Protestant grammar of the triple body of Christ.
CHR Comment: Peter J. Leithart comments on the historical body, sacramental body, and ecclesial body of Christ, explaining some differences in emphasis over the centuries and relating them to Protestant practice. The basis of his comments is Henri de Lubac.
Oklahoma’s Senate passed a law Thursday that would criminalize abortion, an extraordinary measure that places the state at odds with the nation’s highest courcould rocket the contentious issue back to the national stage despite constitutional hurdles
CHR Comment: State Sen. Ervin Yen refers to his Catholic faith when describing his prolife view but also notes that he does not believe this bill will withstand a constitutional challenge.
Source: Okla. lawmakers OK bill to make performing abortion a felony
The first of the over 200 Christian schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria, kidnapped by terror group Boko Haram nearly two years ago, has been found with a baby and reunited with her family, igniting hope for the parents of the other girls as well.
CHR Comment: The Chibok schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014. The young mother pictured above is the first to appear out of the Sambisa Forest where the girls were taken, though she reported that the others were still there except those who had died. The man who appeared with the Chibok schoolgirl claimed to be her husband. It is believed that kidnapped and enslaved Christian girls were taken as brides for the militants.
Many news organizations carried this story but did not report that the girls were Christians.
Source: First Christian Chibok Schoolgirl Rescued After 2 Years of Being Enslaved by Boko Haram
Going to church might be the key to living longer, according to a new Harvard study.
CHR Comment: The study is based on self-reporting from c. 74,000 women. It does not describe a direct cause/effect relationship between church attendance and longer life, just that the two factors correlate substantially. What the study likely shows is that people who have the good habit of regularly attending church likely also have good habits related to their health such as avoiding risky behaviors (e.g., excessive smoking and drinking). The author of the study excludes immeasurable factors such as God blessing those who attend church with longer life.
On a different note, biblical wisdom does teach that those who obey their parents may be blessed with longer life in the Promised Land (Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:3)
Source: Going to church helps you live longer, Harvard study says | Christian News on Christian Today
Whereas 84 percent of all Americans believe such behavior would be unacceptable, only 47 percent of all French and 60 percent of all Germans think so.
CHR Comment: The study reveals surprising differences in the views of Americans and Europeans on the topic of adultery. However, as the final story in the article reveals, a complicating factor is that Europeans increasingly do not marry but live together. Without the bond of marriage, opinions about what constitutes adultery may have changed. In America, churches still strongly oppose adultery while liberal churches are changing other moral standards regarding sex.
Source: Americans condemn adultery, but many Europeans don’t — and probably never will – The Washington Post
A new generation of evangelical scholars are challenging the idea that sinners are doomed to eternal torment—but traditionalists are pushing back.
CHR Comment: An extensive article describing traditional, annihilationist, and universalist views that are discussed in British and American Evangelicalism. The traditional view is associated with Augustine, the annihilationist view with Irenaeus, and the universalist view with Origen. The article likewise cites polling about the declining popularity of the doctrine of hell.
Source: The Campaign to Eliminate Hell
There have been over 300 incidents of Christians being physically or sexually assaulted by Muslims in refugee camps in Germany, while thousands of other Christians are facing persecution in many different ways, a report has warned.
CHR Comment: The Open Doors report is based on interviews with Christian refugees who are living alongside Muslim refugees in camps. The article also asserts that German authorities may not air such incidents due to political tensions surrounding the welcome of refugees into Germany.
Source: Over 300 Christians Assaulted by Muslims at Refugee Camps in Germany, Report Reveals
In ‘Queer Virtue,’ Rev. Liz Edman examines not only what it means to be a queer priest, but how Christianity is a queer religion.
CHR Comment: Edman’s comments in the interview show that she holds to a loose reading of the canon of Scripture in which some texts are ignored in order to emphasize other texts or “overall message” as she puts it. In this approach, the canon becomes no canon at all since the full canon does not actually rule or guide the reader. (“Canon” is from a Greek word for a reed that was used as a measuring tool in antiquity.) It’s a bit like rounding all your measurements up to feet and saying that the inches aren’t that important even though you can’t possibly have feet without inches. Such an approach to measurement would not work practically beyond very general estimates.
Additionally, her description of John 2:1–11 provides a thorough allegorical use of the passage. Allegory, which takes things symbolically, may be useful for illustration purposes but it is not a helpful tool for determining what something actually means. Allegory may illustrate doctrine but it does not establish doctrine as Edman seems to propose. Edman’s “progressive” methods result in a separation of biblical teaching from its original context.
Source: Exploring the Queerness of Christianity with Episcopal Priest Elizabeth Edman
Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani, a house church leader from the Church of Iran denomination who was acquitted of apostasy in 2012 after being sentenced to death by hanging, was arrested once again, this time along with his wife and a church member, by Iranian authorities on Friday, according to U.K.-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
CHR Comment: The article explains that officials repeatedly arrest Christians as a strategy for intimidating the community so that others will not support Christianity or become Christians. In this most recent case, the pastor’s wife and another Christian were also arrested.
Source: Iran Re-Arrests Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani Who Was Once Sentenced to Death
CHR Comment: David Gushee’s opinion piece released by the Religion News Service notes that United Methodist conferences have been debating the issue of homosexuality and church life since 1972. Recently, activists in the Reconciling Ministry Network have stepped forward to declare themselves homosexual. This action challenges the existing United Methodist standards on the issue, opening the possibility that those who have outed themselves could be disciplined. Gushee also includes some brief listing of biblical texts and arguments about why the United Methodist Church continues to teach that homosexual acts are sinful and a cause for repentance.
Source: The Methodists gather to argue about gay people again | Religion News Service
church history review 