PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives » Theology

Pomotheo Joining TransformingTheology Network

Pomo — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:26:30 +0000

Pomotheo is happy to be invited, or should we say we asked to be invited, to a new initiative in the realm of theology. The mission of the Transforming Theology network is to tighten the bonds between theology and transformative action in the church and the world.

The Transforming Theology project pursues a three-pronged approach for deepening the relationship between theology and transformative action. The "Transforming the Church" page describes the denominational summit meeting scheduled for May 2009, as well as steps to strengthen the networks of Christians across the denominations who share with one another the passion for a transforming and transformative theology. The "Seminaries and Divinity Schools" page describes new initiatives in theological education that are helping to train future religious leaders according to these priorities and to disseminate them more broadly.

But what of the third, and no less essential, prong in the effort: theologians themselves? This part of the website, and of our overall project, is dedicated to those theologians who are writing in powerful and accessible ways to transform church and world. We are identifying these men and women, publicizing their work, making their books available to bloggers and to the media, recording interviews with them that can be downloaded as podcasts -- in short, creating a network of theologians whose work is transformative.

Our task is not to establish strict criteria for what counts as acceptable or unacceptable theology. Instead, we join with all Christian thinkers who are involved in formulating, and living, transformative theologies. We are working to bring home the two-directional nature of the organic link between belief and action. Powerful theologies lead to powerful ministries in the church and in the world. But the feedback relationship is no less important: examining transformative ministries, as well as those that fail to be transformative, often provides crucial guidance in how theologies should be extended, adapted -- or radically revised..

Our role will be to critique the writings and books we get through out own lens and hopefully we will engage some other blog writers. So stay tuned and enjoy!

Pomotheo Joining TransformingTheology Network is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Rapture is a Scam – NT Wright on 1 Thess 4:16-17

Pomo — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:03:27 +0000

You've heard it from us a few times already, Left Behind is perhaps one of the biggest theological cancers ever to propagate from fundamentalist Christianity. The fact dispensationalism (rapture theology) is affirmed as foundational doctrine for many evangelicals only makes the problem worse. Why? Because of basic exegesis and scholarship yields alternate interpretations than the single (Tim Lahaye would argue) verse perscribing rapture.

But don't take our word, here's a quick article I stumbbled one written by heavyweight theologian NT Wright (who blasts poor Tim out of the water on anything Bible IMO).

Nt Wright on the rapture (1 Thess).

Rapture is a Scam – NT Wright on 1 Thess 4:16-17 is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Technorati Tags: lahaye, rapture, wright

Why Mormons Aren’t Christians, Period.

Pomo — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:20:28 +0000

Pomotheo rarely makes absolute statements but this one we're OK stating. Correct me if I'm wrong, but 10 years ago Mormon refused to be associated/called Christians. Now they realise they can get more money in the bank if they push their religion as a 'Christian alternative'.

This debate between prominent Christian apologist and LDS author took place over the blogosphere. http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/mormondebate/. Personally I don't think it was a fair debate since Dr. Mohler is a PhD and Orson is merely an fictional writer. Nonetheless, Orson never answered the main question about the debate, basically "is Mormonism an accurate reflection of orthodox Christianity".

Why Mormons Aren’t Christians, Period. is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Left Behind Junk – Sound Exegesis Finally Seeping Through

Pomo — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 20:59:40 +0000

Death to Left Behind garbage.

It's GREAT! to see theologians finally getting their voices heard. Albeit, this particular woman is a Lutheran, evangelicals should take notice. Hopefully arrogant conservatives won't write these theologians off as 'liberal', or in this case 'just a woman'.

Quite frankly, dispensationalist theology, of which 'rapture theology' and the entire 'Left Behind' series is based, does not have a foundation to stand upon. It's dying a slow death, so people, please let it go.

More discussion in the PomoTheo Theology Forum.

