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Published 21 April

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Same Text, Opposing Conclusions

Two speakers on two separate podcasts, quote the same ancient Greek source to support their opposing points! Herein lies some of the challenges faced by the would be traveller committed to engaging with the discussion between egalitarians and complementarians in the church. The episodes are both trying to engage with 1 Timothy 2 and Paul’s prohibition against women teaching and exercising authority in the church. The conversation comes to a discussion about the Greek word authenteo, rarely found in extra biblical literature, which gets translated ‘with authority’. The question is over whether the word is one that always implies a negative use of authority, or if it is a more neutral or positive term. Given how infrequently the word appears in ancient records the discussion inevitably goes to an example from the second century BC in which an individual demonstrates his business acumen to solicit the correct fee from a boatman for his services. Listen to the interpretations...

An Infestation of Manifestation

Someone once said that when our society eventually succeeded in driving out the Christian God we'd witness the return of the ancient gods of Greece and Rome. Whether that's true or not we're certainly witnessing a fresh popularising of ancient, non-christian, spirituality. It's a spirituality that, whilst it sounds and feels very modern, is basically a repackaging of old ideas. In the 00s it was popular to speak of prayer as nothing but 'nonsense', now I see whole crowds being invited to pray at global festivals and no one complains. In the 90s we used to talk about the power of positive thinking, now I hear people speak about manifesting their dreams. Whereas positive self-talk may not have much underlying theology (we all talk to ourselves, why not aim to make that kinder?), the practise of manifestation brings with it a way of seeing the world that is decidedly religious. Popular thinking (popular especially among Gen Z-ers and Tik Tok-ers) goes that by cha...

Glimpsing the Darkness (and seeing light)

I hesitate to write this for two reasons. First I have merely glimpsed darkness and I don’t want to suggest I know much about it at all. By reflecting on my experience I am not co-opting the experience of someone who lives with disability or longterm pain. That is something I know nothing about. People who live with chronic pain, invisible sufferers, are (in my opinion) battle hardened warriors in a struggle against nature’s brokenness. They’re truly worth listening to. The second reason I hesitate to write is simply this, words fail. Just as one cannot, with words, relay the sweetness of honey - for it must be tasted - so one cannot convey God’s goodness or share spiritual experiences adequately with words. For this reason the psalmist implores ‘Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good!’ Despite these things I want to try, like an explorer, to explore something of what I’ve learnt about pain recently. ___ For the past year I have had a pain in my leg resulting f...

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