Category Archives: Faith

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 9: An afterthought to clear up a possible misconception Secular minded people sometimes get cross and frustrated with Christians for continually harping on about sin. They see this as a negative, oppressive thing, something that needs to be left behind in order to embrace life. And we canContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 9”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 8: A new settlement for religion We could stand back and say that Christians are not worshipping God (conceived as a person); they are worshipping a set of spiritual values, which they set up as the centre of their lives. We might say that they have personalised thisContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 8”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 7: Are you sure it’s true? Someone might still be sceptical about the list above of those things that are true. This is because the word “God” keeps appearing, and you may wish to complain that we had said that God does not do anything, because we areContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 7”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 6: So, what is true and not true? What I believe this review shows is that all the Christian claims are true. Though for clarity we need to say exactly what is true. It sounds rather damning:- God does not exist Jesus was not God’s Son He wasContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 6”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 5: Jesus’ crucifixion as a sacrifice for sin is still effective in our new understanding of God So, believers in this version of Christianity argue like this:- God is the voice we create in our heads which calls us to adopt a particular spiritual life and supports usContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 5”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 4: How did the person of Jesus acquire universal significance? : Jesus the ultimate sacrifice However, Christianity goes straight to the bottom line by giving us the ultimate sacrifice. God sacrificed himself in the person of Jesus in order for our sins to be forgiven. Note: This isContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 4”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 3: How did the person of Jesus acquire universal significance? : The basis in the impulse to make a sacrifice to atone for sin This transforming vision that the love of Christ lives on would, I think, explain Jesus’ appeal to the first disciples, but how did heContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 3”

What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 2: How to understand the resurrection today If the latter option (that the proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection is the way to express the power of the new life that he has opened up to them) is what happened, then we too are free to believe in Jesus’ resurrectionContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 2”

What is the appeal of Jesus? (A theological exploration in 9 parts) Part 1: Turning crucifixion into resurrection When the first disciples met Jesus, they felt as though they were face to face with God. After due reflection, John summed this up in the words that Jesus is God’s only Son, who has made theContinue reading “What is the appeal of Jesus? Part 1”

The parable of the allotment Part 4 I think this parable is an accurate portrayal of the spiritual life. The bottom line is that the fruit is definitely real. The allotment is always near to hand once you’ve found where it is. The spiritual gifts bountifully and freely available within the spiritual sphere you’ve discoveredContinue reading “The parable of the allotment. Part 4”