tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71263436786268706942024-03-16T08:08:54.187-07:00Chastened IntuitionsReading Scripture and Reading Life through Trained Eyes of FaithCarmen Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02667112934218176967noreply@blogger.comBlogger574125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-83864335397808181932024-01-01T08:41:00.000-08:002024-01-31T12:45:03.371-08:002023 in Books<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I set a goal to read 40 books in 2023. I only completed 37 (though I started a dozen more . . . some of them abandoned, some still in progress). Here is the breakdown by category of those I finished, with all the details on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2023/75921815" target="_blank">GoodReads</a>:<p></p><p></p><blockquote><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>9 memoir </li><li>1 poetry</li><li>5 fiction</li><li>12 Biblical studies</li><li>7 practical theology / ministry</li><li>2 academic theology</li><li>1 self-help</li></ul></blockquote><p>If you decide to order a copy of any of these books, may I recommend my favorite bookstores? <a href="https://www.heartsandmindsbooks.com/order/" target="_blank">Hearts and Minds Books</a> takes orders and ships anywhere in the US. <a href="https://threehillsbooks.ca/" target="_blank">Three Hills Books</a> in Alberta and <a href="https://bookstore.regent-college.edu/" target="_blank">Regent College Bookstore</a> in B.C. are great sources for books in Canada. I'm not making commission on the sales of any of these books, but I believe in small, well-curated bookstores!</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4AddgDVrzHLW5yfNXC7EB868N5Ve0vSYA2wOf-KjZOIzIlEC2yjHx4P6Z7NEYPU1gorQ2KMf-HLvlK-pE0PT_w9TyEEbFeGcf9MhsZ-lr2w2VxpDMlAWeSUlGquxoTXjUDrM0DW0Tk9xd9TWYXi85cHb9DhsC4kDmO0HBm_WDXUCRX-4Admh508VTHu1/s954/2023%20Books.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="728" data-original-width="954" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4AddgDVrzHLW5yfNXC7EB868N5Ve0vSYA2wOf-KjZOIzIlEC2yjHx4P6Z7NEYPU1gorQ2KMf-HLvlK-pE0PT_w9TyEEbFeGcf9MhsZ-lr2w2VxpDMlAWeSUlGquxoTXjUDrM0DW0Tk9xd9TWYXi85cHb9DhsC4kDmO0HBm_WDXUCRX-4Admh508VTHu1/w640-h488/2023%20Books.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The surprising blessing for me this year was <b>memoir</b>. I loved reading about people's diverse experiences of the world: from the deep South to the South Side of Chicago, and from the rust belt to the White House, and from Down Under to Ethiopia. All ten of these were worthwhile (or I wouldn't have finished them), but two that were especially excellent were Beth Moore's and Esau McCaulley's. <p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-My-Knotted-Up-Life-Memoir/dp/1496472675/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IFI5YZQVLB53&keywords=beth+moore+all+my+knotted+up+life&qid=1704125973&s=books&sprefix=beth+moore+all+my%2Cstripbooks%2C194&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOJSPjZpIdL0dethjd3M9IQEcU4Yv_sXax2hEh-U98arGFE1JTDFmeHc9R9tmvq3dRWqNIu14-G3hsVdjhGb0C0kjcjknBT5o7rBtYhw9WjVfosBBWjdLOEmfiUK1tAI5P_7HZQZGZ8LCubsRahrUh42F9I8VYzclmPby9WusGeovaFjXtFCeRIFauD18e/s320/McCaulley%20-%20How%20Far%20to%20the%20Promised%20Land.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-My-Knotted-Up-Life-Memoir/dp/1496472675/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1IFI5YZQVLB53&keywords=beth+moore+all+my+knotted+up+life&qid=1704125973&s=books&sprefix=beth+moore+all+my%2Cstripbooks%2C194&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Beth Moore, <i>All My Knotted-Up Life</i></a></b></li><li><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Far-Promised-Land-Survival/dp/0593241088/ref=sr_1_7?crid=30PR6CAVC151W&keywords=Mccaulley+how+far+to+the+promised+land&qid=1704125913&s=books&sprefix=mccaulley+how+far+to+the+promised+land%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=1-7" target="_blank">Esau McCaulley, </a><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Far-Promised-Land-Survival/dp/0593241088/ref=sr_1_7?crid=30PR6CAVC151W&keywords=Mccaulley+how+far+to+the+promised+land&qid=1704125913&s=books&sprefix=mccaulley+how+far+to+the+promised+land%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=1-7" target="_blank">How Far to the Promised Land: One Black Family's Story of Hope and Survival in the American South</a><br /></i></b></li><li>J. D. Vance, <i>Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis</i></li><li>Michelle Obama, <i>Becoming</i></li><li>David Bennett, <i>A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus</i></li><li>Wendy Widder, <i>Every Road Goes Somewhere: A Memoir about Calling</i></li><li>Tripp Johnston, <i>Soul Brothers: Two Men, Two Worlds, One Purpose </i>(an encouraging story about true partnership and friendship in cross-cultural missions)</li><li>Joan Didion, <i>A Year of Magical Thinking </i>(about grief)</li><li>Octavio J. Esqueda and Benjamin D. Espinoza, eds., <i>The Hispanic Faculty Experience </i>(about Latino/a faculty experiences in Christian higher ed)</li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The single book of <b>poetry</b> I read was breathtaking. I highly recommend <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hill-We-Climb-Other-Poems/dp/0593465067/ref=asc_df_0593465067/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475873427162&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4961477465972355448&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032862&hvtargid=pla-1149427746909&psc=1&mcid=bb13269c149a323a9edb6093f966736a&gclid=Cj0KCQiAv8SsBhC7ARIsALIkVT3W3pY7SP_M7sNq78dNur0SnlvHlXyxgfyW9ql-JMCQRYkYVzgw0d4aAskMEALw_wcB" target="_blank">Amanda Gorman, <i>Call Us What We Carry</i></a></b>. Gorman is a wizard with words, wise beyond her years. Highly recommended.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrVzbNNFhFmA-mBT2VYzebWGze9PU5qGIISQ2uaxUTZT1ac8Y7vKrH5r51-8yx0iZtCpn9WOrXXTml17sfwzfxEsenIOC3uwg0QetzFJfqlAl9pAjxW0S_8ozFEPk87wg9860syRmxJ7Rj11M5TNVoCah0ySuAb04gE1TJgEQQjrwCvb3Any8FvMfjXjC/s445/James%20-%20Malestrom.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrVzbNNFhFmA-mBT2VYzebWGze9PU5qGIISQ2uaxUTZT1ac8Y7vKrH5r51-8yx0iZtCpn9WOrXXTml17sfwzfxEsenIOC3uwg0QetzFJfqlAl9pAjxW0S_8ozFEPk87wg9860syRmxJ7Rj11M5TNVoCah0ySuAb04gE1TJgEQQjrwCvb3Any8FvMfjXjC/s320/James%20-%20Malestrom.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Most of the <b>biblical studies</b> books I read this year related to gender issues because of a paper I was writing. Each one of these was helpful, with a special shout out to Carolyn Custis James' <i>Malestrom, </i>which constructively answers one of today's most pressing questions: What does it look like to embrace manhood without perpetuating the toxic versions that have left so much hurt in their wake? Karen <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">González's</span> book on immigration was also very accessible and insightful. Every one of these was worth my time:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://zondervanacademic.com/products/malestrom-1" target="_blank">Carolyn Custis James, <i>Malestrom: How Jesus Dismantles Patriarchy and Defines Manhood </i></a></b></li><li>Susan Hylen, <i>Finding Phoebe: What New Testament Women Were Really Like</i></li><li>Celina Durgin and Dru Johnson, <i>The Biblical World of Gender: The Daily Lives of Ancient Men and Women</i></li><li>Hilary Lipka and Bruce Wells, <i>Sexuality and Law in the Torah</i></li><li>Wilda Gafney, <i>Daughters of Miriam: Women Prophets in Ancient Israel</i></li><li>Nijay Gupta, <i>Tell Her Story: How Women Taught, Led, and Ministered in the Early Church</i></li><li><b><a href="https://heraldpress.com/9781513804125/the-god-who-sees/" target="_blank">Karen González, </a><i><a href="https://heraldpress.com/9781513804125/the-god-who-sees/" target="_blank">The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong</a><br /></i></b></li><li>Matthew Theissen, <i>A Jewish Paul: The Messiah's Herald to the Gentiles</i></li><li>Walter Bruggemann, <i style="text-align: right;">Delivered Out of Empire: Pivotal Moments in the Book of Exodus</i></li><li>Ray Lubeck, <i>Reading the Bible for a Change </i>(2nd edition)</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04fY9xFySY6e2TWZsjTmoTm-Z8ORcveUFwr009djS6Qj0k6xi_O4J0s1Tt3NDOBXhCqQeB_f19OgOUUCstYbos44tItcHUgLgRG69_iM0zhInLl2wVxILkrvkuceosy7QPtQPz6Zt2ZgCp5eEhAkRC7QtVlVbFlEW278stKfZ1CXB4g445n7lwH6f-PpC/s445/Edwards%20-%20Humility%20Illuminated.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04fY9xFySY6e2TWZsjTmoTm-Z8ORcveUFwr009djS6Qj0k6xi_O4J0s1Tt3NDOBXhCqQeB_f19OgOUUCstYbos44tItcHUgLgRG69_iM0zhInLl2wVxILkrvkuceosy7QPtQPz6Zt2ZgCp5eEhAkRC7QtVlVbFlEW278stKfZ1CXB4g445n7lwH6f-PpC/s320/Edwards%20-%20Humility%20Illuminated.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>In the category of <b>practical theology </b>I read books on prayer, discernment, purity culture, and social commentary. My favorite was Dennis Edwards' new book on humility, which offers crisp insights on why the pursuit of humility pairs well with the pursuit of justice. I blogged about it <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-edwards-humility-illuminated.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/humility-illuminated" target="_blank">Dennis Edwards, <i>Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character</i></a></b></li><li>Russell Moore, <i>Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America</i></li><li>Tyler Staton, <i>Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools</i></li><li>Rob Dixon, <i>Together in Ministry: Women and Men in Flourishing Partnerships</i></li></ul></div><div>The best academic book I read in <b>theology</b> was without a doubt <b><a href="https://bakeracademic.com/p/god-s-provision-humanity-s-need-christa-l-mckirland/412553" target="_blank">Christa McKirland's </a></b><i><b><a href="https://bakeracademic.com/p/god-s-provision-humanity-s-need-christa-l-mckirland/412553" target="_blank">God's Provision, Humanity's Need: The Gift of Our Dependence</a></b>. </i>In this adaptation of her doctoral dissertation, Christa makes a strong case that to experience flourishing, humans must enter into a relationship with God. That is, we need God. We are dependent on the God who made us. In the Western-European world, which values independence, self-sufficiency, and autonomy, Christa brings us back to the truth about ourselves and the beauty of dependency.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>I also released two books myself this year. <i>Being God's Image </i>is a prequel to <i>Bearing God's Name </i>(IVP 2019). They can be read in either order. One highlight this year was recording the audiobook myself! The <i>Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew </i>has been four years in the making and is my first book coauthored with one of my students. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6O8AJjvWE9uMSQWnG9xatBraVsTL2IiLNKNUULP3QP7zoUcHj3Ib5bRC18wttt90ltdCGKnpXZ5MejeKyltktJCz4K9RjSjGhnUFffbqnvc7IRB4OodgqVEByrfLVe9SNRPyaEwcXbxDgnm8HlKaQBXexKKMx_yq-Gf4o88pEm2bPr9Y82MdT1nvlvYY/s1546/BGI%20-%20Final%20Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1546" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6O8AJjvWE9uMSQWnG9xatBraVsTL2IiLNKNUULP3QP7zoUcHj3Ib5bRC18wttt90ltdCGKnpXZ5MejeKyltktJCz4K9RjSjGhnUFffbqnvc7IRB4OodgqVEByrfLVe9SNRPyaEwcXbxDgnm8HlKaQBXexKKMx_yq-Gf4o88pEm2bPr9Y82MdT1nvlvYY/s320/BGI%20-%20Final%20Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></div></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/being-god-s-image" target="_blank">Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters</a> </i>(IVP)</b> is a book that explores what it means to be human. In a nutshell, I claim that every human being is the image of God, and that our status as God's image was not lost or diminished at the Fall. Our vocation as stewards of creation opens up a whole host of creative and collaborative possibilities that extend into the new creation. A few highlights in its first 6 months in the world: <i>Being God's Image</i> was a finalist for the IVP Reader's Choice awards. The Englewood Review of Books recognized it<i> </i>as one of the Best Books of 2023. The Holy Post Podcast chose it for their book club, and it made the bestselling new releases list in September for the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association. I blogged about it <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2023/04/new-book-announcement-being-gods-image.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li><b><i><a href="https://glossahouse.com/products/illustrated-psalms-1-150-in-hebrew-%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%90-%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D" target="_blank">Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew</a> </i>(GlossaHouse) </b>is a co-authored project with R. Mark Reasoner that pairs the entire Hebrew book of Psalms with beautiful illustrations and my own English translation. If you're learning Hebrew and want to incorporate daily language practice in your devotional life, this book is for you. I blogged about it <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2023/10/new-book-announcement-illustrated.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSnwEZDdMU-BXSb1gF_6wCx0mwWaaqePt4CBgAW7hvuLDRL5l33KlHifGRog_fITyL_JPEw_TKySANbuTRU1TdKAmIxxnbxn4xjnioSv04mxY-1NQKH3P-9Tq5YLKyQ1JqNMynmDzcXSq1j4cV4uC4PBxAZEEovGiw_7txFmdzf5yXPLoe4tTL7kXuW9k/s984/Illustrated%20Psalms%20-%20Cover.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSnwEZDdMU-BXSb1gF_6wCx0mwWaaqePt4CBgAW7hvuLDRL5l33KlHifGRog_fITyL_JPEw_TKySANbuTRU1TdKAmIxxnbxn4xjnioSv04mxY-1NQKH3P-9Tq5YLKyQ1JqNMynmDzcXSq1j4cV4uC4PBxAZEEovGiw_7txFmdzf5yXPLoe4tTL7kXuW9k/s320/Illustrated%20Psalms%20-%20Cover.png" width="242" /></a></div>I also wrote a book this year. It will be a while before it hits the shelves, but Oscar Baldelomar and I co-authored the first draft of a book on Scripture and Multicultural Identities. It's aimed at youth pastors, high school teachers, and parents of minority and multicultural families to help adolescents navigate their ethnic identities in light of Scripture. I'm excited about this project!</div><div><br /></div><div>In the new year, I plan to read more books about Exodus as well as books about the church--especially recent works that explain trends in church attendance and participation. I'll be continuing to work on my commentary on Exodus for Baker Academic as well as a book for IVP on why the church still matters. </div><div><br /></div><div>Since I enjoyed memoir so much this year, do you have any others to recommend? </div><div><br /></div><div>I'd also love to read another book of poetry. Do you have a favorite that's a must read? Let me know in the comments below.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Here's to another great year of reading and writing!</div>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-9280633262002744862023-12-09T10:05:00.000-08:002023-12-09T10:05:08.640-08:00The December Reckoning<p>I can't shake the melancholy this December. Life has cast its shadow over all the parties. It's not all somber, of course, but the moments of delight are framed by life as it really is--budget constraints, colleagues losing their jobs, family tension and even estrangement, the stress of year-end deadlines. Underneath it all are layers of memories because December has a way of piling on.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilfwUpzTtdHn5HLzcdUdbeHin8Uw82cTApxjc52RpORgdIrWG5znOHF0rbmcPEwEjaQWEi6hAaElI3Rys0qzbsoHW9kSMSu2VnDGagmUmDNthMdGQXI_KvgR6OGRLntw0eD8x1X3_LLIPb_wIpZhMgSzqanMnf-ngfZfQjLCeIYVbAD7Tr0kBWc5w43rh5" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1505" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilfwUpzTtdHn5HLzcdUdbeHin8Uw82cTApxjc52RpORgdIrWG5znOHF0rbmcPEwEjaQWEi6hAaElI3Rys0qzbsoHW9kSMSu2VnDGagmUmDNthMdGQXI_KvgR6OGRLntw0eD8x1X3_LLIPb_wIpZhMgSzqanMnf-ngfZfQjLCeIYVbAD7Tr0kBWc5w43rh5" width="320" /></a></div>On <b>December 10th</b>, 1999, Daniel and I went to a routine ultrasound, excited to see our baby for the first time. We had told every living soul of our joy that we were expecting. What we weren't expecting was the absence of a heartbeat. The stillness in my womb chilled us that Christmas. The songs seemed hollow, offensive even. We grieved deeply.<p></p><p>Every December I think of that baby, our baby, no longer living.</p><p>On <b>December 10th</b>, 2002, Daniel and I arrived with our toddler in the Philippines. We had sold most of our worldly goods and said our goodbyes, intending to settle indefinitely among an ethnic group that needed to hear the good news about Jesus. We experienced Christmas as outsiders that year, observers to traditions and families and friendships not yet our own. It was a bleak month, that stretched us to capacity. Things didn't go as planned. We only stayed 28 months, far short of the decades we expected. We left without accomplishing what we intended to do. God seemed so silent.</p><p>Every December I think of the pain of leaving and starting over and leaving again.</p><p>On <b>December 10th</b>, 2019, InterVarsity Press released my book. <i>Bearing God's Name </i>is four years old now. It's been a joy to see these ideas catch people's imaginations around the world. My parents met us in Portland to celebrate. We didn't know it then, but it was our last Christmas together. The pandemic that ravaged the world and ruined Christmas in 2020 also managed to ruin Christmas in 2021. By 2022, the damage had been done; my parents were divorced.</p><p>And so I sit here this December, trying to embrace the season, but finding it complicated. December will never be what it was. The ornaments on our tree that recall happier seasons are tinged with the color of grief. It's not that I mind the tree or the lights, the concerts and the cookies. I welcome them all with open arms, as long as they don't force me to be glib. Life is far richer and more rewarding than I anticipated, but also far more painful.</p><p>December is the month that beckons us to take stock of our year, of our life. It's the reckoning of what we've done and who we've loved. We find out who our friends and family are and what we've lost along the way. Decorations mark time, evoking both nostalgia and change.</p><p>I don't know what this month holds for each of you, but I expect it's complicated.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>A certain chair may be empty this year.</p><p>A certain song will bring you to tears.</p><p>A certain smell tugs your heart down memory lane.</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBq8j_sCgSlhYwIe9Z00kaPtzaSW1sthhXkvmRJBlkSsPmlba3HAx-E6ORdaB1VW8TZ4yvKVxXqm85jqFpyrLDytgZhi4E6kZl2W6wS39Hwzfs58GrFPqK91OgmmAFlKoIx2GIYTENkINAo6f6xkTRegUmz9BmQ2DVeD_6ptKzGlZW0gnrZHvkPN1dZF2k" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="482" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBq8j_sCgSlhYwIe9Z00kaPtzaSW1sthhXkvmRJBlkSsPmlba3HAx-E6ORdaB1VW8TZ4yvKVxXqm85jqFpyrLDytgZhi4E6kZl2W6wS39Hwzfs58GrFPqK91OgmmAFlKoIx2GIYTENkINAo6f6xkTRegUmz9BmQ2DVeD_6ptKzGlZW0gnrZHvkPN1dZF2k=w180-h320" width="180" /></a></div>This year I'm taking comfort in the gritty realities of Advent. Christ's birth followed a long season of agonized waiting in which life did not go as planned. As we await his return, is it any wonder that we bear both joy and sorrow, delight and pain? The hope that undergirds us is the same hope that carried the Israelites through their years of exile and sustained them under oppressive Roman rule. <p></p><p>Christmas is not the story of an upwardly mobile businessman who crushed his sales targets and earned the Employee-of-the-Year Award. It's not the story of a rich girl who got everything on her Amazon wish list. It's not even the family in matching outfits with every hair in place for the annual photo.</p><p>Christmas is about a poor family on the margins under heavy taxation forced to travel at an inconvenient time. It's about the unlikely visitors who showed up to celebrate their son's birth and about their flight to Egypt in fear of their lives. If my community feels overshadowed or fraught with contradictions, we're well positioned to appreciate Christmas. It's not, and never was, picture perfect. </p><p>December is a season to ponder the surprising work of God through an improbable cast of characters. It's a reckoning of sorts, a taking stock of what's what, a waiting for what comes next, and a gladness that none of it depends on me.</p><p></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-69091321005560119002023-11-12T21:51:00.000-08:002023-11-12T21:51:20.574-08:00Review of Edwards, Humility Illuminated<p> </p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140201439-humility-illuminated" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1682983982l/140201439._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140201439-humility-illuminated">Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15374717.Dennis_R_Edwards">Dennis R. Edwards</a><br /><br />
I wouldn't trust just anyone to write a book on humility. As a woman, I've heard too many powerful leaders advocate for submission or humility or silence--for others--without embodying those qualities themselves. Dr. Edwards is different. He had already earned my respect as a peaceable and humble leader who lifts up those around him. During his years of experience in both pastoral ministry and academic service he has cultivated hard-earned wisdom.<br /><br />One of his most unique contributions to this topic is that Dr. Edwards is sensitive to power dynamics that affect women and minorities and he's careful to help us see that humility does not mean passivity in the face of injustice. I'm grateful for his work!<br /><br />Here are some of my favorite lines in the book:<br /><br />"Without humility there is no justice" (7).<br /><br />"Humility fosters collaboration, which can energize us to find solutions to problems" (17).<br /><br />"Humility does not mean a lack of assertiveness or a rejection of firm truth-telling" (67).<br /><br />"True humility...does not ignore or accept oppression, but instead seeks human flourishing by eliminating injustice through self-sacrificial love" (156).<br /><br />"Humble people are justifiably angry toward evil because they are attuned to injustice, and they also understand that dismantling unjust systems does not contradict but is a consequence of humility. Because humility is yielding to God and committing to peacemaking, it cannot equate to passivity. Marginalized people embody humility by focusing on the pain and alienation of others--not just their own -- and joining in solidarity with the disinherited for the purpose of justice" (161).
