Book and Spade

Links across time. A brief overview of the reality of the nativity accounts.

Most of us remember the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den as a colorful narrative depicted in a cartoonish manner in storybooks and in children's catechesis. However, the truth is more challenging, radical, and relevant to our own climate. Join us as we review the book of Daniel and its historical and Jewish context.

Where can we find the idea of the fall and salvation in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings? I've been asked to answer this question for a course on systematic theology for United Lutheran Seminary.

The Gifts of the Spirit - What Can The Early Pentecostal Tradition Teach Us about Liturgical Practice? A Review of the early Pentecostal revival of 1906 and what it can teach us about the role of the Holy Spirit in our church cross-denominationally today.

An overview of the question of marriage, family, and sexuality in the Hebrew Bible. A lecture given for United Lutheran Seminary.

The book of Job is perhaps one of the most enigmatic texts of the Hebrew Bible which has become a source of inspiration for Jews, Christians, and students of ancient literature. But its meaning continues to be elusive. In this lecture for united Lutheran seminary, student of theology, John Evans explores the complex riddle underlying this powerful and amazing book.

Insights into our baptismal vocation in light of the work of Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams.

A review of the relevance of the exile narratives contained in sacred scripture.

Is Kathryn Tanner's article linking the incarnation with the atonement, in light of feminist critiques, sufficient on pastoral grounds to explain the relevancy of the passion to women in modern church contexts?

A review of a chapter on Kathryn Tanner's book on the operation of the Holy Spirit.

The role of prophecy is commonly discussed and debated among Christians. The question remains: what makes a prophet? Are they chosen before the foundations of the world, or were they simply born this way? Or have they done something to have acquired this unique status? Join us as we explore this contested issue.

A review of Oliver Crisp's work on the incarnation of the Son of God and pastoral questions about how to make this doctrine relevant.

Saint Augustine, the fourth-century church father, is believed to be one of the first thinkers to develop the concept of original sin from sacred scripture; yet, theology is often contested in light of supposed advances in the material sciences. Can faith and reason be reconciled in light of these scientific and philosophical discoveries?

In what ways can we understand Jesus and the early Christian movement within its Jewish context? In what ways have Christian interpretations of the Old Testament damaged or obscured our understandings of the origins of the early Church?

Is the concept of election dangerous in the modern world? This video presents a defense of the idea of election as contained in the book Joel Kaminski's "Yet I Loved Jacob: Reclaiming the Biblical Concept of Election"

An exploration of the links between the Eucharist and the Passover In this episode, John Evans discusses the intricacies of interfaith celebration of the Passover and the links between the Eucharist and the Passover and scholarship in history.

A popular private revelation found within Roman Catholicism is that of the Three Days of Darkness. Scattered across the writings of several mystics, it has become popular in recent years among more traditional-minded Catholics. In this podcast, John attempts to go through this material and step through its reliability in light of the historical and theological record.

In this podcast, student of theology, John Evans, explores the early church data in defense of the traditional belief that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven. This exploration is conducted in hopes of building bridges between Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox interpretations of this material.

A theological perspective and meditation on a manuscript intended to continue the saga of the Lord of the Rings.

A continuation of our lecture series on Martin Luther. A brief overview of his marriage and the influence of Luther’s theology in England during the reign of Henry VIII.