BROWSE THE COLLECTION
Tag: Second Temple Judaism
Second Temple Jewish historical and interpretive context.
-
The Blueprint of Human Identity: Recovering a Hebraic Theological Anthropology within the Promise-Plan of God
In contemporary theology, few questions are as fiercely contested or pastorally urgent as the definition of human identity. Joshua R. Farris, in his inaugural module on theological anthropology, argues that any examination of the human condition must start…
-
The Epistemological Divide: Recovering the Ancient Hebraic Cognitive Environment and the Divine Council Worldview
Contemporary academic study of the Scriptures presents a considerable methodological challenge: conceptualizing the spiritual and material worlds of the biblical authors on their own terms. For centuries, Western Christian theology has been mediated through frameworks influenced by post-biblical…
-
The Prophetic Foundation of Redemption: Isaiah, the Promise-Plan of God, and the Organic Meaning of Salvation
This essay asserts that the book of Isaiah offers the foundational prophetic vision for a biblical theology of salvation when understood through the lens of Walter C. Kaiser Jr.’s promise-plan of God. Methodologically, this approach is distinguished by…
-
Reclaiming Paul: Deconstructing Historical Atonement Narratives and Reconstructing the Jewish Story of Redemption
For centuries, Christian theologians and biblical scholars have examined one of the most profound questions in the New Testament: how the death of Jesus the Messiah on a Roman cross affects the salvation of humanity.
-
The Cosmic Temple and the Pattern of Creation: A Biblical Theology of Genesis 1
The opening chapter of Genesis has become a central point of contention in contemporary theological discourse. Since the Enlightenment, Western interpreters have often approached the biblical creation account with a strict expectation of scientific materialism, seeking answers concerning…
-
The Problem of the Flattened Text
Silent reading of the biblical text on a printed page eliminates the performative, oral, and embodied dimensions that originally characterized its transmission and theological impact. It is a common misconception that the earliest Christians engaged with Scripture in…
-
What Are the Virtues of Kingdom People?
that align believers with the present reality of God’s reign, rather than as abstract or unattainable moral ideals. Interpreting the ethical instructions of Jesus of Nazareth, particularly those in the Sermon on the Mount, requires resisting the tendency…
-
How Christian Theologies Shape and Sometimes Distort Our Reading of Scripture
The human mind inevitably constructs frameworks to organize divine revelation. Frequently, the Bible is read through interpretive lenses shaped by centuries of Western theological debate, which may clarify or significantly distort the original intent of the biblical authors.
-
The Grammar of Devotion: Defining the Exclusive Worship of Yahweh
This article contends that the “grammar” of early Christian devotion—its structure of worship, honor, and exclusive address—demonstrates that the earliest believers included Jesus within Yahweh’s unique identity. Rather than presenting Jesus as a second deity or merely an…
-
The Divine Mind in Human Flesh
A comprehensive understanding of orthodox Christology requires holding two seemingly contradictory truths about Jesus’ knowledge during his earthly ministry. The Gospels do not offer a direct account; instead, they portray a figure who transcends the conventional boundaries between…