Podcasts about Robert Jenson

Robert Jenson once said, “It is a great achievement to know yourself a sinner.” It sounds paradoxical, but to know you're a sinner puts you (and me) in a place to really listen to what Jesus is saying. Hence the parable of the publican and the pharisee. The dirty rotten scoundrel of a tax collector leaves worship justified, rather than the do-gooding religious adherent, because only he is able to confess that he is a sinner. It's not easy to receive this sermon from Jesus (particularly the woes) but somebody has to say such things. One must really know the people to which these words are delivered lest we leave thinking the preacher is talking about other people. Bashing people with the law achieves nothing unless the one preaching is the One who comes to fulfill the Law. Martin Luther reminds us that “God receives none but those who are forsaken, restores health to none but those who are sick, gives sight to none but the blind, and life to none but the dead. God does not give saintliness to any but sinners, nor wisdom to any but fools. In short: God has mercy on none but the wretched and gives grace to none but those who are in disgrace.”

Colossians 1:15-20 stands at the center of the logic of the New Testament, taken up by Origen, the Cappadocian Fathers, Maximus, and in the modern period is recovered by Robert Jenson (among others). Apart from this understanding, that Christ is the realization of the eternality of God, Christianity becomes unintelligible.  (Sign up for the upcoming class, "Lonergan & the Problem of Theological Method." The course will run from the weeks of February 16th to April 11th.  Also sign up for Sin and Salvation: An in-depth study of the meaning of sin and a description of the atonement as a defeat of sin and the basis of an alternative community in Christ. This course will run through the beginning of February to the end of March. Register here https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/offerings) If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!

“For those of us who are drawn into church  history and church tradition and to reading theology,  there is very little as transformative as realizing that history is populated by women and men like us who tried to follow Christ in their own time and place and culture and circumstances,  some of whom succeeded. … Looking at the saints, they make me want to be a better Christian. They make me want to be a saint.” (Brad East, from the episode)In his recent book, Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry, theologian Brad East addresses future generations of the Church, offering a transmission of Christian faith from society today to society tomorrow. Written as a fellow pilgrim and looking into the lives of saints in the past, he's writing to that post-literate, post-Christian society, where the highest recommendation of faith is in the transformed life.Today, Drew Collins welcomes Brad East to the show, and together they discuss: the importance of being passed and passing on Christian faith—its transmission; the post-literacy of digital natives (Gen Z and Gen Alpha) and the role of literacy in the acquisition and development of faith; the significance of community in a vibrant Christian faith; the question of apologetics and its effectiveness as a mode of Christian discourse; the need for beauty and love, not just truth, in Christian witness; how to talk about holiness in a world that believes less and less in the reality of sin; the difference between Judas and Peter; and what it means to study the saints and to be a saint.About Brad EastBrad East (PhD, Yale University) is an associate professor of theology in the College of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. In addition to editing Robert Jenson's The Triune Story: Collected Essays on Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2019), he is the author of four books: The Doctrine of Scripture (Cascade, 2021), The Church's Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context (Eerdmans, 2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (Lexham, 2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (Eerdmans, 2024).His articles have been published in Modern Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Theological Interpretation, Anglican Theological Review, Pro Ecclesia, Political Theology, Religions, Restoration Quarterly, and The Other Journal; his essays and reviews have appeared in The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Comment, Commonweal, First Things, Front Porch Republic, The Hedgehog Review, Living Church, Los Angeles Review of Books, Marginalia Review of Books, Mere Orthodoxy, The New Atlantis, Plough, and The Point. You can found out more, including links to his writing, podcast appearances, and blog, on his personal website: https://www.bradeast.org/.Show NotesLetters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry  by Brad EastThe importance of being passed and passing on Christian faith—its transmissionSpencer Bogle, the reason Brad East is a theologianThe post-literacy of Gen Z and Gen Alpha and the role of literacy in the acquisition and development of faithThe question of apologetics and its effectiveness as a mode of Christian discourseThe need for beauty and love, not just truth, in Christian witnessChristianity pre-exists you, and pre-existed literate society. So it can survive post-literacyTik-Tok and getting off it“We have to have a much broader vision of the Christian life.”The Doctrine of Scripture, by Brad East, Foreword by Katherine SondereggerCartesian Christianity: me alone in a room, maybe with a flashlight and a bibleSpiritual but not religious (H/T Tara Isabella Burton)We're not saved individuallyAlice in Wonderland and “believing 17 absurd things every day”Is Christian apologetics sub-intellectual and effective?Gavin Ortlund, taking seriously spiritual and moral questions with pastoral warmth and intellectual integrity—”a ministry of Q&A”Bishop Robert Barron and William Lane Craig“People are not going to  be won to the faith through argument. They're going to be won by beauty.”Beauty of lives well-lived, integrity, virtue, and martyrdom“What lies beyond this world is available in part in this world and so good it's worth dying for.”Is Christian apologetics actually for Christians, rather than evangelism?“A person's life can be an apologetic argument.”James K.A. Smith: “We don't want to be brains on sticks.”“You're just going to look bizarre.”“Come and see. … If you see something unique or uniquely powerful here, then stick around.”Saintliness and a cloud of witnessesWhy do the saints matter?The protagonist of Augustine's Confessions is actually St. Monica.“I want to be like Monica…”“For those of us who are drawn into church  history and church tradition and to reading theology,  there is very little as transformative as realizing that history is populated by women and men like us who tried to follow Christ in their own time and place and culture and circumstances,  some of whom succeeded. … Looking at the saints, they make me want to be a better Christian. They make me want to be a saint.”How to talk about holiness in a world that believes less and less in the reality of sin.Is holiness just connected to purity culture?Holiness is very difficult to describe.Hauerwas: “Humans aren't holy. Only God is holy.”Holiness as being like God and being set apart and conformed to his likenessHoliness is, by rights, God's alone.Appreciating the “everyday saints” among usSanctification as an utterly passive actThe final words of Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict), “Jesus, ich liebe dich!” (”Jesus, I love you.”)Peter and JudasLucy Shaw poem, “Judas, Peter” (see below)“There is a way to fail as a Christian. It's to  despair of the possibility of Christ forgiving you.”What it means to journey as a pilgrim towards holiness is, is not to get everything right.Shusaku Endo, Silence“What I say is we're all Kichichiro. We're all Peter and Judas. We're all bad Christians. There are no good Christians.”Kester Smith and returning to baptism“Sometimes it might be difficult for me to believe that God loves me.”“Judas, Peter”by Lucy Shawbecause we are all betrayers, taking silver and eating body and blood and asking (guilty) is it I and hearing him say yes it would be simple for us all to rush out and hang ourselvesbut if we find grace to cry and wait after the voice of morning has crowed in our ears clearly enough to break out hearts he will be there to ask us each again do you love me?Production NotesThis podcast featured Brad East & Drew CollinsEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Zoë Halaban, Alexa Rollow, Emily Brookfield, and Kacie BarrettA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Brad East joined the pod to discuss his new book, The Church: A Guide to the People of God. From the publisher (Lexham Press):The Bible tells the story of God and his people. But it is not merely history. It is our story. Abraham is our father. And Israel's freedom from slavery is ours.Brad East traces the story of God's people, from father Abraham to the coming of Christ. He shows how we need the scope of the entire Bible to fully grasp the mystery of the church. The church is not a building but a body. It is not peripheral or optional in the life of faith. Rather, it is the very beating heart of God's story, where our needs and hopes are found.Brad East (PhD, Yale University) is an associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. He is the editor of Robert Jenson's The Triune Story: Collected Essays on Scripture (Oxford University Press, 2019) and the author of four books: The Doctrine of Scripture (Cascade, 2021), The Church's Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context (Eerdmans, 2022), The Church: A Guide to the People of God (Lexham, 2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (Eerdmans, 2024).His articles have been published in Modern Theology, International Journal of Systematic Theology, Scottish Journal of Theology, Journal of Theological Interpretation, Anglican Theological Review, Pro Ecclesia, and Political Theology; his essays have appeared in The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Comment, Commonweal, First Things, The Hedgehog Review, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The New Atlantis, Mere Orthodoxy, Plough, and The Point.Find Crackers and Grape Juice on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack.