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/75921815-carmen-imes">View all my reviews</a>
Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-32333580476136130292023-10-19T11:28:00.008-07:002023-10-19T11:30:05.724-07:00New Book Announcement: Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2lHbaebxCgZxmIRCfuaRoLvILXS2oNlK0oKwo9YoRHuNtT0DTxsmY1R7cBV5gz06DNXVKgIt6gRntSp4yk4aO0JWVdHqZFoSynHm10-pzIdkuUp9lsqpJIQeuRwESBztfaxPAV75ccdddqR0VfI3Oe9NkoOANVd2-AM4aVY3xwRS977VmTq1vCLbyHHi/s2250/Image_20231007_214549_896.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP2lHbaebxCgZxmIRCfuaRoLvILXS2oNlK0oKwo9YoRHuNtT0DTxsmY1R7cBV5gz06DNXVKgIt6gRntSp4yk4aO0JWVdHqZFoSynHm10-pzIdkuUp9lsqpJIQeuRwESBztfaxPAV75ccdddqR0VfI3Oe9NkoOANVd2-AM4aVY3xwRS977VmTq1vCLbyHHi/w266-h400/Image_20231007_214549_896.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div>I'm delighted to share my latest publication with you: <i><a href="https://glossahouse.com/products/illustrated-psalms-1-150-in-hebrew-%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%90-%D7%94-%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D" target="_blank">Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew</a> </i>from GlossaHouse! I began work on this volume in 2019, and the road to completion was long and winding, but I am truly delighted with how it has turned out. One of my students, R. Mark Reasoner Jr, caught a vision for this project and devoted his summer to seeing it across the finish line. His energy and devotion to the project made him an ideal co-author.<p></p><p>We've provided the full Hebrew text of the book of Psalms in large-print format in a way that preserves the genius of Hebrew parallelism along with beautiful images for reflection by Keith Neely, which Mark recombined and adapted for a rich reading experience. At the bottom of each page is my own English translation of that psalm. </p><p>If you've been tracking with me for a while, you know that I produced the <a href="https://glossahouse.com/products/illustrated-exodus-in-hebrew" target="_blank">Exodus volume</a> for this series back in 2017. That volume is more <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2017/11/practicing-biblical-hebrew-fun-way.html" target="_blank">like a graphic novel</a>, while this one presents each psalm as a whole with companion images.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lzd-xqFlwNRvZ9vMKODlCd7ETbpsg8kstFH8zDLmtthEnIESwdIDJUQ1-oVDfnlN3WuGAVGMAJKWJQYlx9hWt5h9RuiG6QloNcXiwRzUXMc9QT5l0lVqmBLDZNGgn1w5sxsrX9FkwqdQAjDuByDTdLetU6wajkKVifliNmq612m2ouvvgwwEqeUXl0j9/s3347/PXL_20231019_182416280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3347" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lzd-xqFlwNRvZ9vMKODlCd7ETbpsg8kstFH8zDLmtthEnIESwdIDJUQ1-oVDfnlN3WuGAVGMAJKWJQYlx9hWt5h9RuiG6QloNcXiwRzUXMc9QT5l0lVqmBLDZNGgn1w5sxsrX9FkwqdQAjDuByDTdLetU6wajkKVifliNmq612m2ouvvgwwEqeUXl0j9/w640-h434/PXL_20231019_182416280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Who will want to use this volume?</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ys1qWaFyMr_EWi4sXXADIhKeewfF0Vv9QRFTOvExrhLUnYo8tuiZCgCjfYY5QK_UISaPhXX_j90sD6ZWxbpjO7OVGSpw1L3KhiZ0Q1tXbeOtg7mk-odMiE0sqm2JTyLXesXsu7bAB2q_WrPjrxgZRNENl85jZ24LB04yJ_u8xu0IMgsb4cQ6-H8bQXat/s3024/Illustrated%20Psalms%20-%20Mark%20and%20Carmen.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Mark Reasoner and Carmen Imes hold a copy of their new book, Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew" border="0" data-original-height="2241" data-original-width="3024" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Ys1qWaFyMr_EWi4sXXADIhKeewfF0Vv9QRFTOvExrhLUnYo8tuiZCgCjfYY5QK_UISaPhXX_j90sD6ZWxbpjO7OVGSpw1L3KhiZ0Q1tXbeOtg7mk-odMiE0sqm2JTyLXesXsu7bAB2q_WrPjrxgZRNENl85jZ24LB04yJ_u8xu0IMgsb4cQ6-H8bQXat/w320-h237/Illustrated%20Psalms%20-%20Mark%20and%20Carmen.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark Reasoner and Carmen Imes<br />with <i>Illustrated Psalms in Hebrew</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fluent Hebrew readers who want to meditate on the Psalms</li><li>Hebrew-speaking families who want to incorporate the Psalms into family devotions</li><li>Those learning Hebrew who want to practice reading the Psalms</li><li>Professors who want to incorporate regular reading or chanting of the Psalms in class</li></ul><div>We've included the Hebrew accent marks for those who want to chant the Psalms. The collection will be available as a single volume with all 150 Psalms or as a two volume set to make it more affordable for students (Psalm 1-72 and Psalm 73-150). I'll add links when those become available.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-59ZeRxX9hggDDEyhbQTH_Gar7fc37l_YgLnn2B6oQ6xDbf4ZIvgRVJz6CcOXwvHQw2v8zcEHx4yfbH2CxhGt0nFhuK19fSBg2DtIFPXm9HjqzRvgVP-kv9jOBLic5dya-bT6AmFH24ZK1HMn8EsuNjCvQCAyC-eOcN2ED2Dyr3iOOzl7QsvQOMN2UFWa/s3000/Image_20231008_164603_075.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-59ZeRxX9hggDDEyhbQTH_Gar7fc37l_YgLnn2B6oQ6xDbf4ZIvgRVJz6CcOXwvHQw2v8zcEHx4yfbH2CxhGt0nFhuK19fSBg2DtIFPXm9HjqzRvgVP-kv9jOBLic5dya-bT6AmFH24ZK1HMn8EsuNjCvQCAyC-eOcN2ED2Dyr3iOOzl7QsvQOMN2UFWa/w640-h426/Image_20231008_164603_075.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div>If you are heading to the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society or the Society of Biblical Literature, you can purchase a copy at the GlossaHouse booth. But why wait? You can order now and save room in your suitcase for other treasures.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-25543915426936462022023-08-09T15:44:00.005-07:002023-08-17T11:33:24.169-07:00Companion Videos for 'Being God's Image'!<p>Two weeks from today, my new video course on <i><a href="https://seminarynow.co/being-gods-image" target="_blank">Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters</a> </i>is launching with Seminary Now. We've filmed a video to go with each chapter of the book. Some of the content overlaps with the book, but in each video I extend that content to include new illustrations or applications.</p><p style="text-align: center;">10 chapters -- 10 videos -- about 10 minutes each</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa_YGXF8oLnOzxhNL_g9JJC33imBObQIvW2V_R006XJMlSVfbywoN-msY0m1CWXuBuGSmbvbS1aP17dOsNogRXGU1lnf42Q5sxgG7g1p5IHIhT8dVqRpoM2VKaV0w1MItnlsJsy2pa4EtNW82FvoqnVkY3ymGxkIdtVTuj5QCQNM2UERDywOs_RbVqXWX/s500/BGI%20-%20Audiobook%20cover.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQa_YGXF8oLnOzxhNL_g9JJC33imBObQIvW2V_R006XJMlSVfbywoN-msY0m1CWXuBuGSmbvbS1aP17dOsNogRXGU1lnf42Q5sxgG7g1p5IHIhT8dVqRpoM2VKaV0w1MItnlsJsy2pa4EtNW82FvoqnVkY3ymGxkIdtVTuj5QCQNM2UERDywOs_RbVqXWX/w200-h200/BGI%20-%20Audiobook%20cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audiobook available <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Being-Gods-Image-Creation-Matters/dp/B0C381877R/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">here</a></td></tr></tbody></table>It's the kind of resource that makes it easy to lead a group through the book. The videos work with or without the book. If you've already read <i>Being God's Image</i>, these videos will reinforce what you've read and offer new things to think about. If you're not a reader, the videos will give you some of the most important content. (But also, you non-readers, did you know that I narrated the audiobook?)<p></p><p><i>Being God's Image </i>explores what the Bible says about what it means to be human. Laying a foundation from the early chapters of Genesis, I explore implications for a host of topics:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>What's wrong with the way many Christians read Genesis 1?</p><p>What relevance does Genesis 1-2 have for debates about gender roles?</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Can the image of God help us with <span>questions about abortion or assisted suicide?</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Where is hope hiding in Genesis 3? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>What can we learn from Jesus' ministry about being human?</p><p>How does pornography inhibit human flourishing?</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>How is death a blessing? </p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><span>Should we be worried about artificial intelligence?</span></blockquote><blockquote><p>How has the church failed people with disabilities?</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>What does skateboarding have to do with the church? </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Why does creation still matter? Isn't the whole world gonna burn?</p></blockquote><p>All this and more is included in my course on the image of God.</p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ4pZn1j-lxaZ_uMO1-dSlBMIlAVrqlIKDmOMJadIfBOj5KLNMR4jiii6H6nQITzSIEXxNTh2fHj-2Su4FKFNP5_K0nJswdOEjVSIAQTvDwr7qr5sqcI7DF3H3nWfdRjTVmRFtrQrtwYCrvl-HyppMc39XvF8gW9USuelwKFyZOKEhD-584oq84NpdHlLy" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1076" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ4pZn1j-lxaZ_uMO1-dSlBMIlAVrqlIKDmOMJadIfBOj5KLNMR4jiii6H6nQITzSIEXxNTh2fHj-2Su4FKFNP5_K0nJswdOEjVSIAQTvDwr7qr5sqcI7DF3H3nWfdRjTVmRFtrQrtwYCrvl-HyppMc39XvF8gW9USuelwKFyZOKEhD-584oq84NpdHlLy=w640-h495" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch the trailer for my new course on <i>Being God's Image </i><a href="https://seminarynow.co/being-gods-image" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Seminary Now is a subscription-based platform with streaming content from some of my favorite and most trusted colleagues in the areas of Old Testament, New Testament, Church Ministry, and more. If you sign up, you'll have immediate access to ALL of the courses, including videos by Esau McCaulley, John Walton, Ruth Haley Barton, Sandra Richter, David deSilva, Brenda Salter McNeil, Craig Keener, Richard Middleton, Ruth Padilla DeBorst, Derwin Gray, Lynn Cohick, Tish Harrison Warren, Scot McKnight, and MORE! You'll also have access to my course on <i>Bearing God's Name </i>(2020). <p></p><p>Best of all, if you register at Seminary Now, you can view the first three lessons of my new course FREE!</p><p>If you're a Seminary Now subscriber, comment below with your favorite courses. My favorites are Sandra Richter's <i>Stewards of Eden </i>and Ruth Haley Barton's <i>Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership.</i></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-2594447666402921052023-06-27T14:38:00.000-07:002023-06-27T14:38:24.694-07:00Celebrating 25 Years!<p>Twenty-five years ago today, I was surprised that I didn't float down the aisle. A wedding seemed like it ought to be the dreamiest day, but when the time came, my Dad and I simply put one foot in front of the other as we made our way toward the front of the church, toward the man who would soon become my life partner. Walking felt so ordinary.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF0mvWSRJWHF9GtDlbE6fEUViBPoPa7wgUE18Gs4FJazZPO6R2662WXfyos5a6xlE-ivY9IHGweM_sGcJGi2BGGw9AanmOM-LS2q7527sJ50YdibgOPjihc9lEyKooQks4nL9Es4TDelauKHsYY7SsG2XxCTQVAtK18GT70WafO7VCufx4zQDypGEIbU8/s4032/PXL_20230310_032804106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFF0mvWSRJWHF9GtDlbE6fEUViBPoPa7wgUE18Gs4FJazZPO6R2662WXfyos5a6xlE-ivY9IHGweM_sGcJGi2BGGw9AanmOM-LS2q7527sJ50YdibgOPjihc9lEyKooQks4nL9Es4TDelauKHsYY7SsG2XxCTQVAtK18GT70WafO7VCufx4zQDypGEIbU8/w400-h225/PXL_20230310_032804106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Wedding at Third Christian Reformed Church<br />in Denver, Colorado. June 27, 1998</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Don't get me wrong -- the dress and the music and the flowers and the dear friends and family who had gathered were nothing but ordinary. It was our wedding! But as I look back, that ordinary walk down the aisle toward a life filled with ordinary moments seems fitting.</p><p>In the classic film, <i>Fiddler on the Roof</i>, when Tevye and Golde reached this milestone, Tevye's urgent question to his wife of 25 years was "Do you love me?" After all, their marriage was arranged, so the question of affection had been irrelevant on their wedding day. But now he wonders..."Do you love me?"</p><p>Golde's answer canvases the ordinary days they have shared, wondering whether the question is even relevant:</p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><blockquote><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Cooked your meals, cleaned your house</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Given you children, milked the cow</span><br aria-hidden="true" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;" /><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?</span></span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">For twenty-five years I've lived with him</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Fought him, starved with him</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">Twenty-five years my bed is his</span><br aria-hidden="true" /><span jsname="YS01Ge">If that's not love, what is?</span></span></span></p></blockquote><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But that's the thing about love. It proves itself in ordinary ways. Golde is right -- cooking and cleaning and childbearing and gathering food -- these are the building blocks of a life together. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Love is not just a feeling of affection but a commitment to someone else's flourishing.</span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our marriage has not been ordinary in the sense of typical. We have moved fifteen times, lived in three countries, raised three children, and earned </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">a certificate and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">four degrees between the two of us. Much of the love we've shared has come in the form of packing and unpacking and learning to pay bills in a new city or taxes in a new country. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Our roles may seem unconventional. At the beginning of our marriage I did the laundry, the cooking, the shopping, and most of the childcare. Now our roles are reversed; I vacuum and help with dinner clean up while Daniel manages almost everything else, including most of the taxi-driving for our teenagers.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">But I know this: Our partnership in life and ministry has been such a generous gift from God!</span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do I love him? Absolutely! </span></span></span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does he love me? </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">When I get home from work, I'm greeted by the smell of love: a healthy dinner cooking.</span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dinner may seem ordinary, but it's the stuff of legend and of romance. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Every day that I find clean socks in my drawers and milk in the fridge or flowers on the table, I don't even have to ask.</span></span></span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know.</span></span></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzr78gkhXk2r0Cozvbjhm_Ij__RlQRkVTqgef8PWrX6Az04URkRrT2gbWzTtzR4CfIJkEuN3k4a9qFI8oozgHSxhD9TbDNet9wGbNMkPNz_4lUM79QYByg8Ni86WIHuqVmTF_619xZtY7UwDYAAvd9EF6ffVS0q145P7cNUr6iUJmVWY4Uzv3BaD3wOk_/s3264/PXL_20230610_010516710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPzr78gkhXk2r0Cozvbjhm_Ij__RlQRkVTqgef8PWrX6Az04URkRrT2gbWzTtzR4CfIJkEuN3k4a9qFI8oozgHSxhD9TbDNet9wGbNMkPNz_4lUM79QYByg8Ni86WIHuqVmTF_619xZtY7UwDYAAvd9EF6ffVS0q145P7cNUr6iUJmVWY4Uzv3BaD3wOk_/w400-h225/PXL_20230610_010516710.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">University of British Colombia</td></tr></tbody></table><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ordinary faithfulness is what we signed up for. We celebrated 25 years of ordinary moments with an extra-ordinary cruise to Alaska. The stunning scenery and delicious food and quality service could hardly compare to the joy of experiencing it all together. </span></span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGeNOmAGeNXosKX8w0yTyxjK1E07Ey6peTik00o52HbNzaRpzmLGBTVn8oIGb9ABDZ3S6uk6bqLlloT5m_LbkR63WvWL_bpfuPyjGHRbPHNI34KpEjhC9obM97lakUBGEatO9Tb-DE5pfi2eyPnE9MjvP8fFeNV8CW9Yx2XJ4vDnmE3TDKvzVsVBj2VS9/s4032/PXL_20230614_164346382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGeNOmAGeNXosKX8w0yTyxjK1E07Ey6peTik00o52HbNzaRpzmLGBTVn8oIGb9ABDZ3S6uk6bqLlloT5m_LbkR63WvWL_bpfuPyjGHRbPHNI34KpEjhC9obM97lakUBGEatO9Tb-DE5pfi2eyPnE9MjvP8fFeNV8CW9Yx2XJ4vDnmE3TDKvzVsVBj2VS9/w400-h225/PXL_20230614_164346382.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacier Bay National Park</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So now we go from glaciers and bears and mountain goats and sea otters back to ordinary -- doctor's appointments and bills to pay and emails to answer and dishes to wash.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Happy 25th Anniversary, Honey! I'm so glad to be spending my life with you. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">Here's to 25 more years of ordinary days ... together.</span></p><p><span jsname="YS01Ge" style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-10629501325677047492023-04-01T16:49:00.001-07:002023-04-01T16:50:57.642-07:00New Book Announcement: Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUovjFiXezMn-rdYQnSfSTNuEolYU6GvFZfm_AjhdwfqskIcNm-EOY8RwxkCcSRVS90lOvMFFILv8ki-9pVMDi7gbxkC2SG-XcMSECn0lEa8kCMAvyRHsP1v--Jj-ysujk3X8O5-QnctL13_UFU2dVPr63V0QNcL3j4hUrqGKaTWTqCakUzNoq6nLRQ/s3264/PXL_20230401_004910994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Carmen Imes holding copies of both of her books -- Bearing God's Name and Being God's Image." border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUovjFiXezMn-rdYQnSfSTNuEolYU6GvFZfm_AjhdwfqskIcNm-EOY8RwxkCcSRVS90lOvMFFILv8ki-9pVMDi7gbxkC2SG-XcMSECn0lEa8kCMAvyRHsP1v--Jj-ysujk3X8O5-QnctL13_UFU2dVPr63V0QNcL3j4hUrqGKaTWTqCakUzNoq6nLRQ/w320-h180/PXL_20230401_004910994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters<br />(IVP) official releases on June 6.</td></tr></tbody></table><i>Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters </i>has a prequel! <i>Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters </i>is my attempt to demonstrate what the Bible teaches about being human in God's world. </p><p>Like the first book, this one is accessible and easy to read. It's a work of biblical theology that traces a theme through the entire Bible. Like the first book, this one is neatly divided into 10 chapters of roughly equal length making it ideal for a small group study or classroom use. Like the first book, this one includes discussion questions and QR codes that link to relevant videos from the Bible Project for each chapter. </p><p>Unlike the first book, this one is not based on my dissertation research. Instead, I'm introducing you to the work of other brilliant scholars who have taught me so much.</p><p>Here are some of the key ideas in <i>Being God's Image:</i></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Every human is the image of God.</li><li>Our identity as God's image cannot be lost or destroyed.</li><li>The <i>imago Dei </i>is the basis for human dignity.</li><li>Our status as God's image comes with responsibility to benevolently rule creation.</li><li>This responsibility is shared by both men and women, who are equally God's image.</li><li>Our embodiment is the key marker of our human identity.</li><li>The fact that Christ became an embodied human reaffirms the goodness of creation.</li><li>Christ's bodily resurrection signals that in the new creation, our bodies will still matter.</li><li>We await resurrection, too, and eternal life in the new creation.</li></ul><div>Throughout the book, I consider the implications of these doctrinal claims for a host of issues: creation care, sexuality, pornography, gender roles, race, ability/disability, work, prayer, suffering, healing, human emotion, the quest for meaning, and more. Because these are controversial issues, readers may find themselves disagreeing with my conclusions now and then. This book is not meant to be the final word on anything, but I hope it furthers the conversation on issues that matter if we're serious about living in alignment with Scripture.</div><div><br /></div><div>The book will also be available on June 6 in Kindle format, for Logos Bible software, and as an audiobook, read by yours truly!</div><div><br /></div><div>Until June 5, you can pre-order physical copies directly from InterVarsity Press for 30% off and FREE shipping using the discount code IMES30. The books have already arrived in the warehouse, so you should get yours right away!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnjKYEVM7KuvMKPczVvbYMuBa7-koyh_K90WAE3ztMELM81KeVnTOY6vCY70ZTrYDoRKWRFnpyH--CadmOspk5mXje3AaF2g-pk7ycfS_mOpF_Kc5JPQdAzvWmkI4EDI9nCOg-KJc3bva97L9Bb_eM-ms8gDgW3zmIbMHMp-lV3S7eUBz389LnYzaiQ/s800/Middleton%20-%20BGI%20endorsement.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfnjKYEVM7KuvMKPczVvbYMuBa7-koyh_K90WAE3ztMELM81KeVnTOY6vCY70ZTrYDoRKWRFnpyH--CadmOspk5mXje3AaF2g-pk7ycfS_mOpF_Kc5JPQdAzvWmkI4EDI9nCOg-KJc3bva97L9Bb_eM-ms8gDgW3zmIbMHMp-lV3S7eUBz389LnYzaiQ/w640-h336/Middleton%20-%20BGI%20endorsement.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-53492475196338983862022-12-29T21:22:00.001-08:002023-01-01T10:55:38.801-08:00Best Books of 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMTtkWUCSVDlsE1kVM_7rHHB0ADg0wi4IAcK4p21vXGn0CZXRnC2rqaKk4ApvdXv2bPby1ZxJzGNjjZTFqWVNd3ks15uzArPJVDndfpCg0SbxfQoXHc57R4Grngla8h51iWe-URC4XAscLmXLqiaCw96zY-Ia9slHAxVkfdgXvi6U7kV0iU_RpRKcJw/s647/Top%20Reads%202022.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="647" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMTtkWUCSVDlsE1kVM_7rHHB0ADg0wi4IAcK4p21vXGn0CZXRnC2rqaKk4ApvdXv2bPby1ZxJzGNjjZTFqWVNd3ks15uzArPJVDndfpCg0SbxfQoXHc57R4Grngla8h51iWe-URC4XAscLmXLqiaCw96zY-Ia9slHAxVkfdgXvi6U7kV0iU_RpRKcJw/s320/Top%20Reads%202022.png" width="320" /></a></div>Many books that cross my desk are aimed at students or laypeople, rather than biblical scholars. I read and enjoy many of them in order to be able to recommend them to students and others interested in biblical studies. I leave at least a brief review of all the books I read on GoodReads. Of the 40 books I read this year, I'm limiting my "best books" list to those that were game-changers for me personally. <p></p><p>Each of the following six books is not only beautifully written and impeccably researched, but opened up new vistas in how I think about God, Scripture, and the life of faith. I'm so grateful for the hard work that went into writing each one and to all those who were involved in releasing these to the world.