This is the biblioblog of Brian LePort, JohnDave Medina, Daniel James Levy, and T.C. Robinson.
Brian is a ThM student at Western Seminary who received his MA in Biblical and Theological Studies from the same institution. He is a student member of the Society of Biblical Literature and formerly of the Evangelical Theological Society. He teaches at Grace Bible Church in Portland, OR.
You can follow him on Twitter and/or connect with him on Academia.edu, Facebook, or Google +.
Access his Curricula Vitae: LePort. CV.
__________
JohnDave received a MA in Theological Studies from George Fox Evangelical Seminary and he is a student member of the Society of Biblical Literature.
You can connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Academia.edu.
__________
Daniel is a student at Southeastern University as well as a student member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. You can follow him on Twitter here and/or connect with him on Facebook here.
__________
Former contributors include T.C. Robinson, Mark Stevens, Joshua Smith, Ishta Kutesa and Robert Jimenez.
As a disclaimer we want to note that the views expressed on this blog do not represent the aforementioned institutions, local churchs, or other affiliations.
This is an enjoyable blog ! Good job.
Hey, if you have any time, I would love a short list of the top 20 seminaries (Protestant) and where they fall on a spectrum from Conservative to Progressive on the Evangelical scale.
Honestly, I am not sure how I would compile such a list! Maybe something like Claremont in Los Angeles @ most liberal and Westminster in Philadelphia @ most conservative. The middle ground would have maybe Fuller @ 11 toward Claremont and Gordon-Conwell at 9 toward Westminster.
JohnDave, any suggestions?
Wow, we get so many comments it’s hard to keep up with them all (I haven’t subscribed to the comments feed so that might be one solution)! Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about where seminaries fall on the scale. Some would label George Fox Evangelical Seminary as progressive (toward 14-15) but others would say it’s moderate (maybe around 9-11). I’m not sure which one it would be. Would divinity schools count toward this? I’m sure there are a few that one could definitely say are progressive.
Okay, my opinion would be that #1 (most conservative) would be Dallas Theological Seminary, TX, and #20 (most progressive) would be Union Theological Seminary, NY. Everything else falls in between somewhere.
I think Westminster is more conservative than DTS. UTS may be more liberal than Claremont, but it is close.
I’m finishing at DTS, and, while there are fundamentalist pockets to be sure, the OT and NT departments are quite progressive. They are still conservative (at least way more conservative than me!), but folks like Darrell Bock and Dan Wallace (along with the rest of the NT department) embrace a great deal of flexibility on the part of the gospel writers (e.g. Jesus’ cry from the cross in John was more John’s pen than Jesus’ voice). That would move DTS past, say Gordon-Conwell in my book.
Just thought I’d weight in as someone on the ground in Dallas. DTS is changing (for the better) slowly but surely. They are not all a bunch of fundies anymore.
Michael,
Thank for providing a voice for DTS and updating its image for those less informed, like me.
JohnDave
Pingback: Top Ten Post of 2009 « Near Emmaus: Christ and Text
Dude, JohnDave, your FB is no longer disabled!
It’s funny that you mentioned this because I was just thinking about disabling it the other night. I just didn’t get around to it.
Hey, thanks for adding the continuationism.com and my personal blog to your site. I do appreciate it. Just to note that Continuationism got spelled wrong on the widget bar on the side.
ScottL,
Thanks! It is a weird word to spell.
Thanks, Brian.
Pingback: When should Grammar be used to settle a Theological Debate? | New Leaven
I just stumbled onto your site and really enjoy the Christ-centered content.
Here’s a handy little WordPress.com tip from one blogger to another: If you want to add a Facebook “like” button to your site, I’ve created a way to do it.
Go here ► http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/its-possible-facebook-share-and-like-buttonsat-the-same-time?replies=1#post-503517
Keep up the insightful posts!
Hi Brian,
I hope you are well. I wanted to email you but couldn’t find an address.