Left Behind Junk – Sound Exegesis Finally Seeping Through is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives

Predestination and Free Will

Pomo — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 23:01:07 +0000

This might be interesting and I am open to discussion. Somehow I think I've made sense of the two as they both exist.... Yet it seems unlikely that I truely have comprehended this mystery. Scripture speaks of both God knowing all things past-present-future yet He also holds us accountable for our choices which implies we have real choices. In class my argument was shut down and called a fallacy but I just don't see it... I wrote the professor in hopes that he would help me see it. The same request goes out to all who can show it. Please don't be silly and deny either free-will or predestination, you'll never prove that either don't exist.

Opps! That was silly (the last two emails now…),Hello Dr. Reid,

Hope all is well.

After a great deal of pondering, re-reading email and dictionary definitions, I have concluded that I am in the dark as to this fallacy of confusing truth and epistemology. This is nearly the worst kind of ignorance, for although I believe you when you say I am confusing the two, I know neither what portion of my thinking does this nor how I am doing it. If you would be so kind as to alleviate my confusion I would be very appreciative.

In case you don't recall the argument I tested in class I will restate it as best I can. Unfortunately I can't see where the problem lies and in thinking about it I might have furthered it some, considering that I am now more convinced than ever...

I was saying that since God is All-Knowing and Eternal, the entire past-present-future are all known to God without God being subject to time. i.e.: He does not know the past-present-future now, or in the past, or in the future but eternally. God does not change. By the example in class I was trying to show this is logically consistent.

'Tom will choose to buy a marble tomorrow'. This speaks of the future, which hasn't happened yet. It is a statement about something that literally doesn't exist right now. Because Tom could choose to buy or not buy that marble when tomorrow arrives, right now we do not know and cannot say. When tomorrow arrives then it will become true or not.

'God knows right now Tom will choose to buy a marble tomorrow'. Again, by subjecting God to time, it is still impossible to call this statement true or false because right now Tom has not chosen tomorrow whether or not to buy the marble. Not only is it denying God's Eternal existence but it makes no sense because tomorrow doesn't exist today.

'God knows Tom chooses to buy a marble tomorrow'. This makes sense since tomorrow, yesterday and today are the same to God who is Eternal. It will not make sense if one assumes God knows it today, because that is putting God in time, taking time out of the statement for God allows it to be sensible. When tomorrow arrives, Tom may still choose to buy the marble or not because until it happens he still has the choice. If Tom chooses not to buy the marble when tomorrow arrives then God never knew that he would buy it.

It is the same with the past, which we know of in the present, yet which no longer exists right now just like the future doesn't exist right now. To know that Tom chose to buy a marble yesterday doesn't negate Tom's choice that he had yesterday despite us knowing now what he chose. Today there is no choice for Tom to have or have not bought the marble yesterday, since it has already occurred and the choice no longer exists. Today Tom has the choice to buy a marble or not but tomorrow his choice will not longer exist.

If we put God in our position of time then the future doesn't exist to God right now just like it doesn't exist to us right now because we only exist in the present. God is not in a position of time, He is Eternal.

Knowing what happens in all time and not being subject to time God knows that yesterday, today and tomorrow Tom chooses to buy marbles each of those days. Yet similar to how we know Tom chose to buy a marble yesterday without negating the choice Tom had yesterday, God knowing that Tom will buy a marble tomorrow doesn't negate the choice Tom will have tomorrow. For temporally, as we are now, tomorrow and yesterday don't exist right now. Yet eternally, as God is Eternal, tomorrow is as yesterday is as today.

In conclusion it is only when we deny the Eternal aspect of God's divine nature that we face a contradiction between His divine complete knowledge and our free will to choose. This is the fallacy of confusing the temporal with the eternal, which is what I believe I was doing in the previous argument I had sent you. This argument is making far too much sense to me now but I am open and wish to see my confusion in confusing truth and epistemology.

-John

Predestination and Free Will is a post from: PomoTheo - Missional Perspectives