Author: Adam Johnson
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The Chamber of Victory: Harry Potter and the Atonement, Part II
The Chamber of Secrets picks up where The Sorcerer’s Stone left off, continuing its provocative and creative exploration of salvation. There are angry demands for punishment (144; and the dismissal thereof (330)), an “heir” which will purge the school of unclean Mudblood filth (151, 224), freedom for “the lowly, the enslaved” Dobby (177, 337-8), the…
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Online Education: Relation-less Education
Online classes and online universities are all the rage. They boast an impressive set of virtues and opportunities. Among them: Take classes in your pajamas (or less)! Why relocate? Learn at your own pace. Keep your day job. Pay less. A lot less (but read the fine print!). These, and a number of other “benefits”,…
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The Un-Resume: An Exercise in Professional Humility
To some of our students, we faculty probably present a daunting picture of excellence. After all, we are professors at one of the most distinguished private Christian universities—we excel in our fields, publish scholarly works about topics they may have never even heard of, are the authorities within our classrooms, and they come to us…
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René Girard 1923-2015
René Girard passed away November 4, 2015, to the great loss of the broader theological community. Though championed by theologians seeking alternatives to traditional views of the atonement, there is much for the evangelical community to appreciate and appropriate in this thought, particularly when it comes to the atonement—though doing so requires care and precision. The…
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Reading Strategies
Our students read thousands of pages per semester—a daunting task threatening to compromise and undermine their health and well being if they are not careful. The key to doing all this reading, I would like to suggest, is setting up patterns and disciplines which will serve them both now and in the years to come.…
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An Introduction to Karl Barth
I am an unabashed fan of Karl Barth. I often tell my students that for my money, he is the best theologian in the history of the church. Yes, I am aware that this statement communicates more about me than about him (discussions about who is the best athlete, musician, or theologian are generally less…
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An Interview with Unitas Fidei
Why did Jesus have to die on the cross for the redemption of the world? And which theory best explains Christ’s work on the cross: the Christus Victor Theory, the Satisfaction Theory, or the Exemplarist Theory? Dr. Adam Johnson addresses these questions and more in his new book, “Atonement: A Guide for the Perplexed.”
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Theodicy of Woodworking: Hope in Change
I recently wrote about the theology of woodworking, giving a theological case for the joy we have in craftsmanship. Recently, however, I realized a rather grave omission on my part, which I would now like to remedy. In general terms, my omission had to do with the nature of sin: any theology that leaves sin,…
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Review of Atonement Theories: A Way Through the Maze, by Ben Pugh
Pugh, Ben. Atonement Theories: A Way through the Maze. Eugene: Cascade, 2014. Theology books serve different purposes: some offer cutting edge developments, others popularize such works. Some summarize the state of research, while others offer a critical and prophetic word. Ben Pugh’s Atonement Theories: A Way Through the Maze fills an interesting niche, offering an…
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Pastoral Theologians Part 2: A Practical Theology
Read Part 1 here. At the core of the Christian faith is the belief that God did not rest content with using any effective means to save us from our sin, and creation from its ruin. Rather, God made himself the means of our salvation. The same one who brought us into existence brought us…
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Pastoral Theologians Part 1 of 2: A Living Theology
Read Part 2 here. There is great momentum toward the vocation of theologian pastor—a pastor who cares deeply about studying theology in a careful and sustained way. I hope there is similar momentum in the opposite direction, toward pastoral theologians. Lord knows we need them! Theologians who are deeply pastoral as theologians, weaving together Christian doctrine…
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A Theology of Woodworking: The Creative Joy of Oak
I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our furniture family: a mid-sized oak bookcase. And more importantly, of course, I would like to introduce you to the theology behind it. A Bit About the Case The bookcase is built from white oak, which I purchased from the man who milled it…