Tag: Christian Doctrine

Advent Season and God’s Unchanging Purposes

I would like to invite readers to listen to Anna Madsen’s rendition of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” an 8th-century hymn traditionally associated with the Advent season. The first verse of this solemn hymn says: O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. Christian Advent, or Adventus, is the four-week period before Christmas in the Christian liturgical year. Each week encompasses one of the following themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. The Advent season serves as a remembrance …

The image of God and its implications for theology and the church

The doctrine of the image of God is based on Genesis 1:26-27; 5:1-3, and 9:3, which state that God made human beings—both male and female—in His image and likeness. The basic implication of this doctrine is that all human persons regardless of gender, race, and capacities are created according to the likeness or the image of God. Other texts in the Scriptures that are useful for this doctrine are Colossians 3:10 where Paul speaks of the renewed human being created after God’s image; 1 Corinthians 1:17 where Paul asserts that in some respect the male is both the image of …

The atonement – Its biblical basis, main models, and major representatives

Despite the fact that the doctrine of atonement was never discussed openly in one of the church councils during the early Church, it is a doctrine that stirs up controversy in many theological circles. In its basic form, the atonement refers to the meaning of the sacrifice of Christ. There are several passages in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures that speak of the atonement. One of the best-known passages in the Hebrew Scriptures is Isaiah 53. Traditionally, this chapter has been considered to speak about the suffering servant who bears human transgressions and iniquities in order to heal his people. …

Review of The Nature of Doctrine by George Lindbeck

Based on his view of religion as a linguistic community, George Lindbeck’s The Nature of Doctrine calls Christians to pay heed to the integration of the Christian faith and secular scientific resources for the benefit of Christian ecumenical relations. In order to accomplish this task, Lindbeck wants to defend and propose a middle way to understand doctrine, its function, and nature. For him, the current state of affairs is very negative in terms of how people perceive Christian doctrines and dogmas. Lindbeck argues that doctrine should be understood as a linguistic system with its symbols and rules. With this suggestion, …

Review of By the Renewing of Your Minds by Ellen Charry

In Ellen Charry’s book By the Renewing of Your Minds she reclaims the pastoral role of Christian doctrines, once part of the theologian’s basic instruction, in the formation and development of our Christian life. The process of a cultivation of Christian virtues needs to be strengthened with theological content and not only with habits or repetitive actions. This is a very insightful claim that shapes the whole book through its chapters. If used rightly, Christian doctrine is an excellent means to nurture and discern one’s personal life and our communal life. Christian theology — patristic, medieval, or modern — serves …