Brad East (Assistant Professor of Theology at Abilene Christian University) and I discuss Israel, church, and world; restorationism and the sacraments; the origins of evil and sin; Scripture and the formation of a political imagination; as well of course as Robert Jenson and his influence on us. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cewgreen.substack.com/subscribe

Dr Hauerwas and I talk about the influence of Robert Jenson, the craft of writing theology, the problem with tent revivals, and how he has—and has not—changed his mind. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cewgreen.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Clinton and Joel are joined by Brad East for a wide-ranging discussion of a catholic perspective on Scripture. We ask Brad about his background and theological journey towards a catholic view before discussing issues that arise in his two books, The Doctrine of Scripture and The Church's Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context. We cover the influence of Robert Jenson on Brad's work, issues of authority in interpreting Scripture, the relationship between Protestantism and historical criticism, the place of figural/theological interpretations of Scripture, how to help people engage Scripture as reading culture declines, and much more. Brad has two new books coming out this fall: The Church: A Guide to the People of God (Lexham, 2024), and Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry (Eerdmans, 2024). You can follow Holy C of E on Twitter at @holycofe1 or email us at holycofe@gmail.com

This episode covers Wolfhart Pannenberg, Robert Jenson, and the third quest for the historical Jesus.

Dr. Paul Hinlicky is Professor Emeritus of Theology at Roanoke College in Virginia. Dr. Hinlicky talks with us about early Christian reception of the Greek philosophical tradition in a work entitled Divine Complexity (Fortress Press, 2010). We also delve into his work in Slovakia and his connection to Robert Jenson. 

Jason Michelli: Chris Green is back on the podcast to (once again) talk about Robert Jenson and Stanley Hauerwas but— really— he's here to talk about a new book he has for your journey this year through the season of light, Lent. That's right. Chris wants to help you understand Lent as an enlightening time. His great book is entitled, Being Transfigured. Chris is…Professor of Public Theology—Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL) Teaching Pastor—Sanctuary Church (Tulsa, OK) Director—St Anthony Institute of Theology & Philosophy. Tommie Marshell: “I sometimes catch the atheist flu”

