Thursday, February 15, 2018

Faith and Culture Considers Biblical Dualities

Please help me spread the word about my book Faith That Sees Through The Culture being released by Concordia Publishing House on June 13th, 2018. CPH has made some vast marketing improvements and this volume (approximately 250 pages long) will only cost $14.99. An added feature to this book is that every chapter concludes with a discussion guide that can easily be used for Bible Study. The discussion guides reflect on the content of each chapter through this 3-part outline: 1) Uncover Information; 2) Discover Meaning; and 3) Explore Implications. OK, let me share some interesting background information. As I was contemplating a book proposal, I happened to have an appointment with an optometrist and had to get an updated prescription. You know the drill: sit in the chair and then have that big network of lenses put in front of you. What is that thing called anyway? It has a really sophisticated name! It's called a phoropter. As you might recall, it's designed to take you through a series of lenses in order to establish maximum acuity. The optometrist asks, "1 or 2?" You answer perhaps "2." He comes back, "ok, 3 or 4?" And away you go until you find the best lens for your eye and then it's on to the next eye! Start all over again! Typically the eyes yield different results. The process highlights the importance of how the eyes work together for unified vision. If one is off, however, then everything is off! The coordination of two lenses is crucial for clarity. This concept is true in sacred theology. There are many biblical dualities relating to distinct articles of the faith. Time is one of those doctrinal considerations. Christians live in the present, the now, but there is also a sense in which they are to joyfully anticipate (and indeed think about) the future, a particular glorious future that is guaranteed in Christ. That is, they also live in the not yet. Put these two lenses together regarding time: Christians live in the now and the not yet at the same time! How does this impact how we live? How does this impact how we interact with the culture? These are important questions worthy of consideration. This is what the book is about (in taking just one of several dualities analyzed). Soli Deo Gloria!

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