Within the field of theology, exegesis is where the interpreter extracts meaning from the biblical text in light of its literary and cultural-historical contexts. This is good. The opposite is eisegesis, which is where the interpreter imbues the text with a meaning foreign to its original contexts. This is bad. For instance, in Matthew 6 Jesus says you cannot serve both God and … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Syncs the Rigorous Study of Theology and Culture
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Beatnik Christianity Dispenses with the Pleasantries
Shortly before his death in 1997, William S. Burroughs quipped, "If you're doing business with a religious son of a bitch, get it in writing; his word isn't worth shit--not with the good Lord telling him how to fuck you on the deal." Speaking of quotes I wish I'd heard before my ordination process from hell. Seriously though, I'm sure many Jesus followers would find that quote … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Dispenses with the Pleasantries
Introducing Beatnik Christianity: A Countercultural Vision for Following Jesus
This piece is intended as a direct follow-up to "Wrong from the Start: How Christian Culture Keeps Pulling Us Away from Jesus" and is the first in a series introducing Beatnik Christianity. The more I try to follow Jesus, the more I trigger the wrath of Christian culture. Last year a back-up priest freaked out at me over the phone. The issue was that my wife kept … [Read more...] about Introducing Beatnik Christianity: A Countercultural Vision for Following Jesus