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Brad Jersak

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Progressive Christian

2020-04-30T17:51:55-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Where I Found Belonging – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: April 30, 2020 at 5:51 pm By Brad Jersak

I am well aware, to the point of nausea, that the movement or institution or community so often called “church” has been a source of terrible suffering for many of my friends. Some experienced authentic spiritual abuse through stifling manipulation and control and others through marginalization or outright exclusion. I hear these stories regularly from both former and current church members as well as faithful leaders were mistreated by their congregants. It’s an ugly business that deserves careful attention until... Read more

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2020-03-30T15:34:02-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The River of Fire: the Sovereignty of Infinite Love – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: March 30, 2020 at 3:34 pm By Brad Jersak

I get it now. I see now the necessity of a cold and totalizing sovereignty to justify Infernalism that must finally deny “God is love” and redefine “Good” & “holy” & even “God” as beyond good & evil—as pure (sic) Will-to-Power. Nietzsche saw it: this is how God dies & how we killed him (Thus Spake Zarathustra). But the true sovereignty of infinite Love can never find its telos in eternal torment, for the river of fire that flows from... Read more

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2020-03-25T09:26:58-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Humanity the Real Plague? (Spoiler—No) – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: March 25, 2020 at 9:26 am By Brad Jersak

Is Humanity the Real Plague? (Spoiler—No) A Response to Kristal Parks and Matthew Fox I wish to suggest that the Coronavirus and other very threatening viruses (like Ebola and the Swine flu virus) are the Earth’s way of trying to rid herself of the parasite that is killing her… US. These viruses are like canaries in the mineshaft. And perhaps they are more friend than foe. –Kristal Parks, “Coronavirus from the Earth’s Point of View.” Cited in Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox,... Read more

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2020-03-20T11:06:55-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Covid-19 Reset: Dark Clouds, Silver Linings & New Ways of Being – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: March 20, 2020 at 11:06 am By Brad Jersak

Covid-1 I have no medical assessments or advice to share. I’m a doctor, Jim, but not that kind. While some may be going stir-crazy, others suffer greatly and still others are working hard to flatten the curve. For my part, I will only ask a few questions for contemplation. Without minimizing how harsh this storm is—medically and financially—I’m pondering what social and spiritual fabric we might weave from the silver lining around these dark clouds. RESET QUESTION:WHICH NEW WAYS OF... Read more

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2020-02-26T23:57:48-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Plato, Platinga & Paul – Toward Christian Knowing – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: February 26, 2020 at 11:57 pm By Brad Jersak

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2019-12-16T19:20:56-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Prostrations: Empty Religiosity or Embodied Worship – Brad Jersak

Last updated on: December 16, 2019 at 7:20 pm By Brad Jersak

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 4:6-8, 10 Embodied Worship Among the unknown losses I experienced as a young Protestant was embodied worship. While we would certainly deny that our theology was gnostic, in many ways our disembodied worship betrayed us. With the exception of camp “action choruses,” we worried that any bodily movement might become either too worldly (if it strayed too close to dance) or too religious (if it reminded us... Read more

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2019-12-13T11:52:39-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Does God Ever ‘Intervene’ in Natural Law?

Last updated on: December 13, 2019 at 11:52 am By Brad Jersak

Question I’m reading A More Christlike God and it has been a very faith stretching experience in a good way. It is really challenging me. I have a question though from chapter 9 where it says “God willingly chose powerless love in the cosmic Cross of Creation. That is, when God through the Logos (John 1) created the universe, he relinquished control to natural law. From the beginning of time, God has voluntarily refrained (‘ chained’ himself) from violating the order... Read more

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2019-12-11T13:47:06-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “How do we harmonize the Bible’s judgment and redemption texts?”

Last updated on: December 11, 2019 at 1:47 pm By Brad Jersak

Question How do we best harmonize the Bible’s ‘eschatological’ texts? Some described unmitigated judgment and permanent destruction for the majority of the human race, while other passages seem to announce the redemption of everyone in the end. How do we hold both descriptions together? Can we? Or are these really contradictory? Response Yes, it’s true: those who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated judgment texts with... Read more

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2020-01-21T22:51:48-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Is the Spiritual Realm more Real than the Natural?” Brad Jersak

Last updated on: January 21, 2020 at 10:51 pm By Brad Jersak

Question: How would you respond to the statement, “The spiritual realm is more real than the natural realm”? Response: I’ve thought about this type of statement a lot, having heard the statement in a variety of forms through the years. Similarly, the Catholic priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Both these statements affirm something important but invariably over-steer into a sort of... Read more

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2020-01-04T15:50:03-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Q & R with Brad Jersak – “Were the Church Fathers anti-semitic?”

Last updated on: January 4, 2020 at 3:50 pm By Brad Jersak

Question Hi Brad, I’ve run into a few guys that are saying that the Church Fathers were anti-Semitic. Consequently, they at least think the writings of the Church Fathers should be disregarded in what they had to say. There certainly was some anti-Semitism embedded in Christianity but it seems ill-advised to me to disregard the Church Father’s writings because of it. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic if you can spare the time. Response Before I say... Read more

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