Qual é a verdadeira posição cristã na política? E o que é uma obra de arte cristã? Enfim, como se relacionar à cultura? Se você não ficou satisfeito com as opções delineadas por Niebuhr em nosso último episódio, trazemos mais uma opção parruda para você, apresentada por ninguém menos do que o grande teólogo luterano, falecido recentemente, Robert W. Jenson (1930-2017). Veja que o próprio Cristo é uma cultura no seu povo! Veja uma transcrição deste episódio em nosso blog. Na Pilgrim você também pode ver mais detalhes neste excelente livro sobre engajamento cultural cristão. _____ PARA SE APROFUNDAR Robert W. Jenson. “It's the culture”. First Things, maio de 2014. Robert W. Jenson. “How the world lost its story”. First Things, outubro de 1993. Robert W. Jenson. “Christ as culture 1: Christ as polity”. International Journal of Systematic Theology. V. 5, n.3, novembro de 2003. Robert W. Jenson. “Christ as culture 2: Christ as art”. International Journal of Systematic Theology. V. 6, n.1, janeiro de 2004. Robert W. Jenson. “Christ as culture 3: Christ as drama”. International Journal of Systematic Theology. V. 6, n.2, abril de 2004. Robert W. Jenson. “Reversals”. Christian Century, abril de 2010. Russell D. Rook. Rhyming hope and history: theology and culture in the work of Robert Jenson. Pickwick Publications, 2011. _____ JÁ CONHECE A PILGRIM? A nossa plataforma oferece acesso a conteúdos cristãos de qualidade no formato que você preferir. Na Pilgrim você encontra audiolivros, ebooks, palestras, resumos, livros impressos e artigos para cada momento do seu dia e da sua vida: https://thepilgrim.com.br/ _____ SEJA PILGRIM PREMIUM Seja um assinante da Pilgrim e tenha acesso a mais de 9000 livros, cursos, artigos e muito mais em uma única assinatura mensal: https://thepilgrim.com.br/seja-um-assinante Quais as vantagens? Acesso aos originais Pilgrim + Download ilimitado para ouvir offline + Acesso a mais de 9.000 títulos! + Frete grátis na compra de livros impressos em nossa loja _____ SIGA A PILGRIM No Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pilgrim.app/ no Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppPilgrim no TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pilgrimapp e no YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy1lBN2eNOdL_dJtKnQZlCw Entre em contato através do contato@thepilgrim.com.br. Em suma é um podcast original Pilgrim. Todos os direitos reservados. O ponto de vista deste texto é de responsabilidade de seu(s) autor(es) e colaboradores diretos, não refletindo necessariamente a posição da Pilgrim ou de sua equipe de profissionais.

In this episode, we talk with Brad East whose book The Church's Book (Eerdmans Press, 2022) explores the relationship between the church and scripture. It was an illuminating book and conversation where Dr. East expounds upon the book and how Robert Jenson, among other theologians, can help us understand what the bible is. 

Our guest today is Chris E.W. Green, author of The End is Music: A Companion to Robert W. Jenson's Theology. Christ is Professor of Public Theology at Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL), Teaching Pastor at Sanctuary Church (Tulsa, OK) and Director of the St Anthony Institute of Theology & Philosophy.Robert Jenson has been praised by Stanley Hauerwas, David Bentley Hart, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and others as one of the most creative and important contemporary theologians. But his work is daunting for many, both because of its conceptual demands and because of Jenson's unusual prose style. This book is an attempt to give Jenson the kind of hearing that puts his creativity and significance on display, and allows newcomers to and old friends of his theology the opportunity to hear it afresh.

Biblical Text: Genesis 1:1-5 This sermon is a bit more philosophical that I typically get. It is also leaning of a work of systematic or dogmatic theology I’ve been reading by the Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson. Classic theology is build around what in Latin are loci. In English it is much less impressive, merely subjects … Continue reading Future Opportunity

The boys show that neochalcedonianism is good... even in modern theology. Recommended reading: 1. Dennis Ferrara, "'Hypostatized in the Logos': Leontius of Byzantium, Leontius of Jerusalem, and the Unfinished Business of the Council of Chalcedon" (1997). 2. U.M. Lang, "Anhypostatos-Enhypostatos: Church Fathers, Protestant Orthodoxy, and Karl Barth" (1998). 3. Robert Jenson, "Jesus in the Trinity" (1999). Music: 1. Richard Hell & the Voidoids, "Blank Generation" 2. New Riders of the Purple Sage, "Lonesome L.A. Cowboy" Production: A.S. Wilson (aswilson.bandcamp.com)

Episode: In this episode we discuss Lincoln Harvey's thrilling guide to the work of Robert W. Jenson (1930-2017). Jenson, arguably America's most important theologian, is so because he thinks Jesus of Nazareth is always and for ever one of the Trinity. “Mary's boy and Pilate's victim” is the Father's eternal Son, so there has never been an unfleshed Word. It follows from this that the God of the Gospel is much stranger than we imagine. Harvey's book presents an astonishingly lucid and penetrating guide into Jenson's remarkable proposal. Demonstrating Jenson's signature moves, as well as his fundamental re-working of the dogmatic tradition, Harvey shows how only an evangelized metaphysics can make sense of the identity of Jesus Christ. Our discussion in this episode thus plunges into strange territory, raising odd questions and answers to such weighty matters as the nature of time, space, God's act of creation, the centrality of Jesus, substance metaphysics and much more. The post Lincoln Harvey – Theology of Robert Jenson first appeared on OnScript.

