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Ghosts in the New Testament? Looking for Phantoms in the Gospel of Mark

INTRO With a name like ParanormalChrist, perhaps some biblical discussion on the Paranormal is in order, if nothing but to quell and satiate our fetish for paranormal activity. As has been argued in other posts, Christianity is a paranormal faith. It’s a faith that not only embodies paranormal elements in the general sense of thatContinue reading “Ghosts in the New Testament? Looking for Phantoms in the Gospel of Mark”

Jesus and the Occupy Movement: Why the Political Left (& Right) needs the Church

As the single largest conference of the leftist and liberal political agendas gathered this Week at Pace University in NYC, I found myself wandering back through my own experience of this Conference and wanting to offer some ruminations not only on its seminal importance, but also its shortcomings as a movement. When I went toContinue reading “Jesus and the Occupy Movement: Why the Political Left (& Right) needs the Church”

Sermon Pentecost 2013: Fire From the Tomb

This is a sermon I preached this past Sunday in my local Church of the Nazarene setting. My tradition has a precarious and intimate relationship to this text, especially as it concerns ideas of the holy spirit, holiness and Christian experience. As I began to look more carefully exegetically at this passage, particularly within itsContinue reading “Sermon Pentecost 2013: Fire From the Tomb”

Zizek reads the Bible: Thoughts on Incarnation

/ The incarnation is the perverse core of Christianity and the perverse core of the perverted god’s that desire the absolution of a person for the sake of their own divine egos. When the falsely innocent Christlike figure of pure suffering and sacrifice for our sake tells us: “I want nothing from you!” fails miserablyContinue reading “Zizek reads the Bible: Thoughts on Incarnation”

Easter Hope is Paranormal Hope that our Bodies Matter

ParanormalChrist’s genesis is the very ambiguous event that we call the Resurrection of Jesus. It is this singular event that has shaped the contours of faith, belief, hope and dared to challenge the norms of creation by declaring that the impossible has happened and it has happened definitively in Jesus. And this impossible event, thisContinue reading “Easter Hope is Paranormal Hope that our Bodies Matter”

Crucified God: Jesus wasn’t kidding, God really forsook him

“My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me…” (Matthew 26.39) “And he took with him Peter, James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled” (Mark 14.33) “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me…And being in agony he was passionately praying and his sweat became likeContinue reading “Crucified God: Jesus wasn’t kidding, God really forsook him”

Christianity and Capitalism: The Enigma of Capital

Protests at Zuccotti Park A Small Explanation This review is forthcoming in the next Review and Expositor Theological Journal. The theme of the Spring 2013 issue is “Christianity and Economics” and it is largely the product of a series of papers presented by myself and a host of other academic and pastoral colleagues at lastContinue reading “Christianity and Capitalism: The Enigma of Capital”

The Pope is NOT the Anti-Christ: Tips for reading Revelation

Let’s get straight to the point: The Pope and his election has absolutely nothing to do with the end of the world. Further, this recent papal election has absolutely nothing to do with a pope that will become the ever allusive “antichrist.” If that’s how you read the book of Revelation, please close your Bibles…Continue reading “The Pope is NOT the Anti-Christ: Tips for reading Revelation”

Parables: Stories About the End of the World

The following is a sermon I preached in year B this past summer. In my ministerial context, sermons are generally 20-30 minutes. This one is on the 30 minute side due to the pedagogical material at the front of the sermon. I hope this helps you wrestle with this very short Markan parable as muchContinue reading “Parables: Stories About the End of the World”

The Christ Aporia: his last name is not Christ and he’s not your friend

Aporia…confusion is of the devil, but aporia is of the Father -this is the least one can say about a definition of the Christ, a symbol as rich as it is dense, as familiar as it is foreign. Or one can say it as John Milbank does in his seminal text, The Word Made Strange,Continue reading “The Christ Aporia: his last name is not Christ and he’s not your friend”