Theology Archives - Jason Lief

Paganism, Sex, and St. Francis: Reading G.K. Chesterton on the Way to Assisi

For the next two and a half weeks I'm taking six students on a Franciscan pilgrimage. We'll be immersed in all things St. Francis, spending multiple days in Assisi, followed by a long walk to Rome where Francis petitioned the pope to legitimize his little…

Jason LiefMay 16, 2019

Science and Faith Theology

Jesus Loves You and Evolution is True, is a new book written by myself, Jason Lief, and my colleague, Sara Tolsma. The purpose of the book is to bring theology and biology into conversation over the topic of evolutionary theory. As young people increasingly have…

Jason LiefMay 9, 2019

Science and Faith Theology

St. Francis and King Krule: Pilgrimage and Music

Once again I'm joined by my son Christian for this episode of Lumberjack Theology. We discuss St. Francis of Assisi, my new book Jesus Loves you and Evolution is True, and the music of King Cruel.

Jason LiefMay 6, 2019

Politics Theology

The Hate in Our Religion

Yesterday, the Washington Post had a story revealing the young man who opened fire at a synagogue in California is a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian church. This denomination and mine (the Christian Reformed Church) are part of the Calvinist tradition. You could say our…

Jason LiefMay 2, 2019

Biblical Studies Theology

Maybe God Doesn’t Take Sides: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Reading the parables of Jesus with Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine (Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi) has been unsettling. During lent I've preached some of Jesus' parables, and listening to Levine unpack them causes me to cringe. I'm…

Jason LiefApril 18, 2019

Theology

Loving Money and Serving Mammon

"No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon.” Luke 16:13 In my part of the world there are self…

Jason LiefMarch 27, 2019

Science and Faith Theology

Believing the Bible: Kuyper and Bavinck

A Reformed approach to the bible has never focused on a hyper-literal reading of the text. For John Calvin, the truth of scripture comes through God's accommodation to our human condition. This is the beauty of a Reformed hermeneutic that takes the human aspects of…

Jason LiefMarch 9, 2019

Science and Faith Theology

Believing the Bible: Augustine

Not many figures in the history of Christianity cast a shadow like Augustine, for good or bad. Some love him for his view of love, desire, and sin, and others dislike him for the same thing. He's one of the few theologians both Catholics and…

Jason LiefMarch 4, 2019

Essay Theology

Believing the Bible: John Calvin

Some in the hyper-literalist camp may not care what Luther says about the bible; they're more interested in having John Calvin on their side. But Calvin's view of scripture is fascinating, in part because he follows Luther rather closely. Like Luther, Calvin's approach to scripture…

Jason LiefMarch 1, 2019

Theology

Believing the Bible: Martin Luther

Those who hold to a hyper-literal interpretation of the bible often want to use Luther and Calvin to support a modern view of biblical inerrancy. The problem, however, is that neither Luther nor Calvin fit with this approach to reading the bible. Luther inherited a…

Jason LiefFebruary 28, 2019

Theology

Paganism, Sex, and St. Francis: Reading G.K. Chesterton on the Way to Assisi

St. Francis and King Krule: Pilgrimage and Music

Believing the Bible: Kuyper and Bavinck

Believing the Bible: Augustine

Believing the Bible: John Calvin

Believing the Bible: Martin Luther

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