Episode: In this episode we discuss Lincoln Harvey’s thrilling guide to the work of Robert W. Jenson (1930-2017). Jenson, arguably America’s most important theologian, is so because he thinks Jesus of Nazareth is always and for ever one of the Trinity. “Mary’s boy and Pilate’s victim” is the Father’s eternal Son, so there has never been an unfleshed Word. It follows from this that the God of the Gospel is much stranger than we imagine. Harvey’s book presents an astonishingly lucid and penetrating guide into Jenson’s remarkable proposal. Demonstrating Jenson’s signature moves, as well as his fundamental re-working of the dogmatic tradition, Harvey shows how only an evangelized metaphysics can make sense of the identity of Jesus Christ. Our discussion in this episode thus plunges into strange territory, raising odd questions and answers to such weighty matters as the nature of time, space, God’s act of creation, the centrality of Jesus, substance metaphysics and much more.

Some of you know my youngest son and his family live on Grand Cayman Island. I visited them early in March of this year and, as I said goodbye on March 13, I suspected it would be a very long time before I would see them again. The following Monday the island indefinitely suspended all flights and travel to and from the island. In Michigan, everything began to close, and I began to realize the magnitude of this growing pandemic and the fact that it would truly be a very long time before I could again spend time with any of our kids and grandkids. Every time I say goodbye to our kids, especially those who are so far away, I feel this breaking or tearing in my heart and, when I left on March 13, that tearing apart was much more intense. My heart was very troubled as I was becoming deeply aware that we don’t know what the future holds. And, I felt a real sense of grief as I realized we were experiencing the death of life as we have known it. As we enter today’s gospel reading, we find ourselves in community with the disciples as we hear Jesus saying goodbye.  Jesus and the disciples had gathered for an evening meal, and he is sharing with them his farewell words.  He has told the disciples he will be leaving them, and they simply do not understand.  Their hearts are very troubled as they sense their time with Jesus is coming to an end.  They have no idea what is going to happen next, no idea that Jesus will be arrested.  They do not understand that Jesus’ crucifixion and death loom on the horizon. It is in this setting that we hear Jesus’ words as he prepares them for his departure.  I can only imagine the emotion in that room.  Jesus knows the political climate is heating up.  He knows trouble lies ahead.  He also sees the disciples’ anxiety levels rise when they hear him speak words of goodbye.  You see, their vision of the Messiah included trusting a strong leader who would liberate them from Roman occupation.  It did not include a Messiah who would be leaving them. And, they had no idea they were about to experience horror beyond their wildest imagination.  While their hearts were presently troubled, they were about to experience anxiety so intense it would blind them, causing them to flee as their Messiah is crucified. Knowing the disciples’ hearts are troubled and torn, Jesus says, “Believe in God, believe also in me.”  It is important to know that the words “believe in” would be better translated as “trust into.”  The Greek tense used for this word implies ongoing or continuous relationship.  The use of “into” implies intimate relationship and long-term solidarity with Jesus.  It infers becoming embedded in relationship to God, embedded into the very life of God and into Jesus who is God’s representative.    As the disciples hear Jesus’ words, they want to know where he is going.  They want to cling to the safety found in location.  They want to know where he is going and how they can go with him.  So, Jesus offers them a metaphor.  He gives them a metaphor for place, a place where they will be able to find him.  He calls it a dwelling.  Throughout the gospel of John, location is used as a metaphor for intimacy and for relationship.  The words Jesus speaks about dwelling are not simply about a future place where the disciples will be able to find Jesus.  They are about a very present reality, about the place of God’s presence in their lives as they travel their life journeys.  Jesus’ words about dwelling express the reality that God is already present to them, God already dwells here, God already dwells with them and with us on this earth.   It is also interesting to note the meaning of Greek word used for dwelling means a temporary resting place for a traveler.  This word was associated with caravans.  “In those days, there would be a contingent of folks who would go ahead of the caravan to ‘prepare a place’ so that when the caravan arrived there, the camp ground had been organized, the water supply located, and food was ready.  The travelers in the caravan would have a place of comfort to spend the night.” (John Petty) So, the Greek word used for dwelling or habitation implies a place that is all about welcome, hospitality, and community for people traveling on a journey.  Well, pragmatic Thomas, the one who is always the realist, wants to get this right.  He hears words about place and dwelling and he wants Jesus to give him a road map!  He wants to get to the place Jesus is talking about.  What Thomas and the others don’t get, is that Jesus is not talking about geography!  So, Jesus responds saying that he is the Way, he is the real and living way.  He does not say, “Here is a list of things you must do to get to God, here is a list of beliefs and you must sign on the bottom line, here is a recipe, a confession, a creed.”  No.  He says, “I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life.  You know me, you’ve been living this way, this road, with me.  And, you already know God. The place where I am going is all about God.  I go to the future where God is already present, and I go to prepare that future for you. You see, the present and the future are both saturated and permeated with God and I go to draw you into that future where I will already be. It is all about life with God, now and in the future.  So, trust into me.” Jesus’ metaphor provides words of assurance and promise that the relationship is going to continue, even as it changes, and life continues. For the disciples and for us, this journey with Jesus is affirmed.  Jesus will always be present.  Life with Jesus is not a destination, it is a way of being and becoming.  The disciples, and each one of us, will not be forgotten. Jesus is not talking about a destination or about location, he is really talking about where we place our trust and our hearts. In the large catechism, Luther asks what it means to have a God and he essentially answers by saying that God is what you hang your heart upon. The heart that is troubled is a heart that does not hang upon God but hangs rather on all the things the world peddles to soothe a troubled heart.  In a time of deep uncertainty, Jesus tells the disciples, “Hang your hearts on God; hang your hearts on me.  That is where your home really is.”  And, he tells them that the God on whom they may hang their hearts “has room for them.”  Theologian Robert Jenson writes about God’s roominess in relation, not to space, but to the time God has for us.  He writes: What is time?  My answer is created time is room in God’s own life.  If creation is God’s making room in himself, then God must be roomy….this roominess of God should be thought of as God’s ‘time,’ that God’s eternity is not immunity to time but God’s having all the time God needs.”    Friends, that metaphor of God’s roominess is so meaningful for troubled hearts.  What has troubled the disciples’ hearts is a very real sense that their time with Jesus has come to an end. Each one of us have the same kind of relationship with time because we, too, experience the way time robs us of time with those we love.  But, we hang our hearts on the God who has all the time God needs for each one of us and for those we love.  The place Jesus is preparing in God’s own life is eternal life, which, as Robert Jenson often says, is simply another name for God.  And, in Christ, we already dwell in that place, in the very life of God, now and for all eternity.  That is our true home. As we miss those we love and as we live in these challenging times when our hearts may be troubled, listen again to Jesus’ words to us as he says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust into God, trust also into me.  This God in whom we trust is a God who is always with us, a God who loves us so much that this God has chosen not to be God without us.  Your future is secure. The future of your loved ones is secure. A way is being made for you. It is true, that way will entail death. But, death will give way to life, life abundant, life that truly matters.”