</p><p><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60302001-women-and-the-gender-of-god?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=hV8sr93ZPQ&rank=1" target="_blank"></a></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir8rwbsd2XSBmDasLL3bfJ3FYlWKto6EAIb20xkyESvptSxXoQ916A-9qC-XSWKDKEUiZXvoMYT_Bfpcf7wNx5fOGNIxM0HH2-y0_zbBhnf3myoPLGqX5J04H02mEBVd9Qyqe1_-tESmmIJk6DdO3AZGFbbIc7GhYVOvDfQdThlbcvhymVe2KKpcNWw/s1980/Peeler%20-%20Women%20and%20the%20Gender%20of%20God.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="1320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir8rwbsd2XSBmDasLL3bfJ3FYlWKto6EAIb20xkyESvptSxXoQ916A-9qC-XSWKDKEUiZXvoMYT_Bfpcf7wNx5fOGNIxM0HH2-y0_zbBhnf3myoPLGqX5J04H02mEBVd9Qyqe1_-tESmmIJk6DdO3AZGFbbIc7GhYVOvDfQdThlbcvhymVe2KKpcNWw/s320/Peeler%20-%20Women%20and%20the%20Gender%20of%20God.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60302001-women-and-the-gender-of-god?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=zboSVLF9G6&rank=1" target="_blank">Women and the Gender of God</a></i>, by Amy Beverage Peeler</b><p></p><p><span id="freeTextreview4606981289" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is a daring book. Amy Peeler tackles a controversial issue: the gender of God and its implications for women. For some, to raise these questions at all is objectionable. For others, Peeler's high view of Scripture will suggest that she herself is captive to patriarchy. However, readers who take the time to engage her argument will find that neither critique has merit.<br /><br />Like it or not, many people today reject the Christian faith because of their perception that the Bible portrays God as masculine/male. Is the Bible even good for women? Peeler patiently shows why these questions are worth asking and how the Bible itself offers a robust response that both affirms women and glorifies God, without making God male. Part of her answer is to help Protestants recover the biblical portrait of Mary.<br /><br />Peeler's grasp of the secondary literature is impressive. Her arguments are sophisticated and theologically astute. She is attentive to nuance in Scripture, and her faithful reading yields an illuminating vision of a good God who invites women to be full participants in God's work in the world. I'm so grateful for her work. I expect it will be an essential resource for years to come.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></p><p><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65683229-cursing-with-god?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=lpP3oXuqVr&rank=3#" target="_blank"></a></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pESPFmrTwner1PtJrYGY16Wpb8BiwGQUmNawW8RifLVYiyzF022tuggqg43ULw-atv3zOCCqebweymQ_vu1xZeaUY8Dt5oKmGVNJaHmkgQZUAOYIRwCM-blrWpNnuPW2Qu41foGaiRh-WOuySzvlEJMfcE9ET-zguUY_C6XTAH8lCBAjAjGDXiaQzQ/s475/Laurence%20-%20Cursing%20with%20God.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_pESPFmrTwner1PtJrYGY16Wpb8BiwGQUmNawW8RifLVYiyzF022tuggqg43ULw-atv3zOCCqebweymQ_vu1xZeaUY8Dt5oKmGVNJaHmkgQZUAOYIRwCM-blrWpNnuPW2Qu41foGaiRh-WOuySzvlEJMfcE9ET-zguUY_C6XTAH8lCBAjAjGDXiaQzQ/s320/Laurence%20-%20Cursing%20with%20God.jpg" width="213" /></a></i></b></div><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65683229-cursing-with-god?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vA24m9jCvo&rank=3" target="_blank">Cursing with God: The Imprecatory Psalms and the Ethics of Christian Prayer</a></i>, by Trevor Laurence</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">A remarkable work--lyrically inspiring and imaginatively compelling. For many, it will represent a paradigm shift. Laurence not only rehabilitates the imprecatory psalms for use by the church, but he demonstrates their compatibility with Jesus' call to love our enemies. This is more than a treatise on imprecation; Laurence offers a profound work of biblical theology in service of the church. He draws our attention to imprecation hiding in plain sight in the New Testament, and he charts a path for churches who are ready to recover this neglected aspect of the whole counsel of God. In a world plagued by injustice, this book is a gift we urgently need.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">One of my favorite things about this book is the sample liturgy in the appendix. Although this is the published version of Laurence's dissertation, he offers such practical help for church leaders who want to shepherd their congregations in praying the imprecatory psalms.</span></span></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnYmVNSMpAM3Ii4XXCvhIl9vp0RTIQ_S1Kkzp__qZTjJcF1bi1FngLTXaBJpRMxKj8xXqfx8iMaBCk6Wyag5Aeq21-sk0eD4kiaZM2Ev9CeDdgXb53wKu7X-g5Cl4sifgKL5ttJ2DkpBXkz771TC_pR2rPApFinr2Vi2doNBtYE1Iw4ephfW2U-hr4A/s866/Westfall%20-%20Paul%20and%20Gender.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDnYmVNSMpAM3Ii4XXCvhIl9vp0RTIQ_S1Kkzp__qZTjJcF1bi1FngLTXaBJpRMxKj8xXqfx8iMaBCk6Wyag5Aeq21-sk0eD4kiaZM2Ev9CeDdgXb53wKu7X-g5Cl4sifgKL5ttJ2DkpBXkz771TC_pR2rPApFinr2Vi2doNBtYE1Iw4ephfW2U-hr4A/s320/Westfall%20-%20Paul%20and%20Gender.jpg" width="180" /></a></i></div><i><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28268179-paul-and-gender?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=U16zlPrLAb&rank=1" target="_blank">Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle's Vision for Men and Women in Christ</a></b></i><b>, by Cindy Westfall</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">In the stuffy room marked "Paul's Views on Women," where a weary debate has been at an impasse for centuries, Westfall raises the blinds and throws open the windows, letting in light and fresh air.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">With my three degrees in theology and four-and-a-half decades in the church, I thought I had heard it all. But just ask my husband (at home) if he's ever seen me gasp so many times while reading in bed, and if I've ever interrupted him so many times to read him a sentence or a paragraph.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Westfall's conclusions are carefully researched and well argued. She has a way of turning things inside out to help readers see what was right there in the Bible all along. Her book simultaneously delighted and depressed me. If she's right -- and I think she is -- then some corners of the church have unnecessarily missed out on hearing the Spirit-empowered voices of women for a very long time.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">Church leaders, I beg you to read this book. You can't afford not to.</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEQqNeUg3L9w9he22lX8zTSjFvH8k1zwLWE1RZPB9vPNp3KLEtpubcBBkDCN_dPQ8Y3YeyE2_N0T6BhDLAivpklYf51S6BdQ514tPvKEeaqJoiecTrlM0EyJDvltWFA4Dm3MlktRUFo53L_WIKFAYBa3Rru3dQrRQ8WB6DTK6dYC2Pr6t_ze4uMrGgg/s499/Armas%20-%20Abuelita%20Faith%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEQqNeUg3L9w9he22lX8zTSjFvH8k1zwLWE1RZPB9vPNp3KLEtpubcBBkDCN_dPQ8Y3YeyE2_N0T6BhDLAivpklYf51S6BdQ514tPvKEeaqJoiecTrlM0EyJDvltWFA4Dm3MlktRUFo53L_WIKFAYBa3Rru3dQrRQ8WB6DTK6dYC2Pr6t_ze4uMrGgg/s320/Armas%20-%20Abuelita%20Faith%20(1).jpg" width="208" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55784757-abuelita-faith?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=pNRHZ6ledm&rank=1" target="_blank">Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us about Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength</a></i>, by Kat Armas </b><div><br /></div><div>Magnificent!<br /><br />Kat's exegesis is impeccable and her stories are captivating. She weaves personal and international stories with stories of women in the Bible. The result is a compelling invitation to reconsider what counts as theology and to (re)discover the voices of those hiding in plain sight. An absolute must read. I devoured it in one day!<br /><div><p><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42348954-disability-and-the-way-of-jesus?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UWzW2754H8&rank=1" target="_blank"><br />Disability and the Way of Jesus: Holistic Healing in the Gospels and in the Church</a></i>, by Bethany McKinney Fox</b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fox's book is such a gift to the church. The opening chapter was worth the price of the book! It shifted the way I think about disability. Each chapter addressed Jesus' healing ministry from a different angle--first century context, medical perspective, disabled persons' perspective, and pastors' perspective--followed by chapters on the seven marks of healing in the way of Jesus and the seven ways this can be lived out in the church. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadKu7m7o-dqeTF0adXMd58me7jE4EaQtGTEmKySDMRXc67vKdKYPeASuMbI1TVlfrZTeq1e5znxKVJcLzQXPSQbXZYyrGniXbMhoxtdvR1t3BIs2PcJJlV4YdUOtK4DFBM8km2j7XJg0f7IDIBqrLkzj9tEVp4ntvGKrZ7DUgycJm-l8VYZvAdgoLUg/s2400/Fox%20-%20Disability%20and%20the%20Way%20of%20Jesus.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadKu7m7o-dqeTF0adXMd58me7jE4EaQtGTEmKySDMRXc67vKdKYPeASuMbI1TVlfrZTeq1e5znxKVJcLzQXPSQbXZYyrGniXbMhoxtdvR1t3BIs2PcJJlV4YdUOtK4DFBM8km2j7XJg0f7IDIBqrLkzj9tEVp4ntvGKrZ7DUgycJm-l8VYZvAdgoLUg/s320/Fox%20-%20Disability%20and%20the%20Way%20of%20Jesus.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Although the first six chapters focus primarily on physical disabilities, the final chapter offers many ideas on how to include people with intellectual disabilities in the church. One of Fox's big ideas is that inclusion of people with disabilities is not simply an act of compassion modeled after Jesus, but that people with disabilities have so much to offer the church. She advocates for full inclusion of people with disabilities in the decision-making and ministries of the church and challenges us to re-think our services so that they are less reliant on verbal proclamation and more holistic and multi-sensory. I'm grateful for her careful thinking and clear vision. It's usefulness goes beyond the church -- this book has given me much to think about with regard to college classroom instruction and campus life. It was well worth the read!</span><p></p><p><br /><b><i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52545192-jesus-and-the-forces-of-death?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=2IzQ19zwgM&rank=1" target="_blank"></a></i></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWZjWbY7RnUW4wPJeF7P6ylDnfk2Zhn5mOIHDqGOEkRVxRiDnuLsYhjf4xHgipqnvSK5Hvw6dVTHCXfuQROpOPUCdxugYXzSulvD3qmpVbuCNs08crlMZp556udTwmlggwA_IMfvrH-Femx_pWifVnlVhQqiD_KbAqx2bItYV8bljWUc_pMvHj50_iw/s400/Thiessen%20-%20Jesus%20and%20the%20Forces%20of%20Death.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfWZjWbY7RnUW4wPJeF7P6ylDnfk2Zhn5mOIHDqGOEkRVxRiDnuLsYhjf4xHgipqnvSK5Hvw6dVTHCXfuQROpOPUCdxugYXzSulvD3qmpVbuCNs08crlMZp556udTwmlggwA_IMfvrH-Femx_pWifVnlVhQqiD_KbAqx2bItYV8bljWUc_pMvHj50_iw/s320/Thiessen%20-%20Jesus%20and%20the%20Forces%20of%20Death.jpg" width="214" /></a></i></b></div><b><i>Jesus and the Forces of Death: The Gospels' Portrayal of Ritual Impurity within First-Century Judaism</i>, by Matthew Thiessen</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="freeTextreview4494055084" style="background-color: white; color: #181818;">An excellent reexamination of Jesus' healing narratives, demonstrating that Jesus did not disregard Jewish law. Several of his healings focused on those suffering from ritual impurity caused by <i>lepra</i> (a skin disease sometimes erroneously translated "leprosy"), genital discharges, and death. Rather than set aside the ritual purity system, Jesus removed the sources of ritual impurity, showing that his power was even greater than the temple.<br /><br />Theissen includes a chapter on exorcisms and on Jesus' Sabbath "violations" as well as an appendix on dietary laws. These contribute to the overall picture that Jesus upheld Jewish law.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"> </span></span></p><p>So much of what Thiessen points out is evident to those reading closely, but somehow with all my years reading and studying the Bible I had missed it. An illuminating book!</p><p>----</p><p>What's the best book you read this year? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-5849621253960555712022-12-21T10:16:00.000-08:002022-12-21T10:16:51.317-08:00Are Tattoos OK for Christians? (Part 3)<p>If you're just joining the conversation, you'll want to read the first two posts in the series first (<a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2022/12/are-tattoos-ok-for-christians-part-1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> and <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2022/12/are-tattoos-ok-for-christians-part-2.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a>). In those posts I address the important questions of the role of Old Testament law for Christians and the purpose of the law in Leviticus that prohibits tattoos.</p><p>I've argued that Old Testament law is still relevant for followers of Jesus, but that we need to do the careful work of discerning the purpose of a law in order to see how it can and should inform our lives today. Now we've come to the practical question: so can I get a tattoo?</p><p>That all depends. The next step is to consider what tattoos in general communicate in your context and what the tattoo you want to get communicates. I began this series by talking about how my grandparents frowned on tattoos. Were they wrong? Not necessarily. In their generational and cultural context, a tattoo carried an ethos of rebellion and disrespect. In many cultures or contexts around the world today that may still be the case. Some jobs prohibit them. In some cases, a tattoo will close doors or shut down conversations. In other cases, a tattoo facilitates connections with others.</p><p>The operative question, then, is what will a tattoo communicate to those with whom I come in contact? Will it open up conversations? Or will it shut them down? Will a tattoo get in the way of my obedience to God's calling on my life? Will it interfere with ministry or relationships?</p><p>Tattoos are very common where I live in Southern California. For that matter, they're very common in rural Alberta and in Portland, too. That makes them not particularly edgy or rebellious, even in church or academic settings. At least three of my colleagues down the hall in Biola's Bible department have tattoos. Your setting might be different.</p><p>If you discern that a tattoo is not problematic in your context, then it's time to ask the more specific question: what does this particular tattoo communicate? Obviously you want to choose something that you will not tire of seeing. Tattoos are permanent! But beyond that, the most important question is whether your tattoo will conflict with your Christian testimony. Will it send mixed messages? Will it distract from your identity as a follower of Jesus? If so, then I would advise you not to get it because it falls into the same category as bodily disfigurement in Leviticus 19:28 that I discussed in the previous post.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVCz1MboGJKXCFKRgsqsRSDENyaOFTf8vO4W6UuCVIzTgUOvWifYl42RHpgAqU5n7Yvd8_d3HUwgflPYXKw5rVSPordKNvpQ-ZtE_MQjUcEkO7wXZUu8I6fm3FI0_gamXBdNd4gx4xChm6aNEcPbhIOpf4edUI1vJ7QrvYaRHCrxrqH6lPyIKfac0Kw/s2800/PXL_20221221_160520936.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2800" data-original-width="2044" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVCz1MboGJKXCFKRgsqsRSDENyaOFTf8vO4W6UuCVIzTgUOvWifYl42RHpgAqU5n7Yvd8_d3HUwgflPYXKw5rVSPordKNvpQ-ZtE_MQjUcEkO7wXZUu8I6fm3FI0_gamXBdNd4gx4xChm6aNEcPbhIOpf4edUI1vJ7QrvYaRHCrxrqH6lPyIKfac0Kw/s320/PXL_20221221_160520936.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Tattoo, Hebrew for <br />"Belonging to YHWH"<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I first had the idea of getting a tattoo while I was working on my doctoral dissertation. I was writing about Israel's "invisible tattoo" to which the Name Command pointed: "You shall not bear the name of YHWH your God in vain" (my translation of Exodus 20:7 from Hebrew). My study of this passage convinced me that it does not prohibit <i>speaking</i> the divine name, but rather that it draws on a wider biblical concept of God's claim on the covenant people. YHWH's name was attached to them via the priestly blessing (Num. 6:27). Their behavior ought to reflect the one to whom they belonged. As I explained earlier, the apostles taught that through faith in Jesus the Messiah, believers are grafted in to that same covenant (Rom 9-11; 1 Pet. 2:9-10). Peter speaks of our identity in terms of name-bearing (1 Pet. 4:16). I thought it would be meaningful to make the invisible visible--a permanent reminder of my Christian vocation. Deuteronomy 7:6 reads, <p></p><blockquote><p>For a holy people you are, <u>belonging to YHWH</u> [ליהוה] your God. YHWH your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.</p></blockquote><p>The underlined text here matches what it says on the high priest's forehead medallion. The high priest literally bears God's name as he goes about his priestly duties. His life is dedicated to God's service.</p><p>Later in Scripture, Isaiah speaks of a future day when God would pour out his Spirit with the result that the people of Israel would again be eager to identify as covenant members:</p><blockquote><p>Some will say, 'I <u>belong to the LORD</u>' [ליהוה]; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, '<u>The LORD's</u>' [ליהוה], and will take the name Israel. (Isa. 44:5 NIV)</p></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljAuRDz96j4Idl43ecm3pCu_HoOK9q-lY-g5EjnzdsbVIfLwDEFFz3gJFGMFQXmFjBQAxFmK9c8H4v1jqR7atFMEc23ysfR04RCOBarM72hzTzPEb-xYxT5netWmCSHr0n6AFgIou1cXyZNVOiAewQorLMWXOFZA2G5o9T5GjLKStQ1xOeKj-BEZREw/s1024/IMG-20221216-WA0083.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljAuRDz96j4Idl43ecm3pCu_HoOK9q-lY-g5EjnzdsbVIfLwDEFFz3gJFGMFQXmFjBQAxFmK9c8H4v1jqR7atFMEc23ysfR04RCOBarM72hzTzPEb-xYxT5netWmCSHr0n6AFgIou1cXyZNVOiAewQorLMWXOFZA2G5o9T5GjLKStQ1xOeKj-BEZREw/s320/IMG-20221216-WA0083.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Both of these underlined phrases mirror what is written on the forehead of the high priest. They also bring to mind the righteous in Revelation 7 who are marked with God's "seal." Revelation 14:1 specifies that God's name was written on their foreheads. Seals with writing on them nearly always included the owner's personal name with "L" attached to the front of it indicating that the seal belongs to the person by that name. The most natural way to understand the seal on the foreheads of the righteous in Revelation is to suppose that it says LYHWH [ליהוה]. These people are the counterparts to those designated with the mark of the beast. <p></p><p>Here's how I see it: every human being throughout history bears the name of the one to whom they offer their allegiance. In John's vision in Revelation, the invisible becomes visible. Our allegiances become obvious.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey_S6CZmftDPnwY_krvNJbx2FzutMcYyKyjtvzQC0drwG7lnmlGhC3YI05KzEP_1AHe9xFCEn4pNoAkxYCgwVIaJB5nJu2EdhE_3Sbsv3zZ46xJblND5HgpbnibM20UQvl3-DPyAuyZ2lQ3FPgSV8On45CddN9SdVNkEPZiOVXDIIqBToLSd6gsgDxw/s3264/PXL_20221216_125906158.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="3264" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjey_S6CZmftDPnwY_krvNJbx2FzutMcYyKyjtvzQC0drwG7lnmlGhC3YI05KzEP_1AHe9xFCEn4pNoAkxYCgwVIaJB5nJu2EdhE_3Sbsv3zZ46xJblND5HgpbnibM20UQvl3-DPyAuyZ2lQ3FPgSV8On45CddN9SdVNkEPZiOVXDIIqBToLSd6gsgDxw/s320/PXL_20221216_125906158.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nizar Razzouk, 28th generation tattoo artist<br />at Razzouk Tattoo in Old City Jerusalem<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In the new creation, I'll have a tattoo on my forehead. Until then, I'm declaring my allegiance to YHWH by writing his name on my hand, in the spirit of Isaiah's prophecy. During my recent trip to Israel, I made an appointment at the world's oldest tattoo shop, <a href="https://razzouktattoo.com/" target="_blank">Razzouk Tattoo</a>, where Nizar Razzouk marked me as one "belonging to YHWH." Nizar is the 28th generation in his family to make a living by tattooing Christian pilgrims, which tells me that this is a very old practice indeed. For 700 years, Christians have wanted to permanently mark their allegiance to God in this way.<p></p><p>Believe me when I say that I'm not trying to become "the tattoo lady." I'm still very cautious about permanent body markings. However, I hope that this series has helped to model the kinds of questions we should be asking of the biblical text as well as ourselves. The point is not to "get around" a biblical prohibition, but to understand why it matters to God so that we can respond faithfully. I pray that I have done so, and that these reflections have helped you to think well about how you can do so, too.</p><p>--------</p><p>If this series has piqued your curiosity about the biblical concept of bearing God's name, you can read further in my accessible book, <i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/bearing-god-s-name" target="_blank">Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters</a> </i>(IVP), or in my more technical published dissertation, <i><a href="https://www.eisenbrauns.org/books/titles/978-1-57506-772-8.html" target="_blank">Bearing YHWH's Name at Sinai: A Reexamination of the Name Command of the Decalogue</a> </i>(Eisenbrauns). For a complete list of podcasts where I've talked about these concepts, click <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/p/media-interviews.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-53555297770766627672022-12-20T10:00:00.038-08:002022-12-23T16:23:46.909-08:00Are Tattoos OK for Christians? (Part 2)<p>I knew this would be a controversial topic. Already the debates are breaking out on social media over the <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2022/12/are-tattoos-ok-for-christians-part-1.html?sc=1671496426286#c7462628000265981292" target="_blank">first post</a> in the series, where I consider the Christian's relationship with law in the Hebrew Scriptures. For some, Leviticus 19:28 provides the definitive answer: NO to tattoos. Others' concern with tattoos arise from their desire to avoid worldliness.