Tag Archives: systematic theology

The Doctrine of Eschatology

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Christian theologies differ on the doctrine of eschatology probably more than just about any other doctrine. The approach I take in my essay, “The Doctrine of Eschatology”, focuses on ethics.  I ask what would eschatology would look like that reinforces Jesus’ teaching about love of God and neighbor.  Such an ethical eschatology will focus more on our “end” as in our purpose than our “end” as in our future fate.

I center my eschatological reflections on the book of Revelation, interpreting Revelation as a message about discipleship–calling on believers to follow Jesus (the “Lamb”) wherever he goes.  And Revelation presents the “way Jesus goes” as the way of persevering love. 

This essay is the twelfth in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.

Theology of the Sacraments

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As we reflect on our theology of the church, no matter where we are on the “high-church/low-church” spectrum, we do need to take seriously the formals rituals of Christian practice, especially the ritual of communion.

I propose in my essay, “Theology of the Sacraments, that taking Jesus as our central source for theology will shape how we think of the Sacraments.  Doing theology of the Sacraments as if Jesus matters means that we will recognize that the rituals must serve the love of neighbor.

This essay is the tenth in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.

The Doctrine of the Church

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How central should the church be for Christian life?  Is the church a blessing or a curse?  We should be honest and self-critical about the church–and not make into something sacred.  However, Jesus’ agenda certainly placed the faith community as central to faithful living.

In my essay, “The Doctrine of the Church,” I consider the theology of the church in its biblical context, asking how we best think of the church in light of Jesus life and teaching, especially his command to love God and neighbor.

This essay is the ninth in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.

The Doctrine of Salvation

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What do we mean when we confess Jesus as “savior”?  Should we take our central cues from Jesus’ own portrayal of salvation or from later Christian salvation theologies about Jesus?

My essay, “The Doctrine of Salvation”, argues for an approach that focuses more on the biblical story than doctrinal theology.  When we do so, we see God’s mercy as the driving force in the establishment of the possibility of human salvation–not God’s impersonal holiness or justice that must be satisfied by a violent act of sacrifice.

Such a view of salvation undergirds the Christian ethical vocation of peacemaking and restorative justice.  God seeks to make us whole so that we might be God’s agents for wholeness in the wider world.

This essay is the eighth in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.

The Doctrine of Humanity

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Are human beings fundamentally bad, overwhelmingly dominated by the powers of sin and evil?  Or are weat our core good, capable of responding faithfully to God and of living with care and compassion toward others? How we answer these questions will have a great impact on our broader theology and on our expectations for our social relationships.

In my essay, “The Doctrine of Humanity,” I present the case for a quite optimistic view of humanity–based on biblical teaching and, especially, the life and teaching of Jesus.  Jesus is our model for being human, and the Bible has the full expectation that, in spite of our very real tendencies toward sin and selfishness, we are capable of following the example Jesus sets.

This essay is the seventh in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.

The Doctrine of Creation

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Is a self-conscious doctrine of creation compatible with a belief that pacifism is a central Christian conviction?  Is it possible to construct an Anabaptist doctrine of creation, given how dominated that arena of thought has been by Reformed views?  In my essay on “The Doctrine of Creation,” I argue that indeed love and creation go together–along with an understanding of justice that sees the concerns of justice being the work to bring healing to brokenness in our world (“restorative justice”).

This essay is the fifth in a series that examines core Christian doctrines, consistently asking what shape they should take if they are articulated in light of Jesus.