I came across one of your article about you leaving a Pentacostal Oneness theology. I became a “simultaneous modalist” a few years ago because I just could not resolve multiple persons as God (in one being or otherwise) and my Church’s responses and the trinitarian apologetics I read did not satisfy. I mostly uncovered this modalism on my own naive lay-interpretation of scripture (usually a foolish thing to do I know) and have otherwise had nothing to do with Oneness Christianity. The problem is (despite a probably erroneous theology), is that I’m still currently convinced of modalism and I really, really don’t want to be. It’s such a divisive doctrine in my Baptist church that I desperately want to turn from it in order to limit any potential conflict and better serve my church. I already differ enough with my Mennonite-ishness.
I know that some commenters of your articles mentioned some articles, but I was wondering if you knew of any single definitive text that deals with Oneness-modalism and trinitarianism properly and thoroughly?
Thank you and God bless
Andrew,
I do not know of any such text but the Society of Pentecostal Studies (SPS) did a Oneness-Trinitarian dialog a few years ago. I am sure those articles would be available if you contact SPS.
Thanks. I shall check them out.
Can you tell me who created the series of images you have as the “masthead” of your blog?
Thanks.
It was from a website of Greek Orthodox icons. I can’t recall the URL though.
Just adding a comment to get notices of any new comments
Now we have five people!
I read that the Battle of Emmaus in 1 Maccabees occurred ‘near Emmaus’. Co-incidence, or does this blog have an appreciation for the apocryphal scripture of the ‘silent years’?
Our intent was to capture the moment when the disciples were in the presence of Jesus but they hadn’t seen him as he really is, so he began to show himself to them in the Scriptures. Lk 24.
To Brian,
I don’t care what you’re excuse is, I don’t see how your doctrine lines up at all!
As I see it in the Holy Scriptures, there is no Trinity, and those people like you who profess to worship Jesus in the Trinity, are merely covering up what is idolatry. Let’s call it for what it is!
You have made Jesus 1/3 of God. You are sick.
@Joses: That was a finely crafted argument with amazing insight. You have overthrown centuries of Christian thought on the Trinity in just a few sentences. I applaud you.
@Brian @Joses: I love it when heresy stops by the blog every once in a while.
@Josh: Keeps it interesting!
@ Brian…That comment was so defining that I imagine you are having serious thoughts about either changing the format of your blog, or shutting it down completely while you go through a serious time of reflection and perhaps a crisis of faith of some form or other…… …..
Hang on; I believe you had one of those already…..
Keep up the good work.
@Craig: I have a crisis of faith every third Wednesday of the month.
@Joses Wow, what was that all about? Wait, it was directed to Brian.
.
@Brian, what did you do now? One of these days you’ll learn.
@Lem: Great question! I am the only one addressed, but all the authors on the blog are Trinitarian. Go figure.
@Brian: Everyone just loves you.
@JohnDave: Like that Raymond guy?
Brian, it would seem his disgruntlement towards you is that you crossed the Tiber…. There is something to be said about Trinitarian theology that focuses on mutual love….
@Craig: Not only did Joses miss that, but the “made Jesus 1/3 of God” part is a fabrication that crosses the Tiber.
@ JD; yes… that was priceless. His final comment is true though…. my sons often use the term “sick” to describe something that is great….. something tells me though that my contextual understanding in translating his meaning is a little off base though…
@Craig: I had not though of “sick” as “cool”, but maybe he was complimenting me!
@Craig and Brian: Haha!
@Brian: Can gay or bi people go to heaven as long as they are Christians (e.g., Episcopal Church)?
@ModernThinker: There is no way for me to know the answer to this. Each individual stands before our Master, Jesus. Jesus is Lord and Judge, not me.
That being said, we are to urge each other toward good works and right behavior, so I would never encourage a Christian to simply accept being active in such living. I think if someone is a Christian they should seek the Spirit’s work to overcome this. I know I say this from a perspective of “easier said than done” since this has never been my struggle. I pray God’s grace be on all who wrestle with this as it is on me in regards to areas of sin where I struggle.
Enjoying the blog guys. As mentioned in a different post, I have been a silent observer for a while and just decided to stop being anonymous. Quick question for you Portland people: do you recommend any specific area over others? Any specific rental properties you know of that you would recommend? My wife is flying out in two weeks to find a place to live and we are clueless as to where to look and not look, or if there are better properties to be at over others. Also, if you know of any good rental homes…that would be cool too. Let me know if you recommend anything…thanks!
