Browsing the archives for the definitions tag

1 Sep 10

American Christians Are Deeply Divided

The United States has more Christians than any country in the world, both in numbers and as a per cent of our population. Roughly 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. Only about half are actively involved in the life of a church, but this is still a large number. But are we a Christian [...]

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23 May 10

Yes and No

Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, Lord and Christ; the Light of the World and the Bread of Life; and the Way, Truth and Life. He is all of this for me, as a Christian who is also a historian of early Christianity. And yet I do not think that Jesus spoke of himself [...]

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2 Apr 10

Repent and Return to God

The biblical meaning of “repentance” is quite different from an apology. In the Jewish Bible, the Christian Old Testament, “repentance” means “to return” – that is, to return from exile, to return to life in the presence of God, to a life centered in God. In the Christian New Testament, the word “repentance” carries this [...]

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12 Nov 09

Sex Can Be Sacramental

Sex is seen as sacred or sinful perhaps for the same reason. Sex has power. Of course, not all sex does. There is great sex, mediocre sex, and bad sex, just as there is great music, mediocre music, and bad music. At its best, sex is ecstatic in the root sense of the word. The [...]

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