Robert W. Jenson (1930–2017) is one of the most important, yet often overlooked and frequently misunderstood, theologians from the English-speaking world in the past century.

Charles Meeks will be defending his dissertation, “Developing a Sacramental Hermeneutic: A Conversation with Hilary of Poitiers and Robert W. Jenson,” in September. He’s signed a book contract with Fortress Academic to publish a revised version of the dissertation. He’s Adjunct Professor of Theology at Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College.  Primary Sources: Hilary. De Synodis. _____. De Trinitate. _____. Commentary on the Psalms. Secondary Sources: Carl L. Beckwith. Hilary of Poitiers on the Trinity: From De Fide to De Trinitate. Oxford Early Christian Studies. Oxford University Press, 2009. Paul C. Burns. A Model for the Christian Life: Hilary of Poitier’s Commentary on the Psalms. CUA Press, 2012. Mark Weedman. The Trinitarian Theology of Hilary of Poitiers. Supplements to Vigiliae Christianae. Brill, 2007.   Robert Jenson. Systematic Theology. 2 vols. Oxford University Press, 1997–1999. _____. Visible Words: The Interpretation and Practice of Christian Sacraments. Fortress Press, 1978.

 In this episode we discuss Japanese theologian Kazoh Kitamori’s book, Theology of the Pain of God. Kitamori focuses attention on God’s willing love of the unlovable and of His own enemies through Christ—an embrace that, following Jeremiah 31:20 and Isaiah 63:15, causes God pain. But what exactly does it mean to talk about God “in pain”? Is it sheer anthropomorphism or worse yet patripassianism? Does it make God into a sentimental figure, suffering helplessly by our side? Or are we seeing here a genuine development in doctrine? Notes: 1. Here’s an essay I wrote some years ago about Kitamori (for an anthology that apparently fell through). 2. Tokyo Lutheran Church 3. Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church 4. Kyodan (United Church of Christ in Japan) Confession of Faith 5. Moltmann, The Crucified God. 6. Kosuke Koyama was another Japanese theologian, though better known in the U.S. than in Japan because he published mainly in English and spent most of his career stateside. Among his other significant works are Water Buffalo Theology and Mount Fuji and Mount Sinai. 7. Dorothee Soelle discusses Kitamori in her book Suffering. 8. Vítor Westhelle talks about hybridity in After Heresy: Colonial Practices and Post-Colonial Theologies. 9. Adding to Kitamori’s use of Jeremiah 31 and Isaiah 63, Dad mentioned Hosea 11:8, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.” 10. Dietrich Bonhoeffer talks about costly grace in The Cost of Discipleship and about the suffering of God and time for silence in Letters and Papers from Prison. 11. Robert Jenson, Unbaptized God. 12. Hegel, The Philosophy of Religion. 13. Johannes Rist’s hymn “O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid” (1641) includes the line Gott selbst liegt tot, “God Himself lies dead.” 14. Martin Luther, Confession Concerning Christ’s Supper. 15. Tome of Leo (yep, Fourth Council, not Third). 16. Dad discusses the concept of patiency throughout Beloved Community. 17. Albert Schweizer, The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle. More about us at sarahhinlickywilson.com and paulhinlicky.com!

