Dialogue

Dialogue

[This essay was originally published on August 8, 2008.] Fundamentalists are notorious for their refusal to dialogue with other points of view. To some observers—and to some fundamentalists—this refusal to dialogue is part of the definition of fundamentalism. It is an...
Dialogue

Christ in 1 John 1

John addresses several issues in his epistles. Among these, he tackles the ideas proposed by Gnosticism. Although it was still a relatively new theology, John had first-hand acquaintance with Gnostic ideas. During his old age, he lived in Ephesus at the same time as...
Dialogue

Gnosticism: A Christological Heresy

The first major heresy to threaten the Christian faith was Gnosticism. This error was developed by mixing Middle Platonic philosophy with Zoroastrian cosmology and Christian terminology. Not all versions of Gnosticism claimed to be Christian, but those that did...
Dialogue

John 1 and the Deity of Christ

Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that John 1:1 does not teach the deity of Christ. They insist that most English versions of the Bible have mistranslated the text to read, “and the word was God.” They point out that the word for God (theos) doesn’t...
Dialogue

The Rise of Modern Conservatism

In high school I was taught that a conservative favors the existing conditions, while anyone who wishes to change those conditions is a liberal. The point was illustrated by a worker’s wage. If you wanted a raise, said our teacher, then you were a liberal. If...
Dialogue

Here and There

Plenty has happened over the past ten days. Some of it is personal. Some of it is national or even global. Here are a few reminisces and reflections on events that have occupied my attention. At the personal level, I was invited to deliver a pair of lectures at the...