In June of 2015, in the wake of Bruce Jenner’s gender transition into Caitlyn Jenner, I published a blog post which has been among my most visited posts. It was entitled: “A Female Soul in a Male Body?: A Theological Proposal.” I am still satisfied with most of what I wrote in that post, but […]
Category: Ethics
There are not many issues confronting Christian churches, in western post-Christian cultures these days, which are more troubling and difficult than how the church should relate to people who identify as LGBT+. The sexual revolution has gotten more diverse in recent decades, and it has become a political force which frequently threatens both freedom of […]
Recently, I received an email message from a nephew with a question that I know many Christian parents have asked. Sabbath observance The message was short and sweet, and its questions are important. Why don’t we honour that commandment? Is there something in the New Testament that ‘overrides’ that? Jesus healing? Is hockey on Sunday […]
The Vanity Fair article on Bruce Jenner’s gender transition into Caitlyn Jenner has created a lot of buzz. Given the dominant perspective on sexual diversity in North American culture, much of the public response has been enthusiastically affirmative. Meanwhile, Christians are trying to figure out what to make of the stories of people with gender […]
I found many profound and stimulating statements in this brief interview with Oliver Donovan, one of the greatest minds and hearts at work in Christian ethics in our time. I particularly enjoyed some comments on his use of other scholars. Here are a few to ponder: I often feel that biblical studies get too […]
In an earlier blog post, I argued that sinners in hell reach a point at which they no longer sin. In the comment thread, Chris Wettstein has asked: “If, then, the reprobate will not be ‘sinning’ can they be said to be ‘loving God’ and ‘loving their neighbour’?” I started to write a response to […]
Recently, I attended a city Christian Prayer Breakfast which is an annual event bringing together a large group of evangelicals. The guest speaker talked about the ministry of Christians in the community, and he mentioned how good and important it is for churches to be communities that welcome diversity. Among the kinds of diversity that […]
In a group meeting recently, I commented on my interest in the story of the 5 people who had checked in for a Malaysian Airlines flight but then failed to board, which meant that their baggage had to be removed before the flight could depart. Eventually that plane disappeared. Why did those people not board? […]
“Same-sex acts are sinful, but same-sex orientation is not.” I have often read or heard that sentiment, and it began to make sense to me, particularly in cases where the orientation was not brought about by choices made by the individual. A very helpful article by Denny Burk (“Is homosexual orientation sinful?”) has challenged me […]
In a small group with which we meet weekly, I mentioned recently the concern I often hear expressed about the departure of younger people from the church. “Millennials” are frequently mentioned in this regard, and some studies have indicated that it pertains particularly to those who have attended university. Later in the week, a group […]