</p><p>In order for us to do this topic justice, we need to consider the purpose of the law given to ancient Israel. I tell my students every semester that the key to faithful biblical interpretation is to read each passage in its historical, literary, and theological context. Imagine that these are the three legs of a stool. If one is missing, the stool falls over! Paying attention to each of these dimensions can help us discern the purpose of the law without distorting its message.</p><p>I recall a story about a woman baking ham. She had grown up watching her mother slice both ends off the ham before baking it. She wasn't sure why, but she figured "mother knows best," so she continued the practice when she had a home of her own. One day she got curious and asked her mom the purpose of slicing off the ends. Her mom looked surprised: "Our pan wasn't long enough!" Tradition on its own is not a good reason to do things. When we don't understand the purpose, we run the risk of missing the point altogether.</p><p>It's not always possible to know the purpose behind a law in the Bible. But it's worth asking the question. In the case of the tattoo law, we have a clue right in the text itself. </p><blockquote><p>Do not cut your bodies <i>for the dead</i> or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD. (Lev. 19:28 NIV)</p></blockquote><p>Historically speaking, it seems that the Israelites were tempted by surrounding cultures to disfigure themselves either to commemorate or maintain connection with the dead. Roy Gane explains that </p><blockquote><p>"Lacerating oneself in mourning was a heightened expression of sorrow (Jer. 16:6, 41:5). In the Ugaritic Myth of Baal, when the chief god 'Ilu (El) learns that Ba'lu (Baal) is dead, he goes into paroxysms of grief that emphasize the magnitude of the catastrophe" (<i>Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary </i>I:315). El slices his skin with stones and razors, pours dirt and dust on himself, and wears unique clothing. </p></blockquote><p>Were tattoos also associated with these distraught mourning practices? It's possible. </p><p>A similar passage found in Deuteronomy 14:1-2 offers further insight:</p><blockquote><p>You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession. (Deut. 14:1-2 NIV) </p></blockquote><p>Deuteronomy sheds light on the purpose of this law by explaining the motivation for obedience. Somehow, this bodily disfigurement was inconsistent with Israel's identity as the people belonging to God, YHWH's treasured possession. Some scholars think that Moses' farewell sermon in Deuteronomy 12-26 is modeled after the Ten Commandments by expanding on each one in order. If they are right, then the law against bodily disfigurement appears in the section of Deuteronomy that expands upon the Name Command (Exodus 20:7), that is, the command not to <i>bear God's name </i>in vain. Are you starting to see the connection?</p><p>Literarily, the command appears in a chapter that covers every conceivable domain of Israelite life in order to illustrate how holiness might be expressed. The refrain is "Be holy, because I, YHWH your God, am holy." The point is to express the character of God in our interactions with others.</p><p>One thing we <i>do </i>know from the ancient context is that tattoos were <a href="https://www.livescience.com/ancient-egypt-branding-irons-slaves" target="_blank">used to mark slaves</a>, either privately owned or those who served in temples. When we consider the background to the Sinai instructions, the bigger purpose becomes clearer. YHWH had rescued the Israelites from slavery to Pharaoh so that they could serve him instead. In that context, a tattoo would conflict with YHWH's claim on them and their purpose to represent him to the nations.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vzauUXKLIEaRpqoK8b6icuPxkdQkaNHJtxpYAb7a1KsyZgOlXAQA0TSkDfjzaNeaksrGXg555E_iqObbebzm5nfdAfs4HuqDb4HjIkc2Cz4dFcSjvyUBS18-3ZHg7gwC89ATxfCX0Jb56jTAOf4CHF8auTLJnf1_MmHLmiGrUCKcDEhKSfWhXwkxNg/s567/High_Priest_clothing_(25952789678).jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vzauUXKLIEaRpqoK8b6icuPxkdQkaNHJtxpYAb7a1KsyZgOlXAQA0TSkDfjzaNeaksrGXg555E_iqObbebzm5nfdAfs4HuqDb4HjIkc2Cz4dFcSjvyUBS18-3ZHg7gwC89ATxfCX0Jb56jTAOf4CHF8auTLJnf1_MmHLmiGrUCKcDEhKSfWhXwkxNg/s320/High_Priest_clothing_(25952789678).jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Ben P L <br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:High_Priest_clothing_(25952789678).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Theologically, this connects with the wider theme of bearing God's name, which I've written about <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2018/05/shattered-top-ten-myths-about-ten.html" target="_blank">elsewhere</a>. In a nutshell, God's claim on Israel was like an invisible tattoo. He placed his name on them via the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:27) so that they would serve him as a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:4-6). They were not to carry that name in vain by living like pagans (Exodus 20:7). The high priest wore a gold medallion on his forehead that announced he was "holy, belonging to YHWH" (Exodus 28:36) and the seals of the 12 tribes on his chest, which he carried before the Lord (Exodus 28:29). His uniform enabled him to represent every Israelite.<p></p><p>Can you see now why in that context a tattoo might obscure their God-given identity and vocation? To disfigure their bodies for the dead or tattoo themselves to indicate allegiance to another master could compromise their testimony.</p><p>This background sets us up to consider the third relevant question: what does a modern tattoo communicate? We'll tackle that question in Part 3 of this series.</p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-86237098343394541252022-12-19T05:54:00.001-08:002022-12-19T16:37:42.137-08:00Are Tattoos OK for Christians? (Part 1)<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwIkooKdlTzH3nvJJv5ylS5IGI61vsn49DBpyr2TAwwW1YJ1A5ufHg7oOwU31YqXcIN44YWauql3Pt-n4l2rImgwq2w7g-jqGwSO7nc8Pz6W4lEx1bWBuhJyaRio4JEAnTKOQ6b4Bbls3IWC8xuW_c3j_a8kLFb7E1hNvXmr75-uwJQsEmOJuEjOUyg/s634/Razzouk%20Tattoo%20-%20Jerusalem%20Cross%20with%20Dove.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrwIkooKdlTzH3nvJJv5ylS5IGI61vsn49DBpyr2TAwwW1YJ1A5ufHg7oOwU31YqXcIN44YWauql3Pt-n4l2rImgwq2w7g-jqGwSO7nc8Pz6W4lEx1bWBuhJyaRio4JEAnTKOQ6b4Bbls3IWC8xuW_c3j_a8kLFb7E1hNvXmr75-uwJQsEmOJuEjOUyg/s320/Razzouk%20Tattoo%20-%20Jerusalem%20Cross%20with%20Dove.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://razzouktattoo.com/blogs/tattoos?page=1" target="_blank">Jerusalem Cross - Razzouk Tattoo</a><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The world's oldest tattoo shop is situated in the Christian Quarter of the Old City in Jerusalem. That in itself may come as a surprise to those who -- like me -- grew up in Christian communities that frowned on tattoos. It's not your average tattoo parlour. For 28 generations (since 1300AD!), the <a href="https://razzouktattoo.com/" target="_blank">Razzouk</a> family has been tattooing Christian pilgrims, first in Egypt, and now in Israel. The shop is filled with Christian symbols -- the Jerusalem cross, the crucifix, Mary, St. George and the Dragon, the crown of Christ's victory, the dove of the Holy Spirit, and many others. <p></p><p>Growing up, I don't remember seeing tattoos on any of the Christians in my community. My grandparents and parents were so firmly against the idea that the topic never even came up in our home. It was simply obvious that Christians shouldn't get tattoos because it directly contradicted Scripture. The Old Testament book of Leviticus clearly says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." (Lev. 19:28 NIV) For many Christians, that ends the discussion. </p><p>But since childhood I've met many Christian friends with tattoos that did <i>not</i> predate their conversion. Were my grandparents wrong about this? Are tattoos actually ok for Christians? Or are these Christians disobeying Scripture?</p><p>This is a complex question that requires us to carefully think through several related issues.</p><p>To answer that question, we must consider a few things: (1) the role of Old Testament law for followers of Jesus the Messiah, (2) the purpose of this particular law in Leviticus, and (3) what a modern-day tattoo communicates. I'll talk about each of these in a separate blog post.</p><p><b>The Role of Old Testament Law for Christians</b></p><p>Christians take a variety of positions on this issue. On one end of the spectrum are those who say that all the laws have been set aside in Christ. We'll call this view the anti-law group. On the other extreme are those who say that Christians need to obey all of them. We'll call this the pro-law group. Most Christians fall somewhere in the middle, seeing ongoing validity to some laws, but not all of them. Deciding which ones still apply--and how--is the tricky part.</p><p>In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus insists that his purpose was <i>not </i>to do away with the Torah or the Prophets, but to bring them to their fulfillment. He says "until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Torah until everything is accomplished" (v. 18; modified NIV). It's obvious why those in the pro-law group would gravitate toward this passage. In fact, Jesus insists that "anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven!" (v. 19)</p><p>This is one reason I wrote a book with the subtitle <i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/bearing-god-s-name" target="_blank">Why Sinai Still Matters</a>. </i>I don't think that Christians can ignore the commands of the Old Testament. However, it's not as simple as following all of them. Many of the commands can no longer be kept because the temple was destroyed in 70AD. Laws pertaining to ritual purity and the sacrificial system are no longer relevant in the same way they used to be. Not only was the temple destroyed, but Jesus claimed to replace the temple with himself (John 2:19-22; Matthew 12:6). The apostles spoke of believers in Jesus as being built into a new temple (e.g. 1 Peter 2:4-8; 2 Cor. 6:16). That tells me that we no longer need to observe the laws pertaining to temple purity in the same ways that Israel did. However, we can see that Paul still felt they were instructive for believers. He tells the Corinthians that their role as the temple of the Spirit necessitated their separation from worldliness (2 Cor. 6:17). These laws still teach us about holiness and help us understand Jesus' relationship with purity, and they instruct us by analogy to ways of honoring God.</p><p>The purpose of some of the other laws (e.g., kosher diet and circumcision) was to separate between Jews as God's covenant people, and non-Jews. What we eat marks us as a community and either prevents or allows our fellowship with other people. I'm writing this post from the JFK airport in New York, where I've just come from a week in Israel. I saw firsthand how carefully Jewish communities still keep kosher food laws. Jewish passengers on my flight had different meals and scrutinized even the fruit juices to see if they were ok to drink. </p><p>In Acts 15, leaders of the early church met together to determine how to handle Gentiles who wanted to follow Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. They prayerfully decided that Gentiles could follow Jesus <i>as Gentiles. </i>They did not have to first convert to Judaism by undergoing male circumcision and keeping Kosher food laws. The basis for their decision was James' exposition of Amos 9:11-12, which explicitly refers to "all the nations that bear my name." To bear Yahweh's name was to be a covenant member. The idea that Gentiles could be covenant members seemed revolutionary, but it was right there in the Prophets! </p><p>Peter added to James' insight by noting that as he preached to Gentiles, the Spirit came upon them. Since the Spirit is a sign of covenant renewal, Peter's experience testified that God had already chosen Gentiles to belong to him. Early Jewish followers of Jesus needed to adjust their expectations of what constitutes covenant membership. </p><p>First Peter 2:9-10 confirms this idea that Gentile followers of Jesus are covenant members. Peter is writing to a mixed audience of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, but he applies to them the covenant titles conferred at Sinai: royal priesthood, holy nation, treasured possession. </p><p>Acts 15 and 1 Peter 2:9-10 are the reason why I believe that Christians are members of Yahweh's covenant with Israel, and why I conclude that Sinai still matters for us. In Paul's words, we have been grafted into the covenant (Romans 9-11). That means the law is still relevant, even if aspects of it change on the other side of the cross. We cannot easily dismiss the rest of the laws of Leviticus. That brings us to our second question: what was the purpose of the law against tattoos? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR2l8n7vlPgt9saLnvwk7hwKwN0b2tJNkHBuwYMEZv5QzE9fSYCjtvcmng_huIWaDM-c2Wr3mhdg8Ob02UPVdvR2Wa4VeXyamvEoC_t7AkUyQEE22_FDR4N-tvcQJ1Nf3Z18PgPpUsTr_ftdi-ppTvzyP9gGvjjsuM_J0CFrodEzhv4z0AAkWTOBkyA/s400/Averbeck%20-%20OT%20Law%20for%20the%20Life%20of%20the%20Church.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAR2l8n7vlPgt9saLnvwk7hwKwN0b2tJNkHBuwYMEZv5QzE9fSYCjtvcmng_huIWaDM-c2Wr3mhdg8Ob02UPVdvR2Wa4VeXyamvEoC_t7AkUyQEE22_FDR4N-tvcQJ1Nf3Z18PgPpUsTr_ftdi-ppTvzyP9gGvjjsuM_J0CFrodEzhv4z0AAkWTOBkyA/s320/Averbeck%20-%20OT%20Law%20for%20the%20Life%20of%20the%20Church.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>As I've already noted, not all the laws apply today in the same way as in Old Testament times. That doesn't mean that we can go through the Torah with a black Sharpie, crossing out the laws that no longer apply. Every law remains useful for "teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness," as Paul tells Timothy (2 Tim 3:16). For an extended discussion of the ongoing relevance of the law with examples, see Richard Averbeck's new book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Old-Testament-Law-Life-Church/dp/0830841008/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=averbeck+old+testament+law&qid=1671453573&sprefix=averbeck%2Caps%2C73&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Old Testament Law for the Life of the Church</a>. </i>Averbeck has spent a lifetime studying and teaching Old Testament law from a Christian perspective and his approach to the subject is very helpful.<p></p><p>I'll address the answer to the question of the purpose of this particular law in Part 2 of this series. </p><p><br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-35135902730878519092022-10-26T08:57:00.002-07:002022-10-26T17:54:13.107-07:00Rethinking Disability in the Church<p>It was 1991 or thereabouts. My Dad's cousin had come for a visit, and we had the glorious opportunity of bringing Jane to church with us. We had recently made a major church transition -- from Christian Reformed to (wildly) charismatic. Our new church had lively worship, dancing in the aisles, prophetic words, and (cue dramatic music) healing prayer. The latter was of particular interest to us because Jane had been in a car accident as a teenager and become a quadriplegic. </p><p>Everyone loved Jane. She was the glue that held the extended family together. Her penmanship was stellar, even without the use of her hands. She carefully held her pens in her mouth to write letters that were pages long. She drew incredible art with her mouth -- beautiful enough to print and sell as greeting cards. Jane was keeper of memories, planner of reunions, and our family's favorite destination in Southern California (ok, Disney was fun, too, and if Aunt Jane came along, you could get to the front of every line!). </p><p>Traveling with a wheelchair was not easy, so her visit to Colorado to see our family was highly anticipated. Her parents drove out with their wheelchair-accessible van for a visit. My grandfather built a ramp so that she could easily access the house. Jane's parents and my grandparents were not interested in visiting our church. (They were convinced we had fallen off the deep end!) But my Dad was allowed to borrow the van to bring Jane with us to church.</p><p>Although it was 30 years ago, I can still vividly remember our drive to church. My anticipation soared. I had seen a person in a wheelchair go forward for prayer, and I had watched them get up and walk. I was utterly convinced that Jane would leave church walking on her own two feet. All the way to church my brother and I gushed about what the Holy Spirit would do. We couldn't wait to witness a miracle!</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicJnBwZzMX9a12EYHcyLch8wmdswYesTTXpUCWLAt-WcefI2B4JJGo1EGSAPXXmV-nFNbTdHFwatrNRK6kh1lqZ1iiIxwFxFYc3dwGoq5og_RWB1aHFRDfnWWCZk8rwp6Mll6bRlYFrjPKvjtn15_7EKS2utjoxW0pG7AruOEvNgvnyXec5YtkGAQ1gQ=s4228" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3171" data-original-width="4228" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicJnBwZzMX9a12EYHcyLch8wmdswYesTTXpUCWLAt-WcefI2B4JJGo1EGSAPXXmV-nFNbTdHFwatrNRK6kh1lqZ1iiIxwFxFYc3dwGoq5og_RWB1aHFRDfnWWCZk8rwp6Mll6bRlYFrjPKvjtn15_7EKS2utjoxW0pG7AruOEvNgvnyXec5YtkGAQ1gQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@hansmoerman?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Hans Moerman</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/wheelchair?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I was only 14 or so at the time. Chalk it up to immaturity, but I never once considered how our effusive faith might have felt to Jane. It never occurred to me that our excitement might have been painful or awkward to her. We never asked whether she <i>wanted</i> healing prayer. We just assumed. I never wondered what would happen to her faith or to ours if she <i>didn't </i>walk out of that service on her own two feet.<p></p><p>I don't clearly remember the service or the drive home, but we were sober. Quiet. Disappointed. I wonder how Jane felt. A few days later we went on an outing to a park. A group of Christians approached and surrounded her wheelchair and asked if they could pray for healing. That was the first time I realized how awkward it must be to have so much attention from well-meaning people--even strangers--who wanted to "fix" her broken body.</p><p>During those years in a charismatic context, I mainly thought about disability as a physical problem that needed medical or miraculous healing. While I still believe that Jesus can and does heal, I 've begun thinking differently about disability. Perhaps the places where healing is most urgently needed are our attitudes and our communities.</p><p>Twenty years after that "unsuccessful" healing service, I was in seminary. Gordon-Conwell offered seminars each semester on special topics. One was on disability in the church. Our focus was on accessibility and inclusion. One assignment was to interview someone with a disability to find out what barriers prevented their full participation in the life of the church. It was eye-opening to think for the first time about how much body strain a wheelchair user may experience when their wheelchair is parked on a slope or when conversation partners are standing. I learned that churches rarely have accessible platforms and that sometimes the fellowship hall or classrooms are impossible to reach. I learned that I should always ask first before pushing someone's wheelchair.</p><p>When someone using a wheelchair or walker enters our community, if we're paying attention, we quickly discover ways we have failed to make our institutions accessible to all. Thankfully, building codes ensure accessibility for new construction projects, but churches and schools often have older buildings. We were so blessed to have a student in a wheelchair a few years ago at Prairie College. She had a can-do attitude about participating in the community, so I didn't hear her complain that the only bathroom she could access was on a different floor of the dorm than her bedroom, or that a couple of guys had to carry her upstairs in her wheelchair to reach the campus social events, or that the wheelchair ramps weren't always shoveled after snowstorms. Most classrooms could not be reached by elevator, so the registrar had to schedule hers in the the rooms she could access. Her presence gave us eyes to see where we needed to prioritize renovations. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJPGfMUPYZI06LK-TOH_XgoTjJmHAS8XLIXXgxashuQ8MFRQ0MjY5VVKrxyC-CEtkyiSOAPNuSjYxYangol2d1bWOj3vMFobCVd38FXxCsoJVijBFik65MCZ4R11k-Q8RlWz6xW9LFzpU_aQSZFmbBqdUQ7OluH1Zghvrpg7FS5SqKW3h30fUcy1zvnQ=s2400" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJPGfMUPYZI06LK-TOH_XgoTjJmHAS8XLIXXgxashuQ8MFRQ0MjY5VVKrxyC-CEtkyiSOAPNuSjYxYangol2d1bWOj3vMFobCVd38FXxCsoJVijBFik65MCZ4R11k-Q8RlWz6xW9LFzpU_aQSZFmbBqdUQ7OluH1Zghvrpg7FS5SqKW3h30fUcy1zvnQ=s320" width="213" /></a></div>Bethany McKinney Fox does not consider herself disabled, but she has offered a similar gift to the church by opening our eyes to the ways we cause unintentional hurt or fail to remove barriers to inclusion. Her book, <i>Disability and the Way of Jesus: Holistic Healing in the Gospels and the Church </i>investigates Jesus' healing stories from the perspective of disability. By sharing her experiences as a friend of those with disabilities, Fox has helped me to see areas where I need to grow. <p></p><p>For one, I had never considered how the healing stories in the Gospels might be painful or awkward for people with disabilities. Even more, the way we teach these stories can cause harm. Fox walks readers through biblical stories from various points of view -- medical practitioners, people with disabilities, pastors and church leaders -- showing how what we see depends on who we are. She demonstrates how Jesus' healing ministry involves far more than bodily restoration. Jesus's healing addresses the whole person and their community. It says as much or more about who he is than about the disabled person.