I have been a follower of Christ since I was a child. I have read the Bible through, but I am looking to add some theological reading to my morning study. I am a bachelor’s prepared nurse and an avid reader, but certainly not a philosopher. I’m thinking starting with NT Wright, Dallas Willard, CS Lewis…folks that have profound quotes in sermons and you think “I bet there’s more where that came from.” So my ask: A list of “start with these. You will enjoy them and not get bogged down or overwhelmed by conceptual intricacies as you navigate a new genre.” And then, “here’s a deeper dive when and if you’re ready!”

Thanks in advance!

What will the Lord say about this and are there any verses about this problem of mine ?

Let me explain by this: I was depressed, feeling lonely and was hoping to find someone to help me to talk and pray toward me by going to a pentecostal church but to my disappointment and anger the people there didn't pray toward me or talking with me when they pray with each other , sing with each other and talk their problems.

So I left the place feeling lonely, disappointment , bitter, hopeless, depressed and rejected when the church time has ended even then no one has stopped me by talking or how I feel by helping me with my spiritual problem.

I am sorry if I judge them with exception of that woman I no better than them as a human But from my point of view I view this behavior expected to see from wordly people not faithful people as cowardice and apathy when someone is down and that person need help from this people especially if they glorified the Lord by helping someone If there are from the church.

On of my friend is a female if could call them friend anymore also attended the same church that I have gone to refused to stay with me on same seats because people and her brother think we are in a romantic relationship but that is not true and it finded awkward too stay with me as a guy on the same seats because people will look at us even is not true.

There was a compassioned woman how also attended the same church how could have helped me spiritual and emotional but I couldn't find her.

Also by the way I am a male with autism and I don't have a girlfriend and dislike when I see romantic and couples in my presence.

And yes is also a problem of mine to resolve personal issues.

After watching some of his videos he made me rethink my faith like his views on Jesus being a failed prophet because he promised to return during the apostles life time he doesn’t believe that Jesus is god he’s also a active member of LDS Mormon church but he doesn’t holds loosely to there doctrine because he does sometimes criticize the new dogma they be making he also believes we have the wrong translation of the new testament his famous quote is data over dogma is he reliable ?

Was reading a book on open and relational theology recently and it mentioned the idea that God is inside time, which is how he relates and reacts to us. An interesting thought I hadn’t heard before, but unfortunately it didn’t really delve into defending that position. I’m looking for either any articles you know on this topic, or any arguments (either for or against) you know. Thanks for any help!

Dear Reddit community,

I am an atheist who remains critical of my worldview and open to revising it. Recently, I encountered Thomas Jay Oord's theology of "uncontrolling love," which offers an intriguing solution to the problem of evil, one of the key intellectual hurdles that has kept me distant from theism. I have read his books God Can't, God Can't Q&A, and his essay in the collective volume God and the Problem of Evil: Five Views, and I find his approach compelling.

However, one aspect of Oord's theology continues to puzzle me: if God is inherently uncontrolling and can only act by calling, persuading, commanding, or wooing, how do we understand the creation of the universe, especially before the existence of life? I struggle to conceptualize how inanimate matter or even the fundamental laws of physics could have been shaped in a theistic framework without some form of control or directive force.

I don't expect a detailed answer here, but I would greatly appreciate any literature recommendations addressing this issue. If anyone is familiar with Oord's bibliography, I would be grateful for suggestions on relevant books or essays.

Thanks in advance for your insights!

P.S.: I initially posted this question in the r/OpenChristian subreddit (link), but I am also sharing it here in the hopes of reaching more people familiar with Oord's work.

I want to keep this discussion civil, but am very interested in it. Ephesians 2:1-10 are widely used for Calvinists, specifically Ephesians 2:8. What is the Arminian explanation for these verses?

I have so many doubts about the Trinity, the resurrection and divinity of Jesus, and the inspiration and authority of the Bible. Yet, as someone who suffers from anxiety, I find so much comfort in relying on God, imagining myself in heaven, and praying to Him. Please do I believe?

Just finished reading Ian Bradley’s “God is Green” and am looking for more material on the subject of eco theology, and thoughts on them as well.

I am not exactly into theology and most of my life I have exclusively studied science which refutes the idea of the necessity of there being a God. I put forth my arguments for why I dont think there is such a thing as God's plan and I would love any arguments or criticisms. You may comment on the blog post or here, either way is fine.

https://thesecondlawdiaries.blogspot.com/2024/12/divine-will-critique.html

Creative explanations only - I'm not looking for generic justifications for this.

For those who aren't aware - some of the accounts of what happened right after Jesus' birth conflict with each other (from the first 4 books of the NT).

