Archive for November 2022
God’s Incomprehensibility and Eternal Joy
During my childhood, it was commonplace to lose sleep over an irrational fear of heaven. Yes, heaven. As a child, I feared heaven more than I feared Hell. Of course, this was an irrational fear, but I had not yet been taught the Bible or discipled in areas of theology. Perhaps you wonder what would…
Read MoreDid I Exegete the Text?
There is a myriad of books on preaching on the market at present and each of them presents useful information, tips, and methods for preaching a good sermon. But when I’m evaluating a sermon or preparing my own messages, there are four simple questions that I ask myself: (1) Did I exegete the text? (2)…
Read MoreSurprised by Christology
I was recently asked to lead the Christology section of my church’s Sunday School class on systematic theology. By God’s grace (and the kind invitation of my pastors), I have the privilege of looking at the person and work of Christ for four weeks with my fellow members. While preparing for this joyful exercise, I…
Read MoreHanding On to Others What has Been Contemplated
The Oxford University Press series Christian Theology in Context promises to situate theologians in their cultures and histories, to “understand how theologies are themselves cultural products” and how theological texts are “forms of cultural power, expressing and modifying the dominant ideologies through which we understand the world.” The series description opens with references to the…
Read MoreNew Credo Podcast! What are the processions of the Trinity?
What are eternal processions? The language of “processions” may be foreign to some today, but the Great Tradition capitalized on this language to describe the Trinity and keep heresy at bay. From the church fathers to the medieval and Protestant scholastics, theologians used the language of procession to explain how the Son is eternally begotten…
Read MoreWhat are the processions of the Trinity? Glenn Butner and Matthew Barrett
What are eternal processions? The language of “processions” may be foreign to some today, but the Great Tradition capitalized on this language to describe the Trinity and keep heresy at bay. From the church fathers to the medieval and Protestant scholastics, theologians used the language of procession to explain how the Son is eternally begotten…
Read MoreThomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh
Thomas S. Kidd’s book, Thomas Jefferson: A Biography of Spirit and Flesh (Yale, 2022) has been named Book of the Year by World News. Dr. Kidd’s book is a masterclass in the art of historical biography as he examines Jefferson’s outsized influence on the American founding while integrating profound insights from Jefferson’s spiritual and moral…
Read MoreAuthor’s Corner
Welcome to the Credo Author’s Corner, where we will meet a set of authors whose recent books deserve your attention and might even help you grow in your knowledge of theology, history, philosophy, and the scriptures. We hope the Author’s Corner can keep you up-to-date on the most important books published today and where you…
Read MoreRun Your Own Race
In my pre-parent life, I used to have time to run a few triathlons—sprints, mainly. One of the things that I found personally discouraging was the fact that the race event staff would write your age on your calf muscle with a large waterproof marker. At first, it didn’t bother me—I would be cycling or…
Read MorePodcast Throwback: Why is humility essential to theology? Kelly Kapic and Matthew Barrett
When Jesus washes his disciples’ feet he is not just giving them a picture of the type of salvation he has come to accomplish, but he is showing them the means by which he will accomplish that salvation as well. Moreover, Jesus commands his disciples to follow his example and sacrificially serve one another in humility. Paul also makes…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Happy Teacher
So, you want to read Thomas Aquinas. Perhaps your experience is like that of many other good-hearted and well-intentioned students. You acquired a copy of the Summa (translators unknown), cracked open a volume that appealed to you, and were immediately met with insurmountable terms such as substance and accident, form and matter, or esse and…
Read MoreThis I Believe
The Christian life begins with spiritual astonishment at the glory of the gospel and the goodness and beauty of Christian truth, with the wide-eyed surprise of the infant brought into a new world of grace. But over time, our eyes grow heavy and our tastebuds dim—and that’s when errors creep in. Spiritual sleepiness results in…
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