This May I graduated from Bethel Seminary with a Master of Divinity Degree. The day before commencement the graduating seminary students, the staff, and faculty gather for a communion service. I was asked by the commencement committee to offer the student response…
Resource review I have taken up stands on both sides of the evolution and creation issue. As an avowed atheist in middle and early high school I liked to pick fights with Christians specifically over evolution. For me, at the time, the…
What to do when you don’t have lots, wet fleeces, or gut feelings about what to do next. The beginning of a year is a time for resolutions and goals. A time to make a plan and set out on a new…
Archaeology offers us a window into the physical world of the Bible, a world which is far removed both in time and space from our own, radically enlivening scripture.
Geography
St. Jerome called the lands of the bible the “Fifth Gospel.” Indeed, knowing the physical geography of Israel, Palestine, Mesopotamia and Egypt can fundamentally enhance our understanding of scripture.
Text
God’s redemptive history did not occur in a vacuum. Rather, his self-revelation both contested and communicated with the various cultures of the ancient Near-East. Knowing this context helps us understand our text.