The Beatitudes by Way of Deuteronomy
Scholars of the Bible recognize the pattern of blessing + cursing in the Book of Deuteronomy. As Jesus gave his Beatitudes, I wonder if...
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THINKBETTER
What's wrong? How did we get here? What shall we do?
JOHN G. STACKHOUSE, JR.
Thoughts on
CHRISTIANITY, THE ACADEMY, AND PUBLIC LIFE
St. Mark—the Cowardly Lion
That is the uncontested ending of GMark: the earliest witnesses flatly failing for fear.
Saint Joseph: An Extraordinary Ordinary Man
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). But here's what he did do.
The Temptation of Christ—and His Subsequent Prayer
As the Lenten season has begun, we recall the Temptation of Jesus and his successful withstanding of the Devil’s worst. A few thoughts...
Cornelius the Convert—and What a Convert!
Today is the Feast Day of the Conversion of Cornelius the Centurion. And, yes, it matters that he is not just “Cornelius,” but “Cornelius...
Smart Saints
I missed writing about Timothy and Titus (26 January), John Chrysostom (27 January), and Thomas Aquinas (28 January). So let me just say...
On the Feast of Stephen
Today is the Feast of St. Stephen, one of the two sad days during the Twelve Days of Christmas. Unlike the other sad day, the Feast of...
Cur Deus Homo?
Mark 14:22-25 isn’t a typical Advent passage, but it provides a few clues about the coming of the Lord: “While they were eating, Jesus...
Sez Who?
In Mark 9:33-37, Jesus asks his disciples what they were talking about on the road. What they should have been talking about was what he...
Parables & Propositions
Scholars of religion well into middle age, as I am, remember the excitement of the so-called narrative school of theology breaking over...
How Can I Block Out the Cruelty?
The stereotype of the schizophrenic is a poor soul beleaguered by a cacophony of voices telling him what to do. But we all now are...
Spiritual Gifts
Reading I Corinthians 12 this morning, under the tutelage of John Barclay’s excellent Paul and the Power of Grace, I’m reminded of my...
A Bestselling Thriller Author Gets Good Friday Wrong
In his popular recent novel, The Order, thriller writer Daniel Silva decides in the name of Judaism to launch a missile at Christianity....
Musings for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
In case any or all of these can bless you, especially if you have to speak this week, a small list of previous posts: Easter: Who Needs...
Salacious Stupidity
I’d love to pile on Jerry Falwell, Jr. for engaging in, and then happily Instagramming, a yacht party (!) in which he, family members,...
“On Earth as It Is in Heaven”—or Would That Be Boring?
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to ask for more heaven on earth (Matthew 6:10). But that’s the last thing many people want—at least, it is...
Is Christianity Anti-Semitic?
The recent synagogue shooting in Poway, California, has focused attention on an abiding question regarding Christians and Jews: Is...
What in Hell Is Going on?
The Walrus, a magazine not renowned for a sustained interest in Christian thought, in its April number commendably features a review...
John G. Stackhouse, Jr.
- 12 min
Rest in Peace, David Martin (1929-2019)
I’ve only just heard that my latter-day mentor in the sociology of religion, David Martin, passed away last month. I confess that I...
Christianity Is Weird, but Perhaps Not as Weird as Your Think
Christianity has what I sometimes call a “double weirdness problem.” Elements of its teaching that are truly strange—such as the...
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