</p><p>Her last chapter casts a vision for church communities that include a wide range of people from able to disabled, participating fully. She challenges churches to think not only about providing <i>access </i>but also reshaping corporate worship to better meet the needs of the entire congregation. In a recent article for <i><a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/may-web-only/church-accessibility-disability-adapt-after-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">Christianity Today</a> </i>magazine, Fox and Rosalba Rios consider how the pandemic has expanded our vision of what is possible. They suggest, "Now that we are in an extended season of adaptation, churches that have been less flexible or unwilling to change their structures may be called to a new sense of imagination."</p><p>Improving accessibility for people with obvious disabilities yields benefits for so many others whose disabilities are less obvious. This is true in schools as well as the church. For example, at Biola University, when we post a scanned book chapter for students, it must be an accessible pdf (one page at a time, rather than a 2-page spread, with extra space trimmed away and optical character recognition so that e-readers can successfully read them). This obviously benefits blind students, but it also benefits the significant percentage of students we serve with dyslexia, whose reading comprehension is much higher when they can hear the text. </p><p>Fox's congregation includes people with physical and intellectual disabilities on staff. They've reshaped their services around shared meals and community. Multisensory experiences and interpersonal interaction are essential to effective teaching in her context. Fox's vision presents new possibilities for the full participation of all its members. The result is messy, but beautiful.</p><p>Fox describes able-bodied people as "temporarily abled." We're all dependent as babies, and we'll be dependent again at the end of life. Any of us could be just moments away from some debilitating injury or disease. Rather than thinking of the able-bodied as normative, we could think along a spectrum of abilities. Many people who appear able-bodied carry hidden disabilities such as chronic pain, learning disabilities, or social anxiety.</p><p>Some people with disabilities long for healing. Others embrace their embodied limitations as part of their identity -- whether blind or Downs syndrome or wheelchair bound. Yes, Jesus could heal their bodies, but he hasn't chosen to do so. Perhaps Jesus' greater hope is to heal the community from our inattention to the ways we have made it difficult for others to fully participate. One treasure in Fox's book is the stories she includes, told in first-person by disabled friends about their experiences in the church. This is one reason I've shared Jane's story.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jGCODqXCYYmwwKKw4vEKdbyIveHn36EPfHV1QfYxusTiRdj_-CnlVhR9jFNlNbe4F8X-NDY1srLvBhmjEmTatKQuzVHUpRP7e4Y_SwoTFwv8bK-6gxqgMUCpEqlWb-VCBreApAJb5KeFI21CK5VUiaSfD-U3W4A7QsSMiIXwMebseI8qHJinjXP97g/s550/Cover%20-%20BGI%20-%20with%20Middleton.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jGCODqXCYYmwwKKw4vEKdbyIveHn36EPfHV1QfYxusTiRdj_-CnlVhR9jFNlNbe4F8X-NDY1srLvBhmjEmTatKQuzVHUpRP7e4Y_SwoTFwv8bK-6gxqgMUCpEqlWb-VCBreApAJb5KeFI21CK5VUiaSfD-U3W4A7QsSMiIXwMebseI8qHJinjXP97g/w259-h400/Cover%20-%20BGI%20-%20with%20Middleton.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Being God's Image: </i><br /><i>Why Creation Still Matters</i><br />Coming May 2023 from IVP</td></tr></tbody></table>In 2018, <a href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/ivdailybulletin/name/jane-brinkman-obituary?id=10051218" target="_blank">Jane</a> went home to be with Jesus after 45 years after her accident. At the time she was the longest surviving quadriplegic in California history. Maybe that was the miracle? She, her parents, and her other caregivers figured out the right routines to keep her hydrated and nourished and to ensure that she didn't get bed sores. The community of care gathered around her was rich in love. She often told us that she didn't feel like she belonged in her broken body, like she was trapped. Maybe today she's walking streets of gold. But maybe, just maybe, Jesus is pushing Jane's wheelchair and feeding her manna and Jane finally feels fully at home in her own skin. I don't know exactly how these things work in the new creation, but I'm open to a wider range of possibilities than before.<p></p><p>I explore this and many other aspects of what it means to be human in my forthcoming book, <i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/being-god-s-image" target="_blank">Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters</a> </i>(IVP, May 2023). I learned so much while researching and writing this book. I hope it helps others the way it helped me!<br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-18145759615283936032022-09-04T18:51:00.000-07:002022-09-04T18:51:03.111-07:00Review of Cynthia Long Westfall, 'Paul and Gender'<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUC0mlv3ZekgdSG9Q7fR5k_8sTO1Tn4579Qc236jqqas8XLnmu4_6V-cI-wABVY2hRHLxyX1CgRnlPznjRJsXOHTqPmWQIL7GGQ6ZC8fKg0Yn04Y7nm2O5KEdS6t3kUQxO_kDITzuYaXOb_2Oa1AOhvHRP4I6d85IRwIC-ZixhPTPL2OfSzKmc-q6UQ/s866/Westfall%20-%20Paul%20and%20Gender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Photo of Cynthia Long Westfall's book, Paul and Gender" border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="487" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUC0mlv3ZekgdSG9Q7fR5k_8sTO1Tn4579Qc236jqqas8XLnmu4_6V-cI-wABVY2hRHLxyX1CgRnlPznjRJsXOHTqPmWQIL7GGQ6ZC8fKg0Yn04Y7nm2O5KEdS6t3kUQxO_kDITzuYaXOb_2Oa1AOhvHRP4I6d85IRwIC-ZixhPTPL2OfSzKmc-q6UQ/w180-h320/Westfall%20-%20Paul%20and%20Gender.jpg" title="Photo: C Imes" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: C Imes</td></tr></tbody></table>Cynthia Long Westfall's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Gender-Reclaiming-Apostles-Vision/dp/0801097940/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=paul+and+gender+cynthia+westfall&qid=1662340336&sprefix=Paul+and+gender%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Paul and Gender: Reclaiming the Apostle's Vision for Men and Women in Christ</a> </i>is a tour de force. </p><p>It's not a new book (c. 2016), but I finally took the time to read it, and I'm so glad I did.</p><p><a href="https://mcmasterdivinity.ca/faculty-and-administration/cynthia-long-westfall/" target="_blank">Dr. Westfall</a> is a graduate of Biola (where I teach), and currently serves as Associate Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.</p><p>In the stuffy room marked "Paul's Views on Women," where a weary debate has been at an impasse for centuries, Westfall raises the blinds and throws open the windows, letting in light and fresh air. With my three degrees in theology and four-and-a-half decades in the church, I thought I had heard it all. But just ask my husband (at home) if he's ever seen me gasp so many times while reading, and if I've ever interrupted him so many times to read him a sentence or a paragraph.</p><p>Here are a few nuggets:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Pauline theology of ministry was based on metaphors of slavery and service so that any believer (gentile, slave, or female) could assume any function in the house church without violating the hierarchy of the Greco-Roman culture" (6; cf. 266). Later she explains that words like "pastor" and "deacon" were not technical terms until long after the New Testament. We associate them with prestige and authority, but they would not have had that connotation to Paul's recipients.</li><li>Westfall problematizes the simplistic views of Greco-Roman authority, showing the many men were under women's authority (as children, slaves, or clients to wealthy women) and that most women had some measure of authority in the domestic sphere (e.g., pages 23, 267).</li><li>She notes in that context a woman's "unveiled head signified sexual availability, so that a woman slave or a freedwoman was prohibited from veiling" (29). Therefore, "Paul's support of <i>all </i>women veiling equalized the social relationships in the community . . . [and] he secured respect, honor, and sexual purity for women in the church who were denied that status in the culture" (33-34).</li><li>Paul regularly used male metaphors for all believers and female metaphors for those in church leadership. "Paul's use of maternal imagery for pastoral care illustrates a compatibility of pastoral care with feminine commitment and the female role of nurture" (53).</li><li>Westfall argues cogently that "head" in Paul is a metaphor that relates to <i>source </i>rather than to <i>authority. </i>While she is not the first to contend for this reading, I found her explanation particularly insightful.<i> </i>"Christ is the source of man's life because he is the creator who formed man in Genesis 2:4-9. Man is the source of woman's life because she was created out of man in Genesis 2:18-23" (86).</li><li>She demonstrates from Paul's own letters that Paul does not believe women are more prone to deception than men. "Women as well as men in the Christian community are in danger of deception, but the same remedies are available: biblical correction and teaching" (116).</li><li>Westfall explains the historical background that likely prompted Paul's strange statement about women being "saved through childbearing" (1 Tim 2:15). "Artemis was the patron goddess of the city of Ephesus, and she was literally the savior to whom the women went for safety and protection in childbirth" (136). It is very likely that in 1 Timothy 2, Paul is addressing false teaching in Ephesus and urging women to trust God to watch over them during their vulnerable experience of childbirth.</li><li>On eschatology, she writes, "According to Paul, there is no differentiation in humanity's destiny on the basis of gender, race, or status. Women, as well as gentiles and slaves, have a shared destiny of authority and rule... Women cannot have a final destiny that was not their intended purpose of function at creation. Rather, it is a transcendent norm for men and women to share dominion" (147).</li><li>Paul is counter-cultural. "Christianity undercut essential patriarchal rights by requiring men to be faithful in the same way that the culture had required women to be faithful" (203).</li><li>She explains that in Greek, "Masculine is the default gender, and it cannot be assumed that women are excluded as referents form masculine nouns, pronouns, and so forth, particularly in catchphrases, unless they are excluded by the context" (270).</li><li>Westfall notes that Paul's letter to Timothy was personal, addressing specific problems in the congregation in Ephesus. "A document like Paul's Epistle to the Romans would have been a more logical place to make a clear prohibition on women teaching and in ministry" (297).</li></ul><p></p><p>I cannot do justice to this rigorous book with a list of bullet points, but I wanted to give you a taste of the sorts of claims she is making. Westfall's conclusions are carefully researched and well argued. She has a way of turning things inside out to help readers see what has been hiding in plain sight. Her book simultaneously delighted and depressed me. If she's right -- and I think she is -- then this book offers good news for women who have long felt called to ministry in the church. But at the same time, <i>Paul and Gender </i>saddens me. I feel the weight of the fact that some corners of the church have unnecessarily missed out on hearing the Spirit-empowered voices of women for a very long time.</p><p>Church leaders, I beg you to read this book. You can't afford not to.</p><div><br /></div>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-17727913237548937172022-07-29T20:06:00.001-07:002022-07-29T20:13:47.325-07:00Finding Home: Retrospect and Prospect<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi990yl3t-rk5XPcrz019uxQEXOqgrI7CNrugF35TczNuoMbUAq867jRSX06kg5ZDwyOQsWHO2dKVxzNaJvR7v96dfvM4-goON-flqag05U9qHhS4AS-2t1CEN2X-yYjQW971F6FZNF8-Qk1kmViIvAqdaKlgJKCL6K7JmQYRkSs79COeaHR_PfD5r_0g/s4032/PXL_20220722_231800452.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi990yl3t-rk5XPcrz019uxQEXOqgrI7CNrugF35TczNuoMbUAq867jRSX06kg5ZDwyOQsWHO2dKVxzNaJvR7v96dfvM4-goON-flqag05U9qHhS4AS-2t1CEN2X-yYjQW971F6FZNF8-Qk1kmViIvAqdaKlgJKCL6K7JmQYRkSs79COeaHR_PfD5r_0g/w400-h225/PXL_20220722_231800452.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>From my plane window the trees crowded in on each other like
memories in old haunts. This would be the first time in almost a decade that I
would drive these North Carolina streets and breathe this muggy air. Much has changed. I have changed.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every place we love, and even those we don’t, holds memories
like bubbles trapped in sea grass. Some rise to the surface and disappear
forever, while others wait. We move on, but the memories stay, holding space
for our past should we ever return. Remembrances throng around me here, reawakened.
They ambush me with longing. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Street names, restaurants and stores, park swings and trees—taller now—mysteriously open to worlds I had forgotten. They say the stronger
the emotion, the stronger the memory. Is that why my throat is choked and tears
pool unbidden? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Those were happy years, full of diapers and fingernail
clippings, homemade cookies and celery sticks, neighborhood games of kickball,
school buses and permission slips and piles of picture books. My tears are not
regret, but knowing. I couldn’t see ahead then, though sometimes I wanted just a
glimpse. Now I have more than a glimpse, and the truth is much better and much
harder than I knew. This tightness in my chest is compassion for my younger
self, who will have hard roads to walk and who is worried unnecessarily about
things that will turn out just fine.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">With children the minutes seem like hours and the years fly
by. I can still hear the lilt of my toddler’s voice asking to “go wee” on the
neighbor’s backyard swing; now his eyes are nearly level with mine. He and the
trees never stopped growing. That early entrance to kindergarten we fought for
makes this the last year of high school for his older sister. How time flies! And as for the
oldest? I can hear her planning her next elaborate birthday. Ten feels so
recent, though twenty has passed. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In these day-long years some dreams have turned sour while others
are much sweeter than I dared hope. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Every parent you know carries heartaches hidden from public
view, the hardness that won’t receive love, the seeds planted that never
bloomed, and the weeds that choked them. It goes both ways, I’m sure, for I am
a daughter, too. I’ve reaped the bitter fruit of trees I did not plant and felt
the frustration of generational differences.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What would I tell that younger me—that young mother in
Charlotte with her future ahead of her?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><i>I’d tell her doors will open. Just learn what you need to
while you can. Be faithful with little.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>I’d tell her she chose well. Attempting seminary while
bearing children was a risk, but it was worth every naptime spent researching
and every weekend spent reading. All those seeds sown would bear abundant fruit.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>I’d tell her she’s not in charge of her children and their
choices and that she can’t spare them heartache. Her job is simply to love
well.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>I’d tell her most of all that Jesus is everything and that
God will be faithful. I’d say the path watered with tears leads to sweetness
and light. Why should we fear the sorrow when it wraps so many precious gifts?</i></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As my plane lifted off a week later the chapter closed again, but this time
gilded with recollections, like aged wine. We flew westward three time zones, over mountains and plains, deserts and canyons, toward the new place I call home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb70_vf_fg9RXcH2nAX9WFKOiGrGlW-vWrVnWlQ6x37xC-X708x7oAto6Rtxe_UvyEoonEcwnSfokvNRjxqgLuhtsv0bP3rlQ98WyUQ_EggIGrVRHvpUhJ68oRvsMYtO8IXfeC_8x27AiLQPIujHWiye1eoRCjicHHoeuFqeXJ-6X-QZwdqu7IxKpaXQ/s4032/PXL_20220729_002315420.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb70_vf_fg9RXcH2nAX9WFKOiGrGlW-vWrVnWlQ6x37xC-X708x7oAto6Rtxe_UvyEoonEcwnSfokvNRjxqgLuhtsv0bP3rlQ98WyUQ_EggIGrVRHvpUhJ68oRvsMYtO8IXfeC_8x27AiLQPIujHWiye1eoRCjicHHoeuFqeXJ-6X-QZwdqu7IxKpaXQ/w400-h225/PXL_20220729_002315420.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>On our descent I gazed over smoggy Los Angeles, crammed with
houses and businesses, but empty of trees and, more poignantly, empty of
memories. Like a book with blank pages, those streets meant nothing to me. I
could not feel their pulse. They held nothing of my heart.<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Not yet, anyway.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It won’t always be like this. In ten or twenty years the
descent into LAX will grip my chest and catch in my throat. Faces and
stories will crowd the smoggy air with meaning. I trust it will be so.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Right now it doesn’t happen—that homey feeling—until I’m a
mile from home. My world is small here, traversed on sandaled foot—home to work
and back, home to church and back, home to park and back. The memories here are
thin, like a winter sunset lacking warmth. It feels right to be here, but the
stories are too young to cherish, too new to offer substance. If we left now
we'd soon forget.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">What would future me want me to know today?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><i>I think she’d tell me to cling to Jesus, who’s been with me
in every zip code I’ve called mine. He’s the constant and the depth I’m longing
for.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>She’d say to treasure old friendships and make time to
nurture new ones, so the years ahead will hold twice the celebration and half the despair.<o:p></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>And I expect she’d say to savor this beautiful life. After
all, the story is only partly written. The sorrows will give way to joy in the
end (perhaps sooner?). When some is lost, not all is lost, and
what seems the worst is probably not.</i></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I already know well that what seems permanent may not be, and what feels tenuous may prove to endure. So as the strong California sun drops behind palm trees in
the evening sky, I am thankful. However fragile it is, I am home.<o:p></o:p></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-20221723481634604902022-03-31T16:03:00.002-07:002022-03-31T16:05:40.076-07:00Who's Telling the Old, Old Story?: Women in the Story of Redemption<p>Our sense of the biblical story is shaped by who has told us the story. Our narrators have lingered over particular details. They've skipped over others. We see what they tell us to see. As a consequence, sometimes the truth is right under our noses, but we've missed it entirely.</p><p>I know this because my students tell me so. Last night at an event on campus, a few of my students told me what a huge difference it makes to have a Bible class with a woman. They are hearing different things. The text is framed in fresh ways. </p><p>It's the same text, of course. The truth is still the truth. I bring nothing new to the Bible except a new set of questions to investigate what has always been there. The text yields different answers when we ask different questions. </p><p><i>Is the Bible good for women? Whose has power in this story? Who is doing the telling? Where are the women?</i></p><p>I have not always asked these questions. I was already in my 40s the first time someone asked me to read the Bible as a woman. I'm not new to biblical studies. I attended a private, Christian school with regular Bible classes from Kindergarten through high school graduation. Then I headed to Bible college for four years of robust training in engaging the biblical text, followed by five years (part-time) in seminary and five more years (full-time) in graduate school, where I earned a PhD in Biblical Theology with a concentration in Old Testament. I had a grand total of one female instructor for a Bible class, a grad student who worked under the male professor of record (both of whom were wonderful). I was blessed to have two female Bible scholars on my dissertation committee, but I never had a class with either of them. I have never studied theology with a woman professor. Only once in all these years of school (that I can recall) did a Bible or theology professor ask me to read a book written by a woman. </p><p>Then suddenly at 43 years of age in the space of a few weeks <i>not one but two </i>Christian publishers asked me to contribute textual notes for women's study Bibles. I have never read a woman's study Bible. I wondered whether women even need their own Bibles. But as I prayerfully considered these opportunities, I felt the Spirit of God nudge me to say "yes" to both projects. I'm so very glad I did.</p><p>Both projects -- one for Tyndale House and one for Lifeway -- envisioned a Bible that would meet women where they are, addressing their questions and concerns and helping them encounter God in a fresh way. It was a powerful experience for me to return to the pages of Scripture with this goal in mind. <i>What will women wonder when they read this text? What will bother them? What will encourage them? How do women contribute to the storyline of the Bible? How does this text call women in particular to respond faithfully?</i></p><p>I have always held a high view of Scripture. I believe it is the word of God for the people of God. I believe it is inspired and authoritative. I believe the Spirit of God works through Scripture as we read and helps us to respond to it. I even believe that the meaning of the Bible is tethered to the author's intent. However, as I read Genesis and Exodus with these new questions in mind, I noticed things I had never seen before. I encountered God in powerful ways. I wrestled more deeply, and as a result I came away with a deep conviction that the Bible <i>is </i>good for women. When we only ever hear the Bible taught by men, whose questions and contexts are in some ways different than those of women, we risk not seeing the whole picture.