***Update - I will rate your arguement based on how many bowls of pottage I award you (scale from 1-5 bowls)

I have a friend who got a graduate degree there, but a lot of the stuff he says about it seems sketchy. I have graduate degrees in a related field, and I actually did mine in person. Our experiences were VERY different, and his are so different than any other legit graduate program I have heard of.

It doesn't seem accredited and seems extremely overpriced for level of instruction given.

Am I reading into it, or is there something wrong with this university?

I am reading "the fire that consumes" by Fudge (10 out of 10 would recommend) and am having a hard time harmonizing the Mt. 13 parable that says the weeds (tares) are thrown into the fire where they experience weeping and gnashing of teethe.

Elsewhere Fudge explains that the weeping throughout the Bible always come in anticipation of suffering or in sympathy for others but there isn't one place in the Bible where it is experienced as a result of suffering/ torment etc.

This passage seems to say that the tares are thrown into the "fiery furnace" where they experience weeping and gnashing of teethe.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

Hey everyone!

I’ve been reflecting on how the ancient creation story of Genesis might be reinterpreted in light of modern scientific knowledge, particularly theistic evolution and our understanding of the universe's origins.

How would you reimagine the first chapter of Genesis for the modern scientific age if you had to adapt it yourself?

Could this approach make ancient scripture more meaningful in today’s context? Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions for improvement!

1. In the beginning, God, the Eternal Source of all existence, set the cosmos into motion, initiating the vast expanse of space-time.

1. The universe was formless and void, a swirling quantum chaos; yet within it, the Spirit of the Creator moved through the fabric of energy and matter, holding the potential for all that was to come.

1. And the Creator said, "Let there be light," and there was light—a burst of radiant energy that expanded in every direction, forming stars, galaxies, and the building blocks of life.

1. The Creator observed that the light was good, and the balance of light and darkness was established.

1. The Creator named the light "day" and the darkness "night." And so began the first epoch.

2. The Creator said, "Let there be a vast expanse to separate the waters of chaos," and the forces of gravity and physics shaped the heavens.

3. Stars and planets formed, suspended in the cosmic void, and the Creator saw that it was good.

4. Thus, the second epoch unfolded.

1. The Creator said, "Let the waters on Earth gather into seas, and let dry land appear," and tectonic forces brought forth continents and oceans.

2. The Creator called the dry land "Earth" and the gathered waters "Seas," and the Creator saw that it was good.

3. Then the Creator said, "Let the Earth bring forth vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees bearing fruit." Through billions of years of evolution, ecosystems flourished, and life began to thrive.

4. The Creator saw the diversity of life and pronounced it good.

5. And so, the third epoch came to pass.

1. The Creator said, "Let there be lights in the heavens to mark the passage of time." Stars burned brightly, and the Earth’s orbit gave rise to days, seasons, and years.

2. The moon reflected the sun’s light, guiding creatures in their rhythms of life.

3. The Creator set the sun, moon, and stars in their courses, and they were good.

4. Thus, the fourth epoch was complete.

1. The Creator said, "Let the waters teem with living creatures and let birds soar in the sky." From the oceans emerged simple organisms, evolving over eons into a wondrous variety of fish, birds, and sea creatures.

2. The Creator saw the beauty of their forms and behaviors and blessed them to multiply and fill the Earth.

3. And so, the fifth epoch unfolded.

1. The Creator said, "Let the Earth bring forth living creatures: animals of every kind." Over millennia, life evolved into mammals, reptiles, and creatures that walked the land.

2. The Creator delighted in their diversity and saw that it was good.

3. Then the Creator said, "Let us make humanity in our image, as stewards of this creation." From the dust of the Earth and the breath of life, humanity emerged through the process of evolution, bearing the capacity for reason, creativity, and love.

4. The Creator blessed humanity, saying, "Be fruitful and care for the Earth, its creatures, and its resources."

5. The Creator saw all that had come into being—an interconnected web of life and energy—and it was very good.

6. Thus, the sixth epoch came to pass.

1. On the seventh epoch, the Creator rested, allowing the processes set in motion to continue unfolding in harmony.

2. The Creator blessed this time of rest, embedding within creation a rhythm of work and renewal, a call to reflection and gratitude.

This concept has always made much more sense to me, especially given that the battle is against powers and principalities. I don’t at all view this as referring to seven nations or seven rulers, but what do I know? It’s very symbolic obviously.

Would anyone be interested in trading Facebook accounts for casual theological discussion?

It was a mankind itself.

A common argument I hear from skeptics regarding the Bible is why a supposed all loving God would firstly, place a tree right in the middle of the garden that we would naturally be tempted to eat from, and secondly why we would then banished because of our actions and let sin enter mankind. I wanted to address this.