In today's show we set aside the question of whether we can say the Scriptures are true, reliable, accurate, historically verifiable, false, fake, or toxic, to ask whether they are holy--whether they are in themselves, and whether (and how) they make us holy. Reframing the question this way avoids many of the pitfalls of the past centuries and opens up new possibilities for theological reasoning.  Show Notes:  1. The texts we discuss vis-à-vis their being-holy and making-holy qualities are Joshua 8:1–29, Nehemiah 7:7bff, and Mark 9:1. We also refer to Romans 1 and I Timothy 3:16. 2. Yes! Paul Hinlicky (i.e. Dad) has a forthcoming commentary on Joshua in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series. Personal favorites of mine are Ephraim Radner on Leviticus, Robert Jenson on Ezekiel, and Joseph Mangina on Revelation. 3. Walter Brueggemann's book is Theology of the Old Testament. 4. Karl Barth's essay is "The Strange New World within the Bible." 5. The texts of Luther's mentioned in this episode are the Large Catechism (Apostles' Creed, Article III, §40) and "The Freedom of a Christian" (sometimes known in English as "Concerning Christian Liberty"). 6. Heiko Oberman's take on Scripture and tradition can be found in The Dawn of the Reformation. 7. Paul Hinlicky's book on God's nature and revelation in light of the gospel is Divine Complexity. 8. You can read about half of Origen's homilies on Joshua on Google Books. 9. Here is the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. More about us at sarahhinlickywilson.com and paulhinlicky.com!

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation, commemorating its 500th anniversary, through a comparison of brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. In this episode, recorded during the beginning of Advent, we talk about the end of all things and Christian hope. Links to Gerrish and Jenson can be found below: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Faith-Dogmatics-B-Gerrish/dp/0664256988 https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Outline-These-Bones-Live/dp/0190214597/ref=sr11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1512730297&sr=1-1&keywords=robert+jenson+theology+in+outline

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation, commemorating its 500th anniversary, through a comparison of brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. In this episode we discuss whether theology should begin with the universal and move to the particular or do it the other way around.

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation, commemorating its 500th anniversary, through a comparison of brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. In this episode we're looking at the problem of evil.