</p><p>Intentionally reading the Bible <i>as a woman</i> and <i>for women </i>felt like finally slipping into an outfit that fit after a lifetime of hand-me-downs that were too tight in some places and baggy in others and which didn't <i>quite</i> match the rest of my outfit. I began to wonder if I needed to write a whole book about the experience. After all, since most pastors are men and most sermons are by men and most Bible teachers are men, a lot of other women (and men!!) might be missing out on these insights, too. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc9rt9QgzMlILOrVKzaX87cX2kUEAAwW1dbqQUy4b_20wzIPhvTLP1hhAKuqDcXWSQ5SNAVlt-HvC3IEUfUSm4-Ei6mow3AZCbT3UMH7BPSkiZ3vrrZe_p8_MESh4id3iaRXqM10qIQl3Q9tDIrA_3YV5TtjjSuniCvXCnqecVh6CvqCMFEuXB27LSg/s499/Armas%20-%20Abuelita%20Faith%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc9rt9QgzMlILOrVKzaX87cX2kUEAAwW1dbqQUy4b_20wzIPhvTLP1hhAKuqDcXWSQ5SNAVlt-HvC3IEUfUSm4-Ei6mow3AZCbT3UMH7BPSkiZ3vrrZe_p8_MESh4id3iaRXqM10qIQl3Q9tDIrA_3YV5TtjjSuniCvXCnqecVh6CvqCMFEuXB27LSg/s320/Armas%20-%20Abuelita%20Faith%20(1).jpg" width="208" /></a></div>About that time, I sat down to read Kat Armas' book <i><a href="https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/260863" target="_blank">Abuelita Faith: What Women on the Margins Teach Us About Wisdom, Persistence, and Strength</a></i>. I read it because not only do we have a lot to learn from women, we have a lot to learn from the global church. <p></p><p>As <a href="https://katarmas.com/book" target="_blank">her website</a> explains, </p><p></p><blockquote>"<span face="adobe-jenson-pro-display" style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.31px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kat Armas, a second-generation Cuban American, grew up on the outskirts of Miami's famed Little Havana neighborhood. Her earliest theological formation came from her grandmother, her abuelita, who fled Cuba during the height of political unrest and raised three children alone after her husband passed away. Combining personal storytelling with biblical reflection, Armas shows us how voices on the margins--those often dismissed, isolated, and oppressed because of their race, gender, socioeconomic status, or lack of education--have more to teach us about following God than we realize."</span></blockquote><span face="adobe-jenson-pro-display" style="background-color: white; color: #424242; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.31px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p></p><p>Writing as a Cuban-American woman prompts Kat to ask a different set of questions of the biblical text. She invites us to listen in and pay attention to a broader range of voices and experiences in the biblical text. Her book is magnificent. I closed it and said, "I don't need to write the book. Kat has already done it!"</p><p>Armas amasses mountains of evidence that God calls and equips women. God honors women. God commissions women to participate in kingdom work. For Armas, the biblical narrative disrupts the status quo and points to women on the margins as a source of wisdom, persistence, and strength. Not only does Kat write beautifully, she exegetes Scripture faithfully and calls the church boldly to turn our gaze outward and learn from new voices. I'm so grateful for her work and I'm excited to share it with my students. </p><p>The Bible <i>is </i>good for women. I'm finally learning to articulate how and why.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-AHbc8JeMllDPHfHVjNdCjJCyB516UP5BigUHS8N3B4g0KdNS20gvIutsbDz75ITsk-DzlH3ehMfX6jOO_E04RBAtjD7ASn-VeHHVfjvjY_m-cvvNa8iyc6V05TDm-DjD7e2L8_xQlkLrIly5yIZpSUnuLETHXhIhb2Fscg-Do4DaBIHP3uYnxK8hA/s2871/Rubio%20-%20Mary%20Comforts%20Eve.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2871" data-original-width="2216" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-AHbc8JeMllDPHfHVjNdCjJCyB516UP5BigUHS8N3B4g0KdNS20gvIutsbDz75ITsk-DzlH3ehMfX6jOO_E04RBAtjD7ASn-VeHHVfjvjY_m-cvvNa8iyc6V05TDm-DjD7e2L8_xQlkLrIly5yIZpSUnuLETHXhIhb2Fscg-Do4DaBIHP3uYnxK8hA/s320/Rubio%20-%20Mary%20Comforts%20Eve.jpg" width="247" /></a> </td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Comforts Eve, <br />by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elorantadesign/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Rubio</a> (prints available <br />by contacting the artist directly)</td></tr></tbody></table>I'll leave you with an image painted by one of my Latina colleagues. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/elorantadesign/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Rubio</a> reinvisioned the famous painting by Sister Grace Remington. She was selling prints at the event yesterday evening on campus, an event to celebrate Women's History Month. How appropriate!<p></p><p>Women are an integral part of the story of redemption. Eve's partnership with Adam in tending the garden of Eden illustrates one of the roles to which women are called. Eve's subsequent rebellion, for which she was personally held accountable, affirms the agency of women and underscores that our choices matter. Mary's willing submission to God's work suggests that women have not been written out of the story. God chose a woman to birth and nurture the Savior. From the cradle to the cross and from the ascension to the pouring out of the Spirit, Mary stands as a model for all believers, inviting us as participants in the kingdom of God.* </p><p>Gender isn't everything, but it's something. We can rush past these women and many more, but if we do, we're missing out on part of God's beautiful story of redemption. Let's listen to new retellings of the old, old story and see what we might have missed.</p><p><br /></p><p>*For more on Mary from an Evangelical perspective, see Amy Beverage Peeler's impressive new book, <i><a href="https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/7909/women-and-the-gender-of-god.aspx" target="_blank">Women and the Gender of God</a> </i>(Eerdmans, Fall 2022)<i>.</i><br /><br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-2993183606998305152022-02-11T20:23:00.004-08:002022-02-11T20:27:43.536-08:00Becoming Human: My Visit to an SBC Seminary<p>It was an unlikely invitation. </p><p>Would I travel to Wake Forest, NC to speak on personhood at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary? </p><p></p><blockquote><p>I, who am neither a member of the SBC nor the daughter of a member of the SBC. </p><p>I, a woman who teaches Bible and even preaches on occasion.</p></blockquote><p>It was not my first SBC connection. First, my book appeared in the book store at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, where Al Mohler is president back in early 2020. (Unexpected!) Then, the same book was a finalist for an award from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. (Who knew?!) The next thing I knew, Lifeway Publishing asked me to contribute to a women's study Bible. (Huh.) And then Southern invited me to present my research to their PhD students and faculty over Zoom in 2021. (!!)</p><p>And then this. A plenary address at an SBC seminary. What did I have to lose? Plenty, actually.</p><p>As I said, I'm not a member of the SBC. But I am SBC-adjacent. I'm close enough to the movement to know that all is not well. I watched Beth Moore walk away (gulp!). I watched Russell Moore make his exit (wow.). I saw the troubling statement released by the six white SBC seminary presidents on Critical Race Theory -- a statement crafted without the input of any people of color or anyone who had even studied CRT (um...). I watched talented African American leaders cut ties with the denomination. I waited on pins and needles while the delegates voted for a new president at last year's convention, and while they decided how to handle allegations of sexual abuse and how to care for survivors. I groaned a few months later when the Executive Committee waffled over whether to submit to outside investigation.</p><p>I care very much where things go in the SBC because the denomination wields enormous influence. People's faith and health are at stake. And so is the witness of the church at large.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfZYqL-ScOUyxBSXl9Kb0CsHANTFKgV1S6-sXDeoiVYMZJ7PG5MMeU5XV87N12ks3tDWKBE3vZ-5UAGyMZXhwLwFMhBTw6ZH8Rw7jcUpwHRIlDQuJdxs2FMi7w9TcwcarYD3gXhFE5VQGloLkvgLtNtiXzPF3LL0NZN1CnIUaO8CPoIjRwOglxuN0vcQ=s3264" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfZYqL-ScOUyxBSXl9Kb0CsHANTFKgV1S6-sXDeoiVYMZJ7PG5MMeU5XV87N12ks3tDWKBE3vZ-5UAGyMZXhwLwFMhBTw6ZH8Rw7jcUpwHRIlDQuJdxs2FMi7w9TcwcarYD3gXhFE5VQGloLkvgLtNtiXzPF3LL0NZN1CnIUaO8CPoIjRwOglxuN0vcQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div>Here was my conundrum: attending the conference would allow me to learn from the other presenters and work on issues related to my current book project and get feedback. But would taking the stage at an SBC seminary somehow align me with the denomination and its problems? Would it make me complicit? (If you think I'm overreacting, consider that the invitation was issued from a building named after Paige and Dorothy Patterson, the seminary's notorious former president and his wife.)<p></p><p>I concluded that I could not participate without addressing the problems as I see them. I refuse to pretend that all is well. It would be irresponsible to talk about the biblical doctrine of the image of God without pointing to the myriads of ways that evangelicals as a whole and the SBC in particular have failed to live these truths. That would compromise my integrity.</p><p>So I took a deep breath, said <a href="https://cfc.sebts.edu/upcoming-events/exploring-personhood/" target="_blank">yes</a>, and submitted this title:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The Rise and Fall of the Imago Dei?: Assessing Evangelical
Theology and Practice</b></p></blockquote><p>My title intentionally evoked the long-form journalistic podcast produced by <i><a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/podcasts/rise-and-fall-of-mars-hill/" target="_blank">Christianity Today</a> </i>that investigated a particularly egregious form of "evangelical" ministry with a narcissistic leader. I took my cues from Mike Cosper, who demonstrated the value of evangelical self-critique. Here is my abstract:</p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Evangelicals all agree that human identity and vocation are
rooted in the creation accounts of Genesis, but the particulars are often a
matter of debate. We’ll consider the recent work of several evangelical
scholars on the imago Dei—Ryan Peterson, John Kilner, Catherine McDowell, and
Richard Middleton—each of whom has clarified Old Testament teaching in profound
ways. Building on their work, we will reassess the priorities of the
contemporary evangelical church and suggest ways of embodying practices that
align with Scripture’s clear teaching on the imago Dei.</p></blockquote><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNZg8YjgdQ00A0RQeCRj4hRZM7Bxwsu_J3Lhook7LTU2yyBl82Hfhh2T5J-qnhP4x7Z0F7qHJPUBFPPGTPNKmbTg-NPTY5gKp_fHmkI5I8irLezmX5VhE-RfJDa2GpvvV8UtSjyFuCVfwNkVajQN076kyYYl3kpF1WNfJlvPPeDRqRRWEyFT2y0uSnLg=s900" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNZg8YjgdQ00A0RQeCRj4hRZM7Bxwsu_J3Lhook7LTU2yyBl82Hfhh2T5J-qnhP4x7Z0F7qHJPUBFPPGTPNKmbTg-NPTY5gKp_fHmkI5I8irLezmX5VhE-RfJDa2GpvvV8UtSjyFuCVfwNkVajQN076kyYYl3kpF1WNfJlvPPeDRqRRWEyFT2y0uSnLg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carmen Imes speaking at the Exploring<br />Personhood Conference sponsored by<br />the Bush Center for Faith and Culture<br />(Photo: Chip Hardy)</td></tr></tbody></table>The first half of my presentation drew out insights from the four scholars named above, with a bit of extra nuance from me in the area of gender. But then came the scary part -- I addressed head on the ways that evangelicals have failed in three broad areas: sanctity of human life (ahem, after birth), partnership of men and women, and creation care.<p></p><p>My talk will be posted soon on the <a href="https://cfc.sebts.edu/faith-and-science/carmen-imes-speaker-exploring-personhood/" target="_blank">Bush Center for Faith and Culture's website</a>, so there's no need for me to repeat the litany here. It's enough to say that I pointed to examples of racism, ableism, sexism, LGBTQ-related issues, inhospitality to singles, failure to protect and advocate for victims of abuse, and neglect of creation care. I hit all these hot topics, issued a clear call for change, and cast a vision for a different way of living out what we say we believe. With my integrity intact, the question became 'would I lose my voice?' Would this be the first and last opportunity to speak on this campus?</p><p>I've been mulling over all of this for months, reading widely, and imagining how this might go. I asked people to pray and I prayed about it myself. I sought advice and wondered if this was career suicide. In the end, I said what I felt I must be said with as much love and empathy as I could muster. One thing is true -- of all the possible reactions I imagined, a standing ovation was not one of them. Everyone clapped, and more than half a dozen stood in solidarity.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhykrk3DO8aDg-RKbsI7jVzZ6Xh5ZmpZeLs2fZCqm6ssX-ENymDvez8WBPJZCYzZ0JQ8bXrkdfLF2MsnnkLjabM8OsbgG6w9Wb_ig5zKRc-BQ6AxIpFM5bQ8Mt4xrF_PSlxEUgmQS29DFoWHzYvOnMvq94ZKz0ebrJXxIi9V4vXsJCobcTqbiiXciJ0Yw=s2048" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhykrk3DO8aDg-RKbsI7jVzZ6Xh5ZmpZeLs2fZCqm6ssX-ENymDvez8WBPJZCYzZ0JQ8bXrkdfLF2MsnnkLjabM8OsbgG6w9Wb_ig5zKRc-BQ6AxIpFM5bQ8Mt4xrF_PSlxEUgmQS29DFoWHzYvOnMvq94ZKz0ebrJXxIi9V4vXsJCobcTqbiiXciJ0Yw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conference Panel Discussion <br />(Photo: Bush Center for Faith and Culture) </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;">This message struck a chord with so many, who thanked me with tears in their eyes. Faculty, students, and guests alike shook my hand and new friendships were born. <i>To be clear, the warm reception is not a sign that all is well, of course. It's a sign that the problems I listed truly are problems. On that we agree.</i></div></span></div><p></p><p><b>And this is what gives me hope.</b></p><p>Because agreeing on the problem is the first essential step toward finding solutions.</p><p>So now the real work begins. Now we must invest our energies into the work of listening to new voices, reexamining how we do things, building new alliances, and prayerfully finding new ways forward. Change takes time, but the road is not so lonely as it seemed.</p><p>This conference taught me something about human personhood that was not on the stated agenda: Caricatures are difficult to maintain in person. I'm under no illusion that 48 hours on campus gave me an accurate picture of the SBC as a whole, or even SEBTS in particular. But it reminded me of the value of embodied community and courageous conversations. It showed me that the loudest voices on Twitter do not always (or even usually?) represent the majority. I found far more allies than I dared to hope. I'm relieved that a bridge has been built, rather than burned.</p><p>As we learned from Dr. Justin Barrett, compared to animals, humans are immensely social creatures capable of shared attention, mental space, expertise, and cooperation across a remarkably large group of unrelated humans. I saw this in action at Southeastern. </p><p>Father John Behr and Dr. Jeff Schloss both talked about the telos of love, helping us think about the uniquely human capability of self-sacrifice for another. According to Behr, it is in laying down our lives for another that we truly become human. I felt this in the way people thanked me for saying hard things, and in the way Dr. John Hammett offered loving pushback to each of us.</p><p>If Behr is right, then all of us who participated in this exchange became a bit more human this week.</p><p>For that I am profoundly grateful.</p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-82485551984764353772021-12-29T21:48:00.003-08:002021-12-29T21:49:42.623-08:00Best Books of 2021<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">As usual, I've compiled a list of the most important books I read this year. The only criteria are that I read them in full and found them well written, helpful, and worth sharing. I read 42 books this year, ranging from youth fiction to published dissertations. Many of them were very good! These are the ten books I recommend most highly across several genres. (You can find brief reviews of all the books I read on GoodReads).</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>Children's Picture Book</b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><i><a href="https://www.wolfbanebooks.com/the-story-of-god-with-us" target="_blank"></a></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicURxJsfl-kACSYkqaT8LsU8OeerfP6xa74eLXry6NcQbX50tueguHNhcOm05r3g48pXwmHqwfX-sHia3wNxT9NRgdNHTpKVy8wHw8chpjuzuTlgrF9IGncpgKPwKIyrwCWaye3cEbaUng5GtKGQpj9MQRRBiZbna8Ehs7zko-RNjcdsmsvFOayUmgqg=s1792" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1792" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicURxJsfl-kACSYkqaT8LsU8OeerfP6xa74eLXry6NcQbX50tueguHNhcOm05r3g48pXwmHqwfX-sHia3wNxT9NRgdNHTpKVy8wHw8chpjuzuTlgrF9IGncpgKPwKIyrwCWaye3cEbaUng5GtKGQpj9MQRRBiZbna8Ehs7zko-RNjcdsmsvFOayUmgqg=s320" width="286" /></a></i></div><i><a href="https://www.wolfbanebooks.com/the-story-of-god-with-us" target="_blank">The Story of God with Us</a> </i>is luminous and profound, grounded yet winsome. This is a children's book for a new generation of discerning parents and grandparents. Today more than ever, our world craves a unifying narrative and yet expects excellence. Aedan Peterson's illustrations bring delight to the biblical narrative so thoughtfully retold by Kenneth Padgett and Shay Gregorie. <i>The Story of God with Us </i>is a gift to behold! Best of all, this book is the first of many from a brand new publisher, Wolfbane Books. I love their Bible Project-esque vision of teaching biblical theology to kids in a captivating way.<p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0e9zVjmiRvgG-NwSHmDTZd0o8q5PGHnGbDZI2lC650xo2FRG5fi7qpDNsj-JyfWKwlAGgoNZLwpXdi8vZtp1QvLp99-KOE8B4hFUk7HNqIMY4io9QVT0kwGQmZasWj62HnA0JL7rx5MZJSVos_vRDVOk1APGCuFodkur-RZatGAlWeWjcSUTtiQakvQ=s2560" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1707" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0e9zVjmiRvgG-NwSHmDTZd0o8q5PGHnGbDZI2lC650xo2FRG5fi7qpDNsj-JyfWKwlAGgoNZLwpXdi8vZtp1QvLp99-KOE8B4hFUk7HNqIMY4io9QVT0kwGQmZasWj62HnA0JL7rx5MZJSVos_vRDVOk1APGCuFodkur-RZatGAlWeWjcSUTtiQakvQ=s320" width="213" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>Young Adult Fiction</b></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Sad-Untrue-true-story/dp/1646140001/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=everything+sad+is+untrue&qid=1640641323&s=books&sprefix=everything+sad+is+u%2Cstripbooks%2C154&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story)</a> </i>is the well-told true story of a 12-year-old Iranian refugee in Oklahoma. It's a gift to see the world through his eyes. You'll discover the beauty of Persian culture and become more aware of aspects of your own culture that you take for granted. Reading this book will help you develop empathy for the plight of those who are forced to leave their homes because of religious persecution. We listened to the audio book narrated by the author on a long drive. The book has won multiple awards, and it's no wonder why!</span></span></p><p><b style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6v8Ya719xoxt1pkLLzA-FnNYMrhze9W7StfRuxpAfrLL2MCvsPOZDC0f7Vi3ftXwUMiJeanZA_13IqJZYyoH8SY2zwJ_ewIZmZ6PIOo9wOuQU4LSkW00UwEYNFNQqbJTtE8W-3FdOFJn4i3iZ-fZRmeyHHdUJe49etZSIQoclvjcIseS69trK5sxbVw=s499" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="325" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6v8Ya719xoxt1pkLLzA-FnNYMrhze9W7StfRuxpAfrLL2MCvsPOZDC0f7Vi3ftXwUMiJeanZA_13IqJZYyoH8SY2zwJ_ewIZmZ6PIOo9wOuQU4LSkW00UwEYNFNQqbJTtE8W-3FdOFJn4i3iZ-fZRmeyHHdUJe49etZSIQoclvjcIseS69trK5sxbVw=s320" width="208" /></a></b></div><b style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">Adult Fiction</b><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-Light-We-Cannot-See/dp/1501173219/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=all+the+light+we+cannot+see&qid=1640641389&s=books&sprefix=all+the+l%2Cstripbooks%2C148&sr=1-1" target="_blank">All the Light We Cannot See</a> </i>is a Pulitzer Prize winning work of historical fiction set in France during WWII. I listened to the audio book on our move from Canada to Southern California, and it made the hours fly by. Such an intricate plot and compelling characters!</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQHXxIWA53ZNvDsQe9JQrc1LbMNDaMFq8t5a3YyBM-VkWBWFp8yhVOHAY2fNLeqEb5f5_RL4cQ5mu9l4NQ9TLdJQjsL9uyxno1OXHV6DEavugFVCxz4yetnnI8ADlCjfwxxXgApRZX8M9D0_mccJoA1Wm6pO6mo97yuJ8_vEVmwgCPDX4H5G4YMU_WVA=s499" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQHXxIWA53ZNvDsQe9JQrc1LbMNDaMFq8t5a3YyBM-VkWBWFp8yhVOHAY2fNLeqEb5f5_RL4cQ5mu9l4NQ9TLdJQjsL9uyxno1OXHV6DEavugFVCxz4yetnnI8ADlCjfwxxXgApRZX8M9D0_mccJoA1Wm6pO6mo97yuJ8_vEVmwgCPDX4H5G4YMU_WVA=s320" width="201" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>Books in Biblical Studies</b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><i><a href="https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/260831" target="_blank">Abraham's Silence</a> </i>is the most important book I read this year in biblical studies, and I was so honored to have been able to endorse it. Richard Middleton revisits a familiar Old Testament story -- the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22 -- and turns it on its head. What if Abraham is not the hero of this story? What if this story demonstrates his failure rather than his faith? Middleton pairs a close reading of Genesis 22 with the book of Job and the lament psalms, suggesting that Abraham fell short of truly knowing Yahweh and what he desires. God invites prayers of protest, not silent and unquestioning obedience. I will never read this story the same way again!