@Ryan: Although I have lived here a year and a half I am not totally sure. I live in the Russellville Commons in SE Portland and I like it, but I know very little about PDX real estate, rentals, and neighborhood demographics.
Dear Editors
Please read below about a new book on Revelation that should be of interest to your readers.
I would be happy to send you a gratis copy if you’d like to consider it for a book review, feature story, or interview with the author.
Note: We will only be sending review copies on request.
Best wishes.
Bob
http://www.bobtoddpublicity.com
For Lee Harmon, author of Revelation: The Way It Happened
__________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bob Todd
BT@BobToddPublicity.com
“Finally someone has detected a plausible historical fit and this represents a superb achievement.”
—Barrie Wilson, Professor, Humanities and Religious Studies, York University, Toronto, author of How Jesus Became Christian
Revelation: The Way It Happened
Minneapolis (May 30, 2011) – What was John thinking when he penned the book of Revelation? Two millennia later, many still revere this famous apocalypse literally while others discard it as the ravings of a madman.
In the newly-released Revelation: The Way It Happened, author Lee Harmon strikes a perfect balance as he maneuvers in story form through the first-century drama of what John was really writing about. This is a serious look at the earliest Christians, presented in an entertaining way.
Harmon leads, verse by verse, through the events of Revelation, adroitly explaining the relevance of these scriptures while seamlessly weaving in a father-and-son discussion of the Apostle John’s frightful letter.
• Meet Samuel and thirteen-year-old Matthew, two Jews living in Ephesus fifty years after the death of Christ, and share in their astonishment and horror as the prophecies of John’s colorful vision are played out around them in the Roman Empire.
• Bare your teeth at the original beast of Revelation, his double the antichrist, and John’s nemesis, the false prophet.
• Relive the gruesome Jerusalem war of 70 AD, the fire-and-brimstone tragedy of Mount Vesuvius, the expectation of horrible massacre looming on the horizon and, finally, the Christian dream of escaping all this to live with God in a new Eden-like Jerusalem after it floats down from heaven and settles atop the war-torn rubble of mount Zion.
In Revelation: The Way It Happened, Harmon excels at capturing the essence of that time even as he addresses our modern-day perceptions and misconceptions of this ancient tome. Delve into this fascinating and intriguing book and you may never read the Bible in the same way again.
”Revelation is revealed to be neither a book of crazy mystical nonsense nor an uncanny prediction of events in the distant future, but an immediate and touching response to issues of the day for early Christians.”
—Rabbi Stephen M. Wylen, author of The Jews in the Time of Jesus
”Harmon makes the interesting argument that much of the bizarre imagery in Revelation symbolizes not future catastrophes yet to be experienced but rather past calamities known to John of Patmos and that Revelation signified his belief that the final days were imminent.”
—Gary Greenberg, author of 101 Myths of the Bible
“The book of Revelation causes a rift with some Biblical scholars. Revelation: The Way it Happened is a novel on the writings of the John of Revelation, writing in the first century AD, looking to provide insight into the lives of the earliest Christians and what mattered to them in a world that shunned them and the principles that Christians most held dear. Drawing on history and Revelation alike, Revelation is a well researched and thoughtful read that definitely should not be overlooked.”
—Midwest Book Review
Lee Harmon is a historical Jesus scholar and book reviewer living in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Revelation: The Way It Happened
By Lee Harmon
Paperback: 346 pages, 8.9″ x 6″
Publisher: Langdon Street Press (a division of Hillcrest Publishing Group, Inc.) (December 13, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936183625
ISBN-13: 978-1936183623
Price: $16.95
Revelation: The Way It Happened is available at http://www.amazon.com, http://www.the-revelation-story.com, http://www.thewayithappened.com, and at local bookstores.
To receive a media kit with further information about the book and a review copy (for media) please contact BT@BobToddPublicity.com
###
Pingback: N. T. Wright Points the Way to the Kingdom of God | Current Events in Light of the Kingdom of God