Forging Ploughshares

Brian, Austin, and Paul discuss how Origen's Christology constitutes a metaphysics. In describing the relation between the Son and the Father Origen establishes his first principle, the foundation of the Christian worldview.  (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul  https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/offerings ) Become a Patron! If you enjoyed th...

Paul Axton preaches - The mystery revealed in the Gospel pertains to creations end and beginning, to salvation from sin and the defeat of the Prince of the Power of the Air, to cosmic peace and reconciliation, and according to Origen, to the logoi or arche laid in the foundation of Christ. (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul  https://pbi.forgi...

Brian, Matt, David, Austin, Drew, Matthew, Brad, and Paul discuss the key and foundational role, in spite of his condemnation, played by Origen of Alexandria.  (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul  https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/offerings ) Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Paul Axton preaches - At the baptism and transfiguration of Christ are revealed the transforming power of God found in God's presence in Christ, in Scripture, and in the communion of the Saints. (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul  https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/offerings ) Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider don...

Brian, Brad, David, Matthew, Drew, Jim, Allan, Matt, Rob, and Paul discuss how Irenaeus' recapitulation as salvation/hermeneutic is taken up by Origen in his book, On First Principles, as the first theology spelling out how Christian logic departs from Greek philosophy. (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul  https://pbi.forgingploughshares.org/o...

Paul Axton preaches - John describes the antichrist as denying the humanity of Christ and Karl Barth concludes the antichrist of the German church has also displaced Jesus as mediator with the world (in the form of the führer, the analogy of being, the state).  There is a direct identity between Christ and the believer which brings together Creator and creation, flesh and Spirit, God and man, whic...

Austin, Brad, Brian, Matt, Drew, Matthew, Allan, Jim and Paul, discuss the work of the early church father, Irenaeus, and his approach to both his reading of the Hebrew Scriptures and the economy of salvation, including cosmic salvation, through the summing up (recapitulation) of all things in the Gospel. (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul ht...

Paul Axton preaches - Isaiah depicts a world of darkness broken open by the light of the Messiah. The depth of the violence, oppression, and meaninglessness of this darkness must be appreciated so as to apprehend the world-changing nature of God conjoined to the world in the light of Christ. (Sign up for our next class Philemon and Ephesians: Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Paul https://pbi.forg...

Matt, Jim, Allan, Rob, David, Brian, Brad, Drew, and Paul discuss the Gospel as answering the question, "Who do you say that I am?" Identifying Christ comes with the presence of Christ in the one answering the question. This Gospel encounter, not history, nor Scripture, nor church, is the central and primary authority from which all of these authorities are derived. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed...

Paul Axton preaches - The kingdoms of the world would determine reality through manipulation of life through death while Christ's kingdom defeats death and establishes a kingdom of life and peace. Though the Jewish notion that the Messiah would defeat Rome through violent insurrection was mistaken, it was not a mistake to understand that the Messiah would usher in a different kingdom and a differe...

In this first in a series on reading the Bible Allan, Jim, Trenton, Matt, Brian, Drew, Matthew and Paul discuss the early church hermeneutic connected to the Gospel of peace and its connection to an embodied ethic, soon set aside in the Constantinian shift. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Paul Axton preaches - In the United States and many places throughout the world Christianity is being tied to fascism and authoritarianism. There is a failed form of Christianity that becomes a platform for the worst forms of abusive authoritarianism, yet where Christianity is correctly understood Fascist Christian, Nazi Christian, or perhaps German Christian or American Christian should be oxymor...

In this interview with Australian Pastor and Peace Activist Michael Wood, Michael describes how the struggle of being a peaceful Rector (head - the one in charge) led him to realize the depth of violence by which we are surrounded and the need to implement and practice peace structurally and strategically in church and throughout life. (You can find Practicing Peace at https://www.amazon.com/dp/16...

Paul Axton preaches - the anthropic principle may accord or point to a Christian understanding, but Paul goes far beyond this in describing Christ as the motive force - the means and reason - for creation and creation's completion in redemption.  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Catherine Totty interviews Paul in regard to his story in missions and his journey and experience in Japan. They discuss the role of mission organizations, the notion of contextualization, mission strategy, and training leadership. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.  

Paul Axton preaches - Christ as the truth resolves the trouble of dialectic through identity and difference. Maximus the Confessor describes Christ, based on the Chalcedonian formula, as a new form of rationality, bringing together absolute transcendence and immanence in the person of Christ - redefining all of these categories in the process. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please c...

In this final podcast on the book of John, Jim, Matt, Brian, Tim, David and Paul, discuss the atonement theory of John - and whether atonement is the right word - and the meaning of dying with Christ or being inflicted with the sickness unto death (or the incapacity to die with Christ).  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Paul Axton preaches - "God became man that man might become God." Maximus takes Athanasius' formula as summing up God's purposes for creation. The Christian becomes Christ, who is God. Rather than Luther's imputed righteousness Maximus holds to an unfolding deification in which "creation is incarnation." 

Jim, Matt, David, Janice and Paul discuss the trial motif in the Gospel of John and the trial of Jesus as it directly confronts the problem of evil. The focus of discussion becomes the question of the nature of evil and its defeat in Christ. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Paul Axton preaches - Origen, following Paul, held that the relation between the Father and the Son found in the incarnation is the eternal truth about God and creation. There is no other biography of God than that found in Jesus Christ, yet this simple Gospel understanding has been obscured in part due to the condemnation of Origen's development of it.  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcas...

Matthew, Jim, Brian, Matt, Tim, Janice, and Paul, consider the book of John in terms of a cosmic trial in which Judas and all who hand Jesus over are witnesses for the prosecution and Jesus and all those who witness on his behalf throughout the book are witnesses for the defense. The verdict has cosmic implications. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support...

Paul Axton preaches - Paul, in Ephesians, says all things are summed up in Christ. This doctrine of summing up or recapitulation, according to the church father Irenaeus, is at once the salvation and hermeneutic that constitutes the Gospel.  Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.

Jim, Matt, and Paul discuss the apocalyptic shift of Christ as truth and life. The tomb of Christ becomes the true ark of the covenant collapsing hades and sheol. The lamb who takes away the sin of the world, John's theological summary, is focused on the power of life as inherently defeating death, and this is the meaning of the two goats of the day of atonement. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed th...

Paul Axton preaches - The identity of Christ (the Gospel), is inclusive of the presence of Christ in the one answering the question of identity. The identity of Christ is the primary authority, not the authority of history, Scripture, or Church, which derive their authority in his identity. Like early heresies, missing the identity of Christ, is to miss his presence in the inner person answering t...

Matt, Brian, Jim, Janice and Paul discuss our after death experiences and the experience of abiding in the peace and presence of Christ, and how this ties in to the doctrine of salvation in John, and the picture of Christ as true Temple and true abiding place. Become a Patron! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work.