Marginal Christianity

Tuesday of Holy Week finds Jesus engaged in conflict with Jewish religious leaders and teaching his disciples about the destruction of the temple and the “end” (11:27–13:37).   His war of actions entering the city and in the temple spurs the reaction of those he attacked and they are quick to launch a counter-offensive to discredit him. Mark records these attacks and Jesus’ responses: -attack on Jesus authority (11:23-27) -Jesus strikes back with a parable against the Jewish leaders (12:1-12) wicked or better greedy tenants - they want to possess the produce of the vineyard for themselves. -attack on Jesus’ credibility and popularity with the people (12:13-17) -Jesus’ and the Sadducees spar over the resurrection (12:18-27) -Discussion on the great commandment (12:28-34) -attack on Jesus’ lordship (12:35-37) -Jesus denounces the scribes (12:38-40) -the widow’s offering (12:41-44) Following all this back and forth and controversy Jesus responds to a question ...

Conflict on the Home Front (Mt.13:54-58) The parables of ch.13 make as clear as possible to difference between Jesus’ kingdom movement and its competitors among the Jewish people. And his insistence upon the necessity of choosing and shaping one’s life entirely around his way is unmistakable as well. He comes next to his hometown “and they took offense at him” (v.57). However true it may be on a psychological or sociological level that “familiarity breeds contempt,” Matthew’s concern is theological. As St. John puts it, the Word came to his own but his own did not receive him (Jn.1:11) and Matthew gives narrative color to that maxim. “Where did this kind come up with all this pompous and, well, arrogant or at least presumptuous proclamation?” We know him. His family too. He’s nothing special or not ant better than us, at least. And in those words Matthew voices the deep truth and scandal of the incarnation. A creature just like them (and us): “Jesus was what we are....

) Ascension culminates the achievement of God’s eternal purpose. Earlier I described God’s eternal purpose as his passion to have a world full of people to live over, with, for, and astonishingly as a human being, in intimate fellowship on a planet flourishing in beauty and abundance. Jesus Christ, fully human-fully divine, in his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension lived as God as a human being, and at the same time, the human being God intended us to be offering his life as the faithful rendition of humanity. In him we behold that interlocking of the realms of heaven and earth we spoke of earlier. In him we too have been lifted into that faithful rendition of humanity so we also may live life as God intended. Heaven and earth are united in another way in him. When he ascends to heaven he does so as the divine-human being he became in his incarnation. He sits today at God’s right hand as one of us. And again we share that position with him by his grace. It would be ex...

“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”                                                                                                                                                                ...

In 1967 amid the tumultuous societal upheaval of the late 1960’s the then Northern Presbyterian Church issued The Confession of 1967 . It applied a reformed, Barthian approach to theology to the issues of those times. Specifically, it addresses discrimination, conflict among nations, poverty, and male-female relations. I’ve reproduced them below from the inclusive language version. It is striking how relevant these concerns are today fifty years later. 9.44 a. God has created the peoples of the earth to be one universal family. In his reconciling love, God over comes the barriers between sisters and brothers and breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic difference, real or imaginary. The church is called to bring all people to receive and uphold one another as persons in all relationships of life: in employment, housing, education, leisure, marriage, family, church, and the exercise of political rights. Therefore, the church labors for the abolition of...

By Sean Ransom ( https://psmag.com/donald-trumps-brilliant-manipulation-of-the-science-of-group-conflict-7883f908198a#.2zbhkebch ) The science around human conflict proposes five characteristics that promote conflict among groups. Illuminating! Confidence in One’s Superiority : Trump constantly broadcasts a message that he and his followers are superior to other Americans, whereas those who oppose him are “ stupid ” and deserve to be punched in the face. His own followers’ violent acts are excused as emanating from “ tremendous love and passion for the country .” Claims of Unjust Treatment : Trump is obsessed with the concept of fairness , but only when it goes his way. Given his presumed superiority, it naturally follows that the only way he and his supporters could fail is if injustice occurs. Fears of Vulnerability : Accordingly, Trump has overtly stated that he believes the presidential election will be...