christians bristle or shrink in fear, but N.T. Wright and Michael Bird encourage Christians in Jesus and the Powers to confidently “recover our kingdom vocation” [2] concerning our engagement with the powers. The authors urge Christians to carefully consider political theology as we seek to…
By: Joel Zantingh on September 5, 2024
In their work, Jesus and the Powers, N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird offer us a call for public theology, how to belong to the kingdom of God that is not from this world, but is done within and for the sake of the world [1]. While not seeking to gather signatures for a particular…
By: Jenny Dooley on September 4, 2024
Given the overwhelming number of global and national issues we currently face, our reading this week is a welcome signpost guiding the way. In the introduction to Jesus and the Powers, authors N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird noted the powerful objective that undergirds their book. They write, ”… in an age of ascending autocracies,…
By: Debbie Owen on September 4, 2024
Rex is in charge of all the animals on Farmer Hoggett’s farm. He knows the rules of the farm and makes sure all the animals follow those rules. That’s the best way for everything to go smoothly and to keep the Boss (Hoggett) happy. Rex is a sheepdog. When he is not lording it over…
By: Russell Chun on September 4, 2024
Week 2 – Поляризація імміграції, Poliaryzatsiia immihratsii, Polarization of Immigration Introduction – what the author says What others are saying: Thumbs down and Thumbs up Bland ending? Concluding points. Epilogue: Polarization of Immigration Introduction Political theology is not a term I have used very much in my academic journey. I feel that I have…
By: Pam Lau on September 4, 2024
Marilynne Robinson’s newest book, Reading Genesis, is a rich exploration of the book of Genesis. She considers the academic interpretations and the literary interpretations from previous scholars through a unique lens. Her approach to Genesis weaves themes that resonate through the whole of Scripture–within her achingly beautiful writing, Robinson powerfully considers the profound meanings and promise of…
By: Graham English on September 4, 2024
In 1987 R.E.M. sang a punchy and danceable apocalyptic song warning of the world’s end. “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine,” they sang in the oft-repeated chorus interspersed with lyrics that are a stream of consciousness containing apparent evidence of the apocalypse. The sentiment in the…
By: Shela Sullivan on September 3, 2024
The book, “Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness In An Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies” by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird explores the concept of “powers” as understood in the New Testament and its significance to the life and mission of Jesus.[1] Wright and Bird provide a comprehensive exploration of the…
By: Jennifer Eckert on September 3, 2024
Contemporary Western politics can be compared to a carnival funhouse, where the dynamics and experiences of political engagement resemble the disorienting and deceptive nature of such an attraction. Participants encounter a series of phenomena that create a sense of instability and confusion. While this type of attraction is entertaining in a festival setting, the metaphorical…
By: Scott Dickie on September 3, 2024
I’m a fan of N.T. Wright (or at least as much of a fan as a Gen-Xer can be), and I was fine that he brought along his buddy, Michael Bird, to explore what Christian engagement in the political realm should look like. Jesus and the Powers (1) is a rather short book for such…
By: Adam Cheney on September 3, 2024
The gospels portray the life of Jesus, demonstrating to society the kingdom of heaven was upon them. He was ushering in a new way of thinking about religious and political structures. The full power of the kingdom was displayed “on an ancient hill called Golgotha, just outside the old city of Jerusalem, where once stood…
By: Glyn Barrett on September 3, 2024
King Charles III’s coronation took place on May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. The ceremony was rich in tradition and deeply rooted in the bible. Central to the service was the anointing with holy oil, symbolising divine approval and consecration, echoing the anointing of kings in the Bible, such as King Solomon. The…
By: Mathieu Yuill on September 2, 2024
Reflecting on Jesus and the Powers: Christian Political Witness in an Age of Totalitarian Terror and Dysfunctional Democracies by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird[1] feels especially relevant today, given the global challenges we face. Wright and Bird’s exploration of how Christians should navigate the political and social upheaval of our time is both sobering…
By: Mathieu Yuill on September 2, 2024
When I look back on what I knew about Israel before October 7th, it’s clear that my understanding was shaped by a blend of personal experiences and brief educational exposures. Growing up, the stories of Israel and the Jewish people often came from the Bible, with tales that placed them in a state of oppression…
By: Cathy Glei on September 2, 2024
“The very existence of a community living like that – scandalous as it appeared to many- was the sign to the watching world that something radically new had come about, a way of life that was attractive and vibrant even as, in social and political terms, it was costly and dangerous. “ [1] Drawing attention…
By: Tim Clark on September 2, 2024
If you’re an American of a certain age raised in a charismatic/pentecostal tradition, you will remember the Power Team: A half-dozen or so bulked up men who would hold assemblies at churches and schools, displaying feats of strength and attributing them to God. I think the reasoning went something like this: If these guys can…