The hebrew for the word good is 'Tov' and for bad is 'Rah', but these words don't carry the same meaning as we currently understand them today. Tov really means things that cause us to be and feel connected to God, divine order, harmony, synchronicity, purpose etc. Rah is the opposite of this.

In the beginning there was harmony and order, we lived in alignment with the universe, a perfect synchronicity, interconnectness and divine unfolding of events.

Sin in hebrew generally means 'to fail' or 'to miss the mark', not necessarily any moral connotations, and would naturally be a result of not being in alignment with divine order, because of the knowledge of Rah. By living life in our own way, trying to make our own decisions and against divine order, we allowed Sin to enter humanity, and hence separation from Eden.

Adam in hebrew is 'mankind' thus is a message about the collective human experience. Eve was only given her name after the fall, and in hebrew means to breath or to give life. This symbolises humanity's transition from divine harmony and innocence to the birth of a new human condition that now includes suffering, choice and the potential for both alignment and misalignment with God.

This is further amplified by the hebrew meanings of the first born children Cain, which means to aquire or possess, and Abel, which has the opposite meaning. This reinforces the idea of mankinds choice between alignment and misalignment. Cains name symbolises humanities desire to possess the world, to control its destiny, and assert dominance over nature and God's will. Abel, the opposite of this, is the possibility of spiritual alignment within divine order.

What’s your thoughts on the authenticity of the gospel of Judas? It was determined to be written about 150 ad and with the life spans of common biblical people, 159 years as isn’t out of possibility that maybe Judas had some sort of note taker that carried his project after his death or even just copied his original gospel he created before he died. Also what do you think about the being he mentions as saklas the old testament god? In the end do you think that Judas really was Jesus’s most trusted apostle? The only one who completly understood the big picture of his plans?

Let me know what you guys think any input is greatly welcome

I'm a Muslim so my knowledge of Christianity is quite limited. I was watching the other day a video of an Anglican priest from Australia about Islamic theology and I was surprised by what he said about sin in Islam. His argument is that Sin in the Bible leads to death and eternal separation from God, since Humanity inherited the curse of The Fall the only way to Salvation and return to holiness is through Jesus Christ,hence Christ is the ultimate redeemer of sin when was crucified on the Cross.

He then argues that Islam doesn't have a doctrine of sin, because the primary problem of Human nature in Islam isn't sin but ignorance and being lead astray. Therefore Islamic ultimate salvation is dependent on one's being on the Straight Path and following Allah's commandments.

My understanding of Sin as a Muslim is that minor sins can be replaced by good deeds and Allah being mercifull will ultimately forgive grave sins if true repentance is achieved. In the Day of Reckoning, all people will be judged by the sins and good deeds they've committed.

My question is what really is Sin in Christianity?

By hearts I mean "intent" or "reason" as in, God knows and judges our hearts. That means the things beyond words, the super nuanced ultimate collection of behavior and thought per individual, on a scale no other human could ever comprehend, exists. And we just have no way of truly knowing someone else. We fall in love with other versions of us, we even have little versions of us, and all of the joy those things bring is from our desire to know another us. Somehow, the ability for one to truly know another must be out there, and that's really just the definition of God.

Deus ex machina, Latin for God from the machine... What is Latin for 'God in the machine'? Thanks

Hi my friends, I asked myself this and got some answers from my own mind, first one is that Adam and Eve trusted God so much that they didn't asked themselves why it was bad, pretty much how a kid thrust their parents and what they say, the second is pretty much how both of them remembered non existence, I know its confusing, but from what I think, the way they could have remembered non existence is like how I person sees the concept of being asleep, where you can't remember or feel anything that happens to you while asleep, while being alive is like when you wake up, ready to experience the world, they saw that death meant returning to be asleep and didn't want it, to me this seems like a satisfying answer but I would like to know your views on this.

i recently watched the movie heretic and i’ve always been interested in theology and similarities between religions, i want to educate myself more on theology, does anybody have recommendations on books or beginner friendly theory?

Old testament prophets such as Hosea, Isaiah, and I think Jeremiah as well have what are apparently called "courtroom oracles." Micah features one as well, however Micah's oracle calls "all creation" to witness God's judgement against Israel.

What is different about the prophecy of Micah that would call for all of creation to witness this judgement whereas the other prophets merely call Israel to witness the judgement?

Thanks

Hello , am looking for some recommendations for books or articles on the topic of the theology of the body . Am a beginner but am really intrested and want to learn more , i saw christopher west's collection of books written on this, but i dont know which ones to pick to start with, any advice will be great, cheers.