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation, commemorating its 500th anniversary, through a comparison of brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. In this episode we focus on Brian Gerrish's understanding of sin. Below you'll find some key quotes from the chapter we discussed. Thesis 7: Estrangement from the Creator may, as mistrust, be guiltless; but as defiance to the Creator it is sin, which arises from inborn egocentrism and the collective pressures of society, infects a person's entire existence with self-interest, and makes the self powerless to achieve the purpose of its creation without redemption. What is sin? can be fully answered only from the perspective of redemption. Hence, in harmony with his consistently christological approach, Karl Barth changed the traditional dogmatic order and dealt with sin in the context of the divine work of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, not as a separate dogmatic locus that comes before reconciliation (CD IV/ 1: 359). But there can be no objection to treating the sin of humanity, as well as the original perfection of humanity, before Christology if, with Calvin and Schleiermacher, we recognize that the measure of both is the person of the Redeemer. The conviction of sin, as Christian faith understands it, arises from confrontation with the Christ who is proclaimed in the gospel. But this experiential sequence need not determine dogmatic order. The christological reference may govern the account of sin either by the order adopted, as in Barth, or by conscious and explicit anticipation, as in Calvin (Institutes, 1: 189, 248; Comm. Gal. 2: 21) and Schleiermacher (CF 270, 279). We can more readily retain the link with our two principal guides if we take the second option. It is precisely the connection of sin with the words and work of Jesus Christ that raises doubts about the one-sided concept of sin in the Western theological tradition. The identification of sin with active resistance to the will of God is an unwarranted narrowing of all that comes between God and fallen humanity in Scripture generally, and particularly in the message of Jesus. There seem, then, to be two choices for dogmatic theology: either to enlarge the concept of sin or else, as in my thesis 7, to acknowledge Gerrish, B. A.. Christian Faith: Dogmatics in Outline (p. 77). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. Augustine's view of Adam's sin as an act of pride, and its transmission to others by natural procreation, has exercised a fateful influence on Christian theology in the West. (Eastern Orthodoxy has been more inclined to the opinion of Augustine's Pelagian adversaries that we can incur guilt only by imitation of Adam's sin.) But Augustine's view has also evoked dissent that goes well beyond Calvin's slender modifications, and dissent has been furthered by the recognition that “Adam” does not name an individual in prehistoric time but stands for humanity in every time. Schleiermacher approved of Augustine's view of sin as a turning away from the Creator, but on the transmission of sin he broke relatively new ground. And Søren Kierkegaard (1813– 55) gave the discussion another fresh direction by his searching psychological reflections on anxiety and the sickness of despair. Gerrish, B. A.. Christian Faith: Dogmatics in Outline (p. 82). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. Perhaps the commonest idea of sin in Christian literature is (3) the self-love that goes with the first humans' pride, ambition, and temptation to become like gods (Gen. 3: 5). But Christians infer the precise nature of sin not just from the story of the fall but also, and decisively, from the proclamation of redemption. The message of Jesus came as a summons to self-denial (Mark 8: 34), and Paul's gospel announced the crucifixion of the old self (Rom. 6: 6; Gal. 2: 19– 20; 5: 24). It follows from the remedy that those who have identified the sickness of sin with amor sui (love of self) are not mistaken: the root of sin is egocentrism. The source of this condition is in part the natural perception of early childhood that the entire environment is there to meet the child's needs. We might say that sin (rather than religion, as the Freudians say) is infantile regression. In this sense, we can agree with the traditional doctrine that we are born sinners. We need not dismiss even Calvin's gloomy observation that the entire nature of infants is a kind of “seed-bed of sin” (Institutes, 1: 217 [Beveridge]). But are not infants also seedbeds of grace? Gerrish, B. A.. Christian Faith: Dogmatics in Outline (p. 86). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. But self-love is not simply innate: it is constantly fed by the interaction of one self with other selves, the other being perceived as both a threat to one's own ego and the material for its fulfillment. Sin is always (5) social sin. The collective pressures of society, open to daily observation, have encouraged modern attempts to reinterpret original sin precisely as solidarity in sin. Augustine's harsh verdict that humankind is a single damnable lump (a massa perditionis) can then be retrieved as the recognition that each of us is not merely an individual sinner but inextricably entangled in a network of sinful (that is, self-serving) relationships, to which we make ourselves captive and for which we share responsibility. In Emil Brunner's vivid simile, we are “like the individual strawberry plants which, underneath the surface, are tied up with one another in a texture of roots.” 13 Gerrish, B. A.. Christian Faith: Dogmatics in Outline (p. 87). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition. It is no doubt true that in the Old Testament the emphasis falls on sin as rebellion. But due account must be taken of the historical context. In the story of Israel, sin is naturally viewed as a rebellious people's spurning the covenant. The gospel of Jesus, on the other hand, did not come only as judgment on the sin of going after other gods. It was also— and foremost— addressed as good news to persons who were burdened by hardship and pain. Jesus could certainly denounce the presumptuous sins of the self-righteous. But, according to the Gospels, he understood his ministry to be the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: the Spirit had anointed him to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind (Luke 4: 16– 22; see Isa. 61: 1– 3). Matthew testifies that Jesus fulfilled another passage from Isaiah: “He will not wrangle or cry aloud. . . . He will not break a bruised reed or quench a smoldering wick until he brings justice to victory” (Matt. 12: 17– 21; Isa. 42: 1– 4; cf. Ps. 147: 3). Remarkably, this was not the angry messiah John the Baptist anticipated (Luke 3: 7– 9; in Matt. 3: 7– 12 the angry words are addressed to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, not to the crowd generally). Jesus' mission was to the lost (Matt. 10: 6; 15: 24; 18: 11; Luke 19: 10; but see Luke 12: 49), and the series of parables in Luke 15 suggests that there are more ways than one of being lost. The prodigal son was lost willfully, but the sheep wandered off aimlessly, and the coin went uselessly out of circulation. The nature of estrangement is understood not simply from the sin of Adam, nor from Paul's controversy with the Pharisees, but mainly from the gospel: the malady is known in the cure, and what we need is disclosed in what we are given. In terms of our concept of faith, there are at least two kinds of faithlessness: mistrust as well as defiance. Alongside the word of judgment that shatters the defiant ego, there are the words of gentle rebuke to those of little faith (Mark 4: 40; Matt. 6: 30; 8: 26; 14: 31; 16: 8; Luke 8: 25; 12: 28; 17: 5) and words of compassion to the weary, who carry heavy burdens (Matt. 11: 28). The message comes as reassurance to the mistrustful, and it calls the defiant to account. As such, it stirs the two-sidedness of elemental faith in an intelligible world that makes moral sense to us. Elemental faith is seen on reflection to belong to the class of inevitable beliefs, but in actual experience it sometimes slips away. The gospel is a reaffirmation of something in the depths of every human being so that it is heard not as heteronomous, or imposed from without, but as corresponding to the law of our being: it resonates within. This, to be sure, is not all the gospel is and does! More belongs to the doctrines of redemption, to which the present chapter is only a prelude. For now, thesis 7 sums up my critical comments on the vocabulary of sin and is structured by the recognition that there are more ways than one of lacking or losing faith. Estrangement from God may be grounded in willful rebellion, but it may also be a lack of trust that has more to do with depletion of the self than with self-assertion. Of course, this does not exhaust the varieties of estrangement, and there is no need to suppose that these two are wholly exclusive. Mistrust may be blameworthy if it refuses the reassurance of grace and reflects the pathological self-preoccupation of the victim. Defiance, when it comes to itself, discovers that not guilt but the Father's compassion has the last word (Luke 15: 17, 20). But mistrust and defiance will serve as ideal types for the dogmatic presentation of what it means to live by faith. Gerrish, B. A.. Christian Faith: Dogmatics in Outline (pp. 88-90). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

This week we are joined by Father Kenneth Tanner! A priest in the Charismatic Episcopal tradition. In this episode, we talk about our common roots in Pentecostalism, the intersections and need for an ancient/future faith, being sacramentally minded, iconography, and about the theological giant Robert Jenson who was a profound influence on Fr. Kenneth's life. Fr. Kenneth tanner https://www.facebook.com/kenneth.tanner http://www.patheos.com/blogs/imagochristi/ A Theology in Outline: Can These Bones Live? by Robert Jenson https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Outline-These-Bones-Live/dp/0190214597/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505155512&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Theology+in+Outline%3A+Can+These+Bones+Live%3F Robert Jenson – Don’t Thank Me, Thank the Holy Spirit by the Crackers and Grape juice Podcast http://crackersandgrapejuice.com/episode-92-robert-jenson-dont-thank-me-thank-the-holy-spirit/ Exile Liturgy https://ryancagle.com/exileliturgy/ Subscribe to Signposts! http://eepurl.com/bFY_qv Music provided by Alex Sugg, and songsforstory.com Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/ryancagle)

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation, commemorating its 500th anniversary, through a comparison of brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. In light of Jenson's recent passing, we focus on his retelling of the story of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Trinity in "Can These Bones Live?" The texts in question are brief, which is one of the reasons we chose them. Both authors also highly esteem the Reformation tradition. At the same time both have their feet firmly planted in the modern world. If you wish to read along with us you can find links to the books below. A Theology In Outline, by Robert Jenson: https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Outline-These-Bones-Live/dp/0190214597. Christian Faith: Dogmatics In Outline, by B.A. Gerrish: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Faith-Dogmatics-B-Gerrish/dp/0664256988/ref=sr1fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504008132&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=gerrish+dogmatic+outine.

