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tiki-toki.com - A great tool for Historical Theology

Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:31:00 +0100

One of the most exciting aspects of theology is seeing how it has developed through history, engaging with politics, art, science and cultural change. But if you’ve ever dipped into a book about theology you’ve probably been bombarded by countless names, dates and places. Now if you’re like me you probably find it hard enough to spell Athanasius (mmm, I think that’s right), let alone know when he lived, who his contemporaries were and what key doctrines he’s associated with. Recently I’ve started using a web-based app called tiki-toki for creating timelines to keep all this data in one place. Every time I come across a new theologian I add them to the timeline and I can instantly see where they fit in. There is also space for you to write as much detail as you like about them. Next time they crop up, just look them up and see where they fit into the big scheme of things.

As well as adding theologians. I’ve also been putting in key events in history as they come to mind, like the invention of the printing press and the First World War. The final category on my timeline is key non-Christian thinkers; people like Freud and Nietzche have inevitably become part of the dialogue of theology.

One advantage to viewing timelines is that you see history visually. This helps to make links that otherwise might have been missed; there is often huge significance in the political and cultural climate that a theologian lived in.

I’m just playing around with tiki-toki.com at the moment, but it seems to be a really handy tool. If you’re trying to get to grips with historical theology this might be just what you need.

Forgive the geeky post. It’s just rare to see a NT Greek...

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 19:59:34 +0100

Forgive the geeky post. It’s just rare to see a NT Greek learning aid that makes you smile.

"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 07:13:14 +0100

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

- Proverbs 11:2

"Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can..."

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:41:45 +0100

“Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power.”

- John Stott

This house wants to defeat ageing entirely

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:04:00 +0100

There’s a debate in Oxford tonight with the motion “This house wants to defeat ageing entirely.” The motion is proposed by Aubrey de Grey, who ages himself rather ironically with a Gandalf-style beard (see picture). As Christians, we shouldn’t be surprised that people are desperate to live forever; it’s the way we’re wired.

In Ecclesiastes 3:11 we read that God “has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart.” We were made to live forever, and in his resurrection Jesus has defeated aging entirely. This motion is a natural one and a biblical worldview offers the answers everyone is looking for.

http://www.sens.org/node/2714

"Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book."

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 17:16:29 +0100

“Take away the cross of Christ, and the Bible is a dark book.”

- J. C. Ryle

"Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet."

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:06:35 +0100

“Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

- Thomas Watson

Tag Team Preaching

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:01:15 +0100

Tag Team Preaching

God, the Conceptual Artist

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:21:54 +0100

It seems to me that a view more commonly held in churches than in the rest of society is that art is only art if it looks like something nice. This is “proper art”, not “weird art.” If it looks odd, or ugly, or it’s driven by concepts rather than aesthetics, then it’s not art. What unsettles me most is when it’s assumed that this is “what Christians think,” as though the Bible says it.

But take a look at the Bible; what kind of an artist is God? It strikes me that he’s as conceptual as they come. In Ezekiel, how does God warn his people about the coming judgement? With a pretty water colour, or a neat little short story about the future of Jerusalem? No. He get’s Ezekiel to lie on his side for just over a year and cook bread on a poo BBQ.

Or how about the church in the New Testament, how is it described? A community of believers would be an accurate description, but time and again pictures are used; a body, a family, a vine. This picture language is powerful and conveys meaning.

What about God himself? He created sunsets and little lambs and crashing waves; all the things we tend to find on cheesy Christian posters from the ‘80s. Surely this is good old fashioned art. Proper art! Well not exactly. If “proper art” is a close representation of something nice, like a sunset in pastels, then God’s creative power is the exact opposite. God created ex nihilo, out of nothing. There was no visual reference for what God made; pure abstract creativity.

Maybe it’s time for a bit more “weird art” in church. I’m sure God wouldn’t mind.

brain-food: Minimalist posters explain complex philosophical...

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:09:13 +0100

brain-food:

Minimalist posters explain complex philosophical concepts with basic shapes by Genís Carreras. The posters are also available for purchase via society6.

"Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple,..."

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:03:26 +0000

“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.”

- Charles Mingus

"It is true that a little philosophy inclines man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy..."

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:33:28 +0000

“It is true that a little philosophy inclines man’s mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy brings man’s mind to religion.”

- Francis Bacon

"Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying."

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:28:50 +0000

“Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying.”

- Martin Luther

"Our mission is to speak truth to power"

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:13:34 +0000

“Our mission is to speak truth to power”

- Marie Colvin

Martin Lloyd-Jones on Prayer

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:17:06 +0000

A helpful peice of practical advise from Martin Lloyd-Jones.

Above all — and this I regard as most important of all — always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with the text. I would make an absolute law of this — always obey such impulse.

Where does it come from? It is the work of the Holy Spirit; it is a part of the meaning of, ‘Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Philippians 2:12-13).

This often leads to some of the most remarkable experiences in the life of the minister. So never resist, never postpone it, never push it aside because you are busy. Give yourself to it, yield to it; and you will find not only that you have not been wasting time with respect to the matter with which you are dealing, but that actually it has helped you greatly in that respect. You will experience an ease and a facility in understanding what you were reading, in thinking, in ordering matter for a sermon, in writing, in everything, which is quite astonishing.

Always respond to it immediately, such a call to prayer must never be regarded as a distraction; and thank God if it happens to you frequently.

Ancient Evidence for Jesus From Non-Christian Sources

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:08:00 +0000

Ancient Evidence for Jesus From Non-Christian Sources:

It good to remember why trusting the New Testament doesn’t make you crazy.

"The Bible comes from God; God doesn’t come from the Bible."

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:39:00 +0000

“The Bible comes from God; God doesn’t come from the Bible.”

- Jonathan Parnell

Christians and Contemporary Culture in the Second Century

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Recently I stumbled across this chapter from a letter to Dignetus, a second century Christian. It got me thinking about how Christians are called to live as part of their culture and engage with it, without being consumed by it. Thought provoking stuff. Have a read…

Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, language, nor by the customs which they observe. They do not inhabit cities of their own, use a particular way of speaking, nor lead a life marked out by any curiosity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by the speculation and deliberation of inquisitive men. The do not, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of merely human doctrines.

Instead, they inhabit both Greek and barbarian cities, however things have fallen to each of them. And it is while following the customs of the natives in clothing, food, and the rest of ordinary life that they display to us their wonderful and admittedly striking way of life.

They live in their own countries, but they do so as those who are just passing through. As citizens they participate in everything with others, yet they endure everything as if they were foreigners. Every foreign land is like their homeland to them, and every land of their birth is like a land of strangers.

They marry, like everyone else, and they have children, but they do not destroy their offspring.

They share a common table, but not a common bed.

They exist in the flesh, but they do not live by the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, all the while surpassing the laws by their lives.

They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned. They are put to death and restored to life.

They are poor, yet make many rich. They lack everything, yet they overflow in everything.

They are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor they are glorified; they are spoken ill of and yet are justified; they are reviled but bless; they are insulted and repay the insult with honor; they do good, yet are punished as evildoers; when punished, they rejoice as if raised from the dead. They are assailed by the Jews as barbarians; they are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to give any reason for their hatred.

(Diognetus, Chapter 5)

"Gentlemen, I wish you would read the Bible more: it sheds such light on the Commentaries."

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:49:44 +0000

“Gentlemen, I wish you would read the Bible more: it sheds such light on the Commentaries.”

- John Huxtable

"Every second around £3,000 is lost to corruption in Africa."

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:10:00 +0000

“Every second around £3,000 is lost to corruption in Africa.”

- Pieth and Hither Smith (United Nations)