We continue our revisiting of the Reformation through brief works of Robert Jenson and Brian Gerrish. We consider why Jenson moves quickly to the story of Israel after his introduction, whereas Gerrish focuses on the experience of the world as creation.

This year marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. To commemorate it we are considering what it would mean to be continually reforming our understanding of the Gospel and the theological enterprise. We'll be doing this through engaging two brief theological works, one by Robert Jenson and the other by Brian Gerrish. The texts in question are brief, which is one of the reasons we chose them. Both authors also highly esteem the Reformation tradition. At the same time both have their feet firmly planted in the modern world. If you wish to read along with us you can find links to the books below. A Theology In Outline, by Robert Jenson: https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Outline-These-Bones-Live/dp/0190214597. Christian Faith: Dogmatics In Outline, by B.A. Gerrish: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Faith-Dogmatics-B-Gerrish/dp/0664256988/ref=sr1fkmr0_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504008132&sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=gerrish+dogmatic+outine.

Podcast regular Kenneth Tanner, along with Chris Green had the pleasure of interviewing Robert Jenson. Jenson was described as the greatest living theologian by Stanley Hauerwas, and as "one of the most original and knowledgeable theologians of our time" by Wolfhart Pannenberg.

Podcast regular Kenneth Tanner, along with Chris Green had the pleasure of interviewing Robert Jenson. Jenson was described as the greatest living theologian by Stanley Hauerwas, and as "one of the most original and knowledgeable theologians of our time" by Wolfhart Pannenberg.

In this episode we get metaphysical…BIGLY! We consider the relationship between philosophy and theology, inspired by the work of one of, if not the greatest, living theologians, Robert Jenson. The post Let’s Get (Meta)Physical! appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

Our guest this week is one of America's great theologians, Robert Jenson. He's joined by Adam Eitel, who helped put together Jenson's most recent book A Theology In Outline: Can These Bones Live? Then we talk Episcopal heartbreak, attachment theory and the cult of progress.Special Guests: Adam Eitel, Robert Jenson.

This lecture causes us to theologically reflect on Psalm 145 as a practice of theology. Consider six observations that the text speaks about a story. It tells of “the works” and “mighty acts” of God as the focus of theological reasoning. The Jewish biblical scholar Jon Levenson is quoted, “The given that is affirmed in the covenant ceremony is not a principle; it is not an idea or an aphorism or an ideal. Instead, it is the consequence of what are presented as the acts of God . . . In other words, those who come to the Hebrew Bible in hopes of finding a philosophical system flowing smoothly from a theorem will be disappointed.” (Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Hebrew Bible) We can follow Robert Jenson in expanding the compass a bit, when he says that “God is whoever raised Jesus from the dead, having before raised Israel from Egypt.” (Systematic Theology) God is identified from a story and we also draw inferences from a story. Levenson is helpful when he says, “Israel began to infer and to affirm her identity by telling a story. To be sure, the story has implications that can be stated as propositions. For example, the intended implication of the historical prologue is that YHWH is faithful, that Israel can rely on God as a vassal must rely upon his suzerain. But Israel does not begin with the statement that YHWH is faithful; she infers it from a story . . . History, the arena of public events (as opposed to private, mystical revelation and to philosophical speculation), and time are not illusions or distractions from essential reality. They are means to the knowledge of God.” (Sinai and Zion) Notice that Psalm 145 moves from story to telling what God is like and who God is. Stories infer character traits. God is really revealed in history and has tied His history up with the life of His people. God acts savingly and redeemingly for the sake of His Name. Christ shows us what God is like. The knowledge of God gives us knowledge of who we are as humans. The life of God is bound up with his fellowship with humans in the kingdom of God. Story and theology are mediated by testimony, “one generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4). This really does happen, though, for “they shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness” (v. 6). “They [“all your saints” from the preceding v. 10b] shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, to make known to the children of man . . . “ The purpose of theology is speech about God in worship and witness. Consider that the Psalm begins and ends with adoring speech about God. Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson says it well: “The church has a mission: to see to the speaking of the gospel, whether to the world as message of salvation or to God as appeal and praise” (Systematic Theology).

Robert Jensen's new book begins with thesimple demand of the culture: "Be a man." It closes with a defiant response:"I chose to struggle to be a human being." And in between, it offers acandid and intelligent exploration of porn's devastating role inhelping to define conventional masculinity. In other words: In ourculture, porn makes the man.Writing in his trademark conversational style with a rigorousanalysis, Robert Jensen easily blends personal anecdotes from hisyears as a f

Robert Jensen's new book begins with thesimple demand of the culture: "Be a man." It closes with a defiant response:"I chose to struggle to be a human being." And in between, it offers acandid and intelligent exploration of porn's devastating role inhelping to define conventional masculinity. In other words: In ourculture, porn makes the man.Writing in his trademark conversational style with a rigorousanalysis, Robert Jensen easily blends personal anecdotes from hisyears as a f