</span></span></p><p><i style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/who-shall-ascend-the-mountain-of-the-lord" target="_blank"></a></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrN-5Dova1-_RP0XJ-THbM8-Ug5XJofajYbMhU8_rJC8sKPrdr5FYlZ8fLSK1jumszoNrCQ2X4rD5A-Z829J36Nkqn0t0am0eHua3I-v4jnq9uBdAFp76XBswOdyCrVEFaSZTG4IuqmmvQ0vP3SlYTHqkLg_xRCCO7RQJPzS-iK8Aok-vLVjvTnLoy2g=s1360" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrN-5Dova1-_RP0XJ-THbM8-Ug5XJofajYbMhU8_rJC8sKPrdr5FYlZ8fLSK1jumszoNrCQ2X4rD5A-Z829J36Nkqn0t0am0eHua3I-v4jnq9uBdAFp76XBswOdyCrVEFaSZTG4IuqmmvQ0vP3SlYTHqkLg_xRCCO7RQJPzS-iK8Aok-vLVjvTnLoy2g=s320" width="207" /></a></i></div><i style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord? </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">was a rich read from one of my favorite Old Testament scholars. Michael Morales unlocks the book of Leviticus, showing its literary design and tracing its themes. I'm so grateful for his careful work.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigju8_eETzjMc8qECiC3Pbfl32m01ccOJjtZxo1mMUVsJAmZAJnZ1uZ0NJmxtaR0vOTr4a9psgKIFtwjksSpKoeKfmd8RNI8_0lnQVwrEBhkY4Xz963ux_6axQVfoMQGQiAqkko1-LtsaKKYH9HkJ2Bg-9JxaeLMtdsboxKFRBx9WlrMEKmKzhY5V8NA=s269" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="187" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigju8_eETzjMc8qECiC3Pbfl32m01ccOJjtZxo1mMUVsJAmZAJnZ1uZ0NJmxtaR0vOTr4a9psgKIFtwjksSpKoeKfmd8RNI8_0lnQVwrEBhkY4Xz963ux_6axQVfoMQGQiAqkko1-LtsaKKYH9HkJ2Bg-9JxaeLMtdsboxKFRBx9WlrMEKmKzhY5V8NA" width="187" /></a></b></div><b>Books on Christian History</b><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: 15.84px;">Kristin Kobes Du Mez' <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-John-Wayne-Evangelicals-Corrupted/dp/1631495739" target="_blank">Jesus and John Wayne</a> </i>ought to come with a gift certificate for therapy. </span></span><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">As a child, I had a book by Ann Jonas called <i>Round Trip</i>. It is a picture book that you read from start to finish, then flip over and read upside down back to the beginning. All the images in the book work right-side up as well as upside down. <i>Jesus and John Wayne</i> turned my childhood narrative upside down. Du Mez resituated household names like James Dobson and Ronald Reagan -- even Billy Graham -- in a wider field of view to show me the shadows they cast. Christian retail, "family values," "law and order," homeschool networks, and men's retreats all changed shape, too, under Du Mez' careful scrutiny. </span><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="font-size: 15.84px;">For those (like me) who thought that Evangelical support for Donald Trump was a puzzling anomaly, Du Mez demonstrates that it fits squarely in the Evangelical narrative as it has developed over the past 50 years. She guides readers through decades of religious and political leadership to highlight the emergence of a militant, masculine version of Christianity that has captured the imagination of white Evangelicals. </span></span><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">I'm thankful for Du Mez' careful work to expose the abuses and imbalances of white Evangelicalism. Her voice contributes to a collective day of reckoning. I pray it's not too late.</span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQQzc9PbYc_ttknDjRrUb89IO2bhrNMCEVO4EwH1BKLWX1CuqkSDDaeeMWlqkrM_XmkFmsP_8rW5hCY-BpGhPs_LXMsQgMPU4TQoZ2UXr_KBE0JadO_FpDBxG6JJxrvqnik31smawFvVZyFpoUAIOvDOivjff_ucrllJTujA6oAG2ZO-hrJPrP71l2HA=s2400" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQQzc9PbYc_ttknDjRrUb89IO2bhrNMCEVO4EwH1BKLWX1CuqkSDDaeeMWlqkrM_XmkFmsP_8rW5hCY-BpGhPs_LXMsQgMPU4TQoZ2UXr_KBE0JadO_FpDBxG6JJxrvqnik31smawFvVZyFpoUAIOvDOivjff_ucrllJTujA6oAG2ZO-hrJPrP71l2HA=s320" width="213" /></a></div>Robert Chao Romero's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brown-Church-Centuries-Theology-Identity/dp/0830852859/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14IAOH2LP9D4&keywords=brown+church&qid=1640842446&s=books&sprefix=brown+church%2Cstripbooks%2C125&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Brown Church</a> </i>approached the history of Christianity from a different angle, outlining centuries of Latina/o Christian social engagement and theological reflection. For Latinos who feel there is little room for them in the brand of evangelicalism described by Du Mez in <i>Jesus and John Wayne </i>and for others who long for authentic Christianity<i>, </i>Romero recovers a rich heritage. For those of us who have thought only of Latin America as a mission field<i> </i>rather than a model and source of inspiration, this book offers an invitation to flip the script and begin learning.<p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj78FjrrKNsVnS1ynsSmPaYi-7-fJLQesF4_8gWKDBeyOR-oOGJSfV-vRneoc4cQhpda54EUNH_X0laAXyA0j9ffUdIblNbE01ap46ow6qSkYqJab9Djto08A7xez5d435COvNpdJfUO0XsLjqN7mtGPyGuRRWRi4IsZ-Hhdmkb8HQJJ8yiw0pVMieoWQ=s2473" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2473" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj78FjrrKNsVnS1ynsSmPaYi-7-fJLQesF4_8gWKDBeyOR-oOGJSfV-vRneoc4cQhpda54EUNH_X0laAXyA0j9ffUdIblNbE01ap46ow6qSkYqJab9Djto08A7xez5d435COvNpdJfUO0XsLjqN7mtGPyGuRRWRi4IsZ-Hhdmkb8HQJJ8yiw0pVMieoWQ=s320" width="207" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>Books for Academics</b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/the-flourishing-teacher" target="_blank">The Flourishing Teacher</a> </i>was my companion through a year of teaching. I've written about it <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/2021/04/best-books-for-academics-learning-their.html" target="_blank">before</a>, but it bears repeating. Christina Bieber Lake has an uncanny knack for knowing just how I'm going to feel at any given point in the academic year. She offers sage advice for professors with lots of grace. In this book, I gained a mentor and friend.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;">Another treasure this year was a book Lake recommends, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Teach-Exploring-Landscape-Anniversary/dp/1119413044/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QOBPNJIDUB6I&keywords=parker+palmer+the+courage+to+teach&qid=1640833061&sprefix=parker+palmer%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Courage To Teach</a> </i>by Parker Palmer. Palmer goes beyond technique to nourish the soul of educators. I read through it with a group of colleagues and found it inspiring and practically helpful.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiLTMcmOpXqvmKXmXpQCwN13rdhFX_GOqE5ElSZRQIPBkxxr_cxp9JpIjru5E4ff0cPAiDOuGeHVa5RDCLIm1oUgk1i71jiydlI7_WRB8jqLKk_b363ejrf8aI73kwOQcYqtfieKvB1e4xakqMhyrrpNBMgfgrcYvbEA6HXDbeF20SORRPJIRzV2swrQ=s2400" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1942" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhiLTMcmOpXqvmKXmXpQCwN13rdhFX_GOqE5ElSZRQIPBkxxr_cxp9JpIjru5E4ff0cPAiDOuGeHVa5RDCLIm1oUgk1i71jiydlI7_WRB8jqLKk_b363ejrf8aI73kwOQcYqtfieKvB1e4xakqMhyrrpNBMgfgrcYvbEA6HXDbeF20SORRPJIRzV2swrQ=s320" width="259" /></a></b></span></span></div><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><b>BONUS: New Reference Tool</b></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;">I must admit that I have not read all 1000+ pages of Gary Schnittjer's new exegetical resource, but I expect to keep turning back to it for years to come. The first of its kind, <i><a href="https://zondervanacademic.com/products/old-testament-use-of-old-testament" target="_blank">The Old Testament Use of Old Testament</a> </i>catalogues and discusses exegetical allusions, that is, places where the Old Testament unpacks or develops other passages from the Old Testament. Schnittjer has carefully assessed the strength of each potential passage and highlighted key issues for busy professors, pastors, and students. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather; font-size: 15.84px;">I have a tall stack of books I'm hoping to read in 2022. What's on your list to read?</span></p><p><span style="color: #616161; font-family: Merriweather;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.84px;"><br /></span></span></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-64113534290445896192021-12-06T08:43:00.005-08:002021-12-06T10:10:22.835-08:00Best Books on Historical and Cultural Backgrounds of the Bible<p>Although I had already been through four years of Bible College, in seminary a whole new world opened up to me. As an undergrad I developed a deep committment to reading the Bible as literature and on its own terms, without the potential distortion of outside sources. This was a wonderful season of training for me as I became sensitive to the literary contours of biblical stories.</p><p>In seminary, under the guidance of different professors, I discovered the value of studying the historical and cultural backgrounds of the Bible. Here's why: the Bible did not drop from the sky, leather bound, with our names embossed on the cover. Reading the Bible is a cross-cultural experience. We are guests in an ancient context, where people speak other languages, where people's hopes and dreams are profoundly shaped by their own contexts, and where society as a whole operates under different values and assumptions. </p><p>In order to be competent readers of Scripture, we must attend to the contexts in which is was written. Every passage has a literary context, a historical context, and a theological context. Neglect of any of these dimensions results in a "flat" reading. In particular, if we ignore the historical context of a passage we run the risk of distorting it. Without interrogating our own cultural lenses, we are likely to impose modern values and assumptions on the text. I see this happen <i>all the time </i>in class, as students encounter stories that strike them as strange.</p><p>This is why I'm particularly passionate about training students to attend to both the literary and historical dimensions of the text. We practice developing skills in narrative and poetry analysis and we also consider the historical and cultural contexts of the Bible. We live in a wonderful era in which resources are more readily available than ever before! </p><p>Here are five resources that I find myself repeatedly recommending:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9ziyPP7V3VQ3KnTFOXdDylM-aKFz7Pf4ChncM64aI6C8dHhdV_Qo9TJc4bewXh0PQqEsFondJdZuXTsR4SdlBqLz6kMTnnyw4CXeFDlfKVQg5vLQ0KWe6enAYS__LIG7qEXkUMkOTNIoZEbyf-vFjwopQzXLGRygequf0gVuhbLayil9pYTf-31JLw=s1280" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn9ziyPP7V3VQ3KnTFOXdDylM-aKFz7Pf4ChncM64aI6C8dHhdV_Qo9TJc4bewXh0PQqEsFondJdZuXTsR4SdlBqLz6kMTnnyw4CXeFDlfKVQg5vLQ0KWe6enAYS__LIG7qEXkUMkOTNIoZEbyf-vFjwopQzXLGRygequf0gVuhbLayil9pYTf-31JLw=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><p><a href="https://zondervanacademic.com/products/niv-cultural-backgrounds-study-bible-hardcover-red-letter-edition" target="_blank">The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible</a> - Available in the NIV, NRSV, and NKJV translations, this full-color study Bible includes a wealth of information at your fingertips, right where you need it when reading the Bible. It is not designed as a devotionally inspiring study Bible, but a reference tool to help readers understand the cultural context of Scripture. I require it for my Bible classes so that students have a solid resource for a lifetime of study.</p><p><a href="https://zondervanacademic.com/products/zondervan-illustrated-bible-backgrounds-commentary-set1" target="_blank">The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary</a> - This is a more extensive (and of course, more expensive) resource than the study Bible above, with full-color photographs, charts, and insightful notes on every book of the Bible. Every church library should have this resource on hand for Bible studies and sermon prep.</p><p><a href="https://www.hendricksonrose.com/p/dictionary-of-daily-life-in-biblical-and-post-biblical-antiquity/9781619701458" target="_blank">The Dictionary of Daily Life</a> - This gem is a more recent addition to my library that I've already used many times. It contains an alphabetized collection of articles on aspects of daily life in ancient Israel (and the Greco-Roman world). For example, if you're studying Exodus 2, you could read articles on Bathing, Midwifery, Infanticide, and Adoption. The articles are well researched and written.</p><p><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/dictionary-of-biblical-imagery" target="_blank">The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery</a> - This tool is more on the literary side of things (rather than historical/cultural), but it helps with precisely those images that are unfamiliar to modern readers. For example, if you're reading along in Daniel and want to know the significance of the beasts with horns, you could read the article on "horns" in the Bible. Each article traces the use and development of a particular image across the biblical canon, with sensitivity to cultural context.</p><p><a href="https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/41628" target="_blank">Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament</a> - I read this book in graduate school while taking a class on ancient Near Eastern Backgrounds with John Walton. It was immensely helpful in reshaping my imagination so that I could see what ancient people cared about. It's written for graduate students read, but even if you're not in school, if you're serious about understanding Bible backgrounds, it is well-worth your time.</p><p>If this list is two long for you, then I'd recommend this dynamic duo which should prove helpful no matter what part of the Bible you are studying: <i>The Dictionary of Daily Life </i>and <i>The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. </i>Both are well worth the sticker price, and both are currently on sale.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHOVLlVkIqH6MxvXHmNuaaeuGn_sYO2Ufmsy-aaBMtOHsAGjzzgP4NkqBoaIlnI6EghEscCt2nPKtYaxuXHp-2_HAZDJsmkiw_OTSIAVTkPPJvrPaVaL-nRciquY049arH0rm5z1X_lOkwkqAfr0CcH4IiOu9YxodJjhFsCJPI4IsGhCTv-6cTAQnbpQ=s2572" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="2572" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHOVLlVkIqH6MxvXHmNuaaeuGn_sYO2Ufmsy-aaBMtOHsAGjzzgP4NkqBoaIlnI6EghEscCt2nPKtYaxuXHp-2_HAZDJsmkiw_OTSIAVTkPPJvrPaVaL-nRciquY049arH0rm5z1X_lOkwkqAfr0CcH4IiOu9YxodJjhFsCJPI4IsGhCTv-6cTAQnbpQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-41161414561051357482021-11-14T16:33:00.001-08:002021-11-14T16:33:09.941-08:00Reflections on The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill<p>It's likely that I'll remember 2021 in part as the year in which Mike Cosper narrated my solo drives and weekend walks. Often I wondered if I could take yet another heart-sickening story of the abuse of power in the church, but I kept coming back, like a moth to the flame. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglvhNns9isrwKTtQLa41uvZesU1kBGhEB5uJ2GodsOHe7p-MwPP3HQeh5WJaxzwvUbdft41ri_2uzIoAAshaWPdUlsfoHfdT_B-o8zxxqYpYJTIHfnr5zcKM43ix_07nvrSjGrVOhfvVKHj6SuVIqTUCRTH2nXMvNmS1t1M8wxqgv7soV9YdFTL95Ocw=s486" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="486" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglvhNns9isrwKTtQLa41uvZesU1kBGhEB5uJ2GodsOHe7p-MwPP3HQeh5WJaxzwvUbdft41ri_2uzIoAAshaWPdUlsfoHfdT_B-o8zxxqYpYJTIHfnr5zcKM43ix_07nvrSjGrVOhfvVKHj6SuVIqTUCRTH2nXMvNmS1t1M8wxqgv7soV9YdFTL95Ocw=s320" width="320" /></a></div>If you're not familiar with it, <a href="https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vcmlzZWFuZGZhbGw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiA27fvkpf0AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQQQ" target="_blank">The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill</a> is an audio documentary sponsored by <i>Christianity Today </i>about the Seattle mega-Church called Mars Hill pastored by Mark Driscoll -- its origins, rapid growth, M.O., and the toxic culture of leadership that lead to its messy end. <p></p><p>I have never met Mark Driscoll, never listened to one of his sermons, and never read one of his books, so why did I invest over a dozen hours listening to this podcast?</p><p>In the first place, it's well produced and well articulated. The sound design is fantastic and the stories are compelling. <i>Christianity Today </i>set a high bar with this one.</p><p>More importantly, it helps to explain a movement I could not understand at the time -- among other things, how a conservative pastor could say such crass things about sex, gender roles, and manhood from the pulpit and get away with it. Like most evangelicals with an ear to the ground, I had seen and heard clips of inflammatory things that Mark Driscoll said from the stage (around 2012), and I was deeply concerned. I later learned about his highly unethical ploy to get one of his books on the New York Times bestseller list. It was hard to miss the news about the raft of plaigiarism found in his books. And I knew that in spite of his church elders' attempt to lead him through a disciplinary process, Mark had resigned and headed to Arizona . . . <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2021/july/mars-hill-elders-letter-mark-driscoll-pastor-resign-trinity.html" target="_blank">where he planted a new church</a>.</p><p><i>The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill </i>shines a spotlight on abusive power dynamics that are too-often operative in Christian churches and institutions. Cosper traces various threads to help us see the origins of unhealthy ideas and the ways that they hurt people. At the same time, he highlights the stories of those who experienced radical transformation in their lives in the early days of Mars Hill. </p><p>I believe God calls the church to bear his name with honor. In the case of Mars Hill, the quest for growth-at-all-costs was paired with Mark Driscoll's growing refusal to be accountable to seasoned leaders in his church network or even to his own board of elders. We can learn a lot from this story. It stands as a modern day parable of sorts, warning of the dangers associated with a leader having too much power, too fast, without godly character and life experience to prevent that leader from going off the rails. Unlike a parable, this one has real collatoral damage. So many former members are still trying to pick up the pieces and make sense of what happened.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-hEAc7zgZVH3sr-BZvc00vgaQHO0Y7y1Zk6Lr2x7AL8vL3zLTmWlDNizERhbqbqVt5ZvVwF4AlDhXhEtjALKlD5V0ng7ctsoAjiq4e7xxBLVTyTZtHgncETy_NhUU0c5tTv24tjVpUECn8ceViuh8P4Pzbq7HvaMkyhRG-hEN8JT97_HEIwGYHxVgA=s1489" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="779" data-original-width="1489" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-hEAc7zgZVH3sr-BZvc00vgaQHO0Y7y1Zk6Lr2x7AL8vL3zLTmWlDNizERhbqbqVt5ZvVwF4AlDhXhEtjALKlD5V0ng7ctsoAjiq4e7xxBLVTyTZtHgncETy_NhUU0c5tTv24tjVpUECn8ceViuh8P4Pzbq7HvaMkyhRG-hEN8JT97_HEIwGYHxVgA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br />Ironically, the podcast has been a sensation of its own. Today it's ranked #2 in religion podcasts in the US. This probably says <i>something </i>about our our collective desire to hear grizzly tales of others' demise. It probably also points to how widespread these problems are in the church. I'm guessing it appeals to a lot of people who would like to understand a conservative brand of Christianity that prides itself on fidelity to Scripture but puts up with a bully in the pulpit. Probably all of these reasons. (As a side note, it's in very interesting company on the top 5!)<p></p><p>I've listened to <i>The Rise and Fall</i> in part because of its popularity. As an educator and lover of the church, I want to be in the loop about what people are hearing and how they are processing. If you've listened to at least part of the series, how has it personally challenged you? Leave me a note in the comments below.</p><p>Personally, I've been sobered by what well-meaning people will tolerate when a strong personality is at the helm. The podcast has given us much to lament. It renews my appreciation for institutional structures that have rigorous checks and balances in place. It's also a reminder that character matters a whole lot. For Driscoll, his popularity became the "proof" of his effectiveness and the "fruit" of "his ministry" -- but how many of those metrics could be traced to people who tuned in because they were incredulous? Just because people are listening, that doesn't mean the teaching is sound. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah warned against false prophets who told people what their itching ears wanted to hear (Jeremiah 6:14).</p><p>If the podcast series has left you disillusioned about the church, a good next step might be to read Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer's book, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Church-Called-Tov-Goodness-Promotes/dp/1496446003/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3K1BPN0XJ7N05&keywords=a+church+called+tov&qid=1636935182&sprefix=a+church+call%2Caps%2C241&sr=8-1" target="_blank">A Church Called Tov</a> </i>(<i>tov </i>is the Hebrew word for "good"). It's on my short list of books to read next. McKnight and Barringer write about how to cultivate a healthy church culture where stories like this one will not keep happening. May the overwhelming popularity of this podcast awaken the church to stop tolerating abuses of power and instead cultivate communities marked by faithful and humble service!</p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-29369073914756165472021-10-11T10:27:00.003-07:002021-11-10T19:30:23.700-08:00Thankful and Not-So-Thankful: Reckoning with Our North American Legacy<p><b><br />Imagine this: </b></p><p>You are a young mother nearing her due date living just outside of Seattle, Washington, but you fear going out in public. You know that if you give birth in a hospital, the US Government will likely confiscate your newborn and put it up for adoption. You want your baby. You are prepared to love and nurture it in your family home on the land of your great grandparents.</p><p><i>Sound far-fetched?</i> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQrYRqRtRYKizy5UuMdsPTxTzNEIFMoUGxCyTlG05YN9WDgUuj4C7unZ7Iv5Zs41WyG49R9hXP0oe4mFvddpuHZcNtl0b8JTp6ak_sSY8sDnUjVAthO5e0D3Ds-s5mdf6oco83PRHQvTy/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLQrYRqRtRYKizy5UuMdsPTxTzNEIFMoUGxCyTlG05YN9WDgUuj4C7unZ7Iv5Zs41WyG49R9hXP0oe4mFvddpuHZcNtl0b8JTp6ak_sSY8sDnUjVAthO5e0D3Ds-s5mdf6oco83PRHQvTy/" width="240" /></a></div>This happened with regularity <i>in my lifetime, </i>in the 1970s<i>. </i>I learned about this travesty by listening to a children's audio book as we traveled this summer. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/I-Can-Make-This-Promise/dp/0062872001/ref=sr_1_1?crid=16L0D5R1OBPO2&dchild=1&keywords=i+can+make+this+promise&qid=1633971722&sprefix=i+can+make+this+%2Caps%2C523&sr=8-1" target="_blank">I Can Make This Promise</a></i>, by Christine Day, is the story of a girl who discovers that her mother was put up for adoption at birth, even though her birth mother wanted her and was prepared to care for her. Simply being "Indian" and unmarried resulted in the confiscation of her child. Although this particular story is fictional, it is based on history.<p></p><p><b>Imagine this:</b></p><p>You are a young family in British Columbia, raising your children in the community where your parents and grandparents and their parents and grandparents have always lived. One day, police arrive and take your children by force, citing the need to educate them properly. They are taken to a residential school run by the Church, where they are forced to cut their hair, wear a uniform, and speak only English. They never return home -- not for holidays or funerals. You never hear from them again. You suspect that they are dead, but you are told nothing.</p><p><i>Sound far-fetched?</i></p><p>This happened with regularity <i>in my Dad's lifetime</i>, throughout the 1900s as late as the 1990s. I mention my Dad because he was born in the small town of Enderby, British Columbia to recent immigrants from Europe who spoke broken English. Just 90 minutes away was one of Canada's largest residential schools, which boasted 500 students in the 1950s and operated until <i>after I was born</i>. You might have seen the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamloops_Indian_Residential_School" target="_blank">Kamloops Indian Residential School</a> in the news this summer, when 215 unmarked graves were discovered there, most of them children.</p><p>Before her death, my grandmother told me a story about my Dad's birth, when the nurses whisked him away to perform an elective surgery without so much as asking for her consent. She had no intention of circumcising him because in Europe only Jews practiced circumcision (keep in mind that this is on the heels of WWII, when circumcision could be a matter of life or death). That was bad enough, but if she had been a Native American, she may never have have seen him again. <i>My own father could have grown up in a residential school. </i></p><p>Stories from these schools are nauseating -- regular beatings and repeated rape by residential school staff, starving children as punishment, and a stated policy to "kill the Indian in the child." This happened in North America. This happened in living memory.</p><p>Having recently moved from Canada to the US, my holidays are still feeling jumbled. Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada, but <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/11/us/indigenous-peoples-day-2021-states-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">Indigenous Peoples Day</a> in the US. So today, on Canadian Thanksgiving, I'm reflecting on things that I am thankful and not-so-thankful for in relation to the history of indigenous peoples.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I'm thankful for my students at Prairie College (Three Hills, Alberta) who studied the history of residential schools and presented their findings to our class. You can learn more about the important work of Canada's <a href="https://nctr.ca/?fbclid=IwAR1Wy4MusNzacdZPpF0JW5yiSg2jJbrYbMcwUBMGIIS8NmuvrLLTeHTjG9w" target="_blank">National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation</a> on their website.</li><li>As painful as it was, I am thankful to have had my eyes opened to the darker side of North American history, whose effects are still felt today.</li><li>I'm thankful for growing awareness of this issue, which creates space to grieve together and imagine a different future.</li><li>I'm <u>not thankful</u> for the role the church played in the confiscation of "Indian" children in the US and Canada. Mostly well-meaning folks perpetrated cultural genocide, seeing their own way of life as superior and failing to recognize how the gospel is good news for <i>every </i>culture, not just their own.</li><li>I'm <u>not thankful</u> for how church leaders were able to abuse children with impunity for so long. Lack of accountability put thousands of children at risk, and the generational effects of that trauma on survivors are still being felt. </li><li>I'm <u>not thankful</u> for decades of cover up in white spaces that has continued to silence the voices of indigenous people as they cry out for justice.</li></ul><p></p><p>Reckoning with our shared history is no easy task. Both the US and Canada have a legacy of violent oppression toward indigenous peoples. Most difficult to swallow is the church's role in that legacy. I am not equipped to outline all the ways this has been expressed, but these snapshots offer a glimpse of what I've learned in recent years.</p><p>I leave you with this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7ksfOd8yH0" target="_blank">new song</a> by my friend, Brian Doerksen. Brian lives in British Columbia (and worked with me at Prairie College). In the wake of this summer's discovery of unmarked graves in Kamloops, Brian wrote this song. He recognized the need for us to sit with this hard news, to feel its sorrow, and to weep with those who have been weeping for generations. I'm thankful for his courage.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="367" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1JI857KO3OE" width="481" youtube-src-id="1JI857KO3OE"></iframe></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Carmen Joy Imeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02499732371242456478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-56887406613453163622021-07-07T09:29:00.010-07:002021-11-10T19:52:48.590-08:00A Personal Announcement: My Biola StoryChoosing which college to attend is a big decision. I remember back in high school as I was wrestling through my options, the guidance counselor at my Christian school went on a trip to California to visit several schools. When she returned, she sought me out to say that she had found the perfect place for me: <b>Biola University</b>.<div><br /></div><div>That was 1994.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I was stubborn. I had already made up my mind to go to Multnomah Bible College in Portland, where I planned to study Greek and Missions so I could become a Bible translator. I had my future all planned out.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward to 2021. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizgrA5YBo74P7WGtzj962D14zfD16Pv2D_lkWJwiNuWVsAxIhF_aiEQSVwFjn0-pC_z9RYtMHCYEufKuF9tefpD76kiEQNv_1AL3zxBGMc4OE1-ydM9LGzFfSCH3XLWRUb7iU9-5XDrGz0QayKmj4rgSfXgZyFtOddptcq1W0DAUaI6M7PpwSsfIh86A=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1926" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizgrA5YBo74P7WGtzj962D14zfD16Pv2D_lkWJwiNuWVsAxIhF_aiEQSVwFjn0-pC_z9RYtMHCYEufKuF9tefpD76kiEQNv_1AL3zxBGMc4OE1-ydM9LGzFfSCH3XLWRUb7iU9-5XDrGz0QayKmj4rgSfXgZyFtOddptcq1W0DAUaI6M7PpwSsfIh86A=s320" width="301" /></a></div></div>I've finally come around. I've accepted a job offer from Biola University. I'll be joining their faculty this fall as Associate Professor of Old Testament. This summer we're moving from Alberta, Canada to Southern California. It's a wee bit warmer and a whole lot more crowded. We're in for quite a change!</div><div><br /></div><div>We have loved living in Canada. Three Hills is a friendly town with a lot of charm. Prairie College is a harmonious place to work, with eager students, devoted colleagues, and a solid mission. We've loved our church and our kids' school. But by the time you read this, we'll have said our tearful goodbyes and headed south. We're feeling drawn into this new work. In so many ways, the timing is right.</div><div><br /></div><div>You see, I left out the middle of the story.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2013, I was on the home stretch of my doctoral program. Biola was looking for a professor of OT for the graduate school division of Talbot School of Theology. They specifically wanted someone to teach Hebrew. They urged me to apply. I did, and made it all the way through the process to the campus interview, but felt unsettled about it. Hebrew is not where I shine. I love teaching English Bible classes. And I'm especially fond of freshmen. We also weren't sure about living in California. Our hearts were in Oregon. Precisely then, my dissertation hit a brick wall. I had more work to do than I could possibly finish in time, so I pulled out of the process. But Biola didn't forget about me.</div><div><br /></div><div>That was seven years ago. Since then I finished my dissertation, taught at two of my favorite schools in Oregon (neither of which offered me full-time work), and spent four years investing at Prairie College. When Biola approached me last year about a possible tenure-track position in Old Testament teaching undergraduates, we were ready. Friends, I'll be the first woman in Biola's 113-year history to hold a full-time faculty position in Old Testament. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues during the lengthy application process, and I'm excited to join the team. </div><div><br /></div><div>Biola is a world-class institution offering a robust liberal arts education. <a href="https://www.biola.edu/about" target="_blank">Biola</a> says this about its academic reputation:</div><blockquote><div><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #221f1f; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">U.S. News & World Report</em><span face="proxima-nova, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #221f1f; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"> ranks Biola as a first-tier national university and on its selective list of universities with “Best Undergraduate Teaching.” The Princeton Review includes Biola on its list of “Best Western Colleges.”</span></div></blockquote><div>I am thrilled to get to participate in their <a href="https://www.biola.edu/about/mission" target="_blank">mission</a> of providing "biblically centered education, scholarship and service -- equipping men and women in mind and character to impact the world for the Lord Jesus Christ."</div><div><br /></div><div>Other fun facts: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Biola (1908), Prairie (1923), and Multnomah (1922) were all birthed as part of the Bible College movement. Did you know that BIOLA started as an acronym? It used to stand for Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Biola still offers a strong 30-credit Bible core for every student.</li><li>Biola has nearly as many faculty (200) as Prairie College has students (250), and Biola has more undergraduate students (4000) than Three Hills has residents (3400). In fact, California has more residents (39.5 million) than all of Canada put together (37.5 million)! Quite a change of pace!</li><li>Biola is farther from "home" (Portland, OR) than Prairie is. In case your Canadian geography is rusty, Alberta is directly east of British Colombia and north of Montana. Three Hills, Alberta, is 14.5 hours northeast of Portland, while LA is about 16 hours south. However, we no longer have an international border to cross.</li><li>Because of the pandemic, both of my "campus visits" were online. Biola is very thorough, and there were more than 15 steps to the process, including lots of interviews on Zoom. Thankfully, I spoke in <a href="https://youtu.be/Cjrlx14pxlA" target="_blank">chapel at Biola</a> 18 months ago, before the pandemic hit. I also took our oldest daughter there for a college visit 4 years ago, so I have a pretty good idea what the campus and surrounding area are like.</li><li>Half of my teaching load (two classes each semester) will be BBST 209: History and Literature of the Old Testament. The rest of my classes will be electives, which will allow me to teach in my areas of current research.</li><li>Our home in Three Hills sold in less than 24 hours, with no realtor, no listing, no sign, and only one showing. The new owners had been praying for us for months and felt called to come to Three Hills to work with young adults.</li><li>God provided a condo for us to rent month-to-month while we look for a house to buy. It's in Cerritos, which means "Little Hills" -- so we're moving from Three Hills to Little Hills! This condo will be our 12th address in 23 years of marriage.</li><li>We are STILL eating cherries from our 2017 bumper crop. I wonder <a href="https://carmenjoyimes.blogspot.com/search?q=blueberries" target="_blank">what kind of fruit</a> God will provide in our next home? (Update: lemons and tangerines!)</li></ul></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-19907869881581048462021-06-30T19:29:00.021-07:002021-11-14T17:14:27.178-08:00A Note To Subscribers<p>If you received this blog post in your email inbox, that's because at some point you subscribed to my blog. Thank you! Blogger tells me that the automatic email subscription service is going away. Supposedly, I can access the subscription list, but I haven't been able to do it successfully, so it will be up to you to re-subscribe using the new subscription service links on the side of my blog instead.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlAAN1l8XvT6KPB_RzRxn8geZlLOcqBJPc1cIuf3cp8SdjcqB3AYr6UBI1CnRZuzrYVhg4mdYUvrDy0zknRUg1RbaRP40xubbwIiQ-i8mh-fcMRqoxUOJvvgmJyxTkNhL3pq8DLaimh1AbpyyY6zcXxRHDGyYi0emdtRs4VZvUB7Rk9YRA56_VqSFyHw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlAAN1l8XvT6KPB_RzRxn8geZlLOcqBJPc1cIuf3cp8SdjcqB3AYr6UBI1CnRZuzrYVhg4mdYUvrDy0zknRUg1RbaRP40xubbwIiQ-i8mh-fcMRqoxUOJvvgmJyxTkNhL3pq8DLaimh1AbpyyY6zcXxRHDGyYi0emdtRs4VZvUB7Rk9YRA56_VqSFyHw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kaitlynbaker?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Kaitlyn Baker</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/@kaitlynbaker?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I've been blogging for over 10 years. <p></p><p>I've written over 500 blog posts. </p><p>And this blog has had well over 215,000 views.</p><p>YOU are the reason I keep writing. </p><p>Thanks for reading!</p>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-54820441153440830412021-06-22T08:38:00.001-07:002021-11-14T20:55:58.332-08:00Summer Sale on Seminary Now: 40% Off!<p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last year, just before the pandemic started, I filmed a series of teaching videos for Seminary Now to go along with my book <i>Bearing God's Name: Why Sinai Still Matters. </i>As one of the contributors, I was given access to all of the other content. I went through Ruth Haley Barton's course, <i>Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership. </i>I had read her book several years ago with a group of women in leadership, and it was great to go through her content again. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our family has loved Seminary Now! For family devotions, we've gone through John Walton's <i>Lost World of Genesis One</i>, Sandy Richter's <i>Stewards of Eden</i>, and David Fitch's <i>Faithful Presence. </i>Our 12-year-old has genuinely enjoyed these courses.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking for high-quality resources to equip your leaders and disciple your church? If you haven’t subscribed to Seminary Now yet, take advantage of their biggest sale of the year! </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6da2242c-7fff-a1e0-b41b-edcd5466b94c"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a limited time, save </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">40% off an *annual* subscription</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with discount code ANNUAL40. That’s less than $9 a month!</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This amazing offer expires today, June 22.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><a href="https://seminarynow.com?rfsn=4460421.0a21f3&subid=summer40blog" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sign Up</span></a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYTp09fhW_vxFf0SbzOmL5wBZzxQP6RnBE0U1iXXeijEnmy1ZNtHhUsJF6-bpVoPSZM66bL6VCgH3ZSyAkfoKRTIA5foTANRFAT1W1QDi8PpjHs2PRtVqwrUHloVgHP7IZoyxFrtw2676rTk8lH3j1hC9JMsEMlH6YVYOfFLLMQAoCMXFeOC8uirtjPg=s1638" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1638" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYTp09fhW_vxFf0SbzOmL5wBZzxQP6RnBE0U1iXXeijEnmy1ZNtHhUsJF6-bpVoPSZM66bL6VCgH3ZSyAkfoKRTIA5foTANRFAT1W1QDi8PpjHs2PRtVqwrUHloVgHP7IZoyxFrtw2676rTk8lH3j1hC9JMsEMlH6YVYOfFLLMQAoCMXFeOC8uirtjPg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2qVVkw-R65g/YNIDYiVXFPI/AAAAAAAAEWg/UcNrHoL_yBMJhYbZZN1tQ79I49mQpRfrACLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>Seminary Now</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a new streaming video platform with courses from today’s leading professors and authors. In addition to those listed above, Seminary Now offers courses by Scot McKnight, Nijay Gupta, Brenda Salter McNeil, Robert Chao Romero, Lynn Cohick, Tish Harrison Warren, Tremper Longman, and Esau McCaulley. Like Netflix or Masterclass, subscribers get unlimited access to all courses—available on smart phone, tablet, and TV devices. Most courses are presented as 10 episodes of less than 15 minutes each, making them ideal for family devotions, personal enrichment, or small group learning.</span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GET SEMINARY NOW FOR YOUR CHURCH</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The high-quality content and easy accessibility make Seminary Now an excellent resource for training your leaders and discipling your church. A church subscription to Seminary Now provides: </span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">logins for church staff and lay leaders to complete certificate tracks </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">engaging, relevant content for small groups and Sunday school classes</span></p></li></ul><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This month only: 20% off a church subscription (expires June 30). Complete </span><a href="https://seminarynow.com/pages/connect?rfsn=4460421.0a21f3&subid=summer40blog" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this form</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to get church or group pricing. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comment below to let me know which course you want to take first! Or, if you're a subscriber, I'd love to hear which course has been your favorite and why.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-71736718878313319922021-06-10T20:47:00.001-07:002021-11-14T17:18:24.533-08:00Introducing a New Devotional Resource on the Psalms<p>Until recent decades, the Psalms have been a mainstay for individual and corporate prayer for Christians. For 2000 years, churches sang and prayed the Psalms so frequently that many Christians knew them by heart. In some traditions (Catholic, Anglican, Christian Reformed, to name a few), this is still the case. But for the vast majority of us who identify as Evangelical Protestants, the Psalms have dropped off our radar.</p><p>In our clamor for the latest worship songs, we have lost sight of one of the most precious resources of our historic faith. We cherish the fact that we can come to God just as we are, but our "vocabulary" is rather limited. We naturally gravitate toward certain language and certain topics when we pray. To be frank, our prayers often become unimaginative and dull. Believers can still value the authenticity that comes from spontaneous prayer, while expanding our language for prayer by praying the Psalms.</p><p>I'm delighted to share with you a new devotional resource that I hope will strengthen our collective prayer muscles and provide companionship on our spiritual journey. <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Psalms-Augustine-Friends-Carmen/dp/1955424020/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MF22AU1157Q&dchild=1&keywords=praying+the+psalms+with+augustine+and+friends&qid=1623381148&sprefix=praying+the+psalms+with+%2Caps%2C417&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends</a> </i>is an anthology of devotional reflections on the Psalms by over two dozen early Christian writers. I've selected a few paragraphs on each psalm by a wide range of voices spanning the first 15 centuries of the church -- Augustine, John Calvin, Gertrude the Great, Mary Sidney Herbert, and many others. Most, if not all, of these writers prayed through the Psalms regularly and would have known them by heart. I found their words inspiring, challenging, and enlightening, and I hope you do, too.</p><p>Does your prayer life feel anemic? Are you hungry for a deeper connection with God? Consider joining me this summer in praying through the Psalms. <i>Praying the Psalms</i> contains a reading plan that will take you through the entire book of Psalms in eight weeks by reading and praying just three psalms a day. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXKlrUmI-urDtiIyIR1hRdqv9XpZIBtyWYgVx8IamjAgZFSdR_gF3D9DUqeuTgoVbPK7Rt2mcgDa3-dnRsacxjLk_2I2HFooqNYyn_nTbGtGH5HJMpFYjzriiBXxIJHRoZnIGKxxClNdVKSTiHUEVhcOuQPc83R8XLqGM2pUmn5PPEODrdh5jcYTyWMQ=s1360" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXKlrUmI-urDtiIyIR1hRdqv9XpZIBtyWYgVx8IamjAgZFSdR_gF3D9DUqeuTgoVbPK7Rt2mcgDa3-dnRsacxjLk_2I2HFooqNYyn_nTbGtGH5HJMpFYjzriiBXxIJHRoZnIGKxxClNdVKSTiHUEVhcOuQPc83R8XLqGM2pUmn5PPEODrdh5jcYTyWMQ=s320" width="207" /></a></div><p></p><p>Option 1: Read the Psalms.</p><p>Option 2: Read the Psalms along with these devotional reflections.</p>The devotional is <i>not </i>meant to replace the Psalms, but to be read alongside them. I've set aside June 14 to August 14 to read the Psalms with you. That's 9 weeks, so there's grace built in if life gets crazy and you fall behind. <div><br /></div><div>All of the Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics are divided into eight "chapters" so that they are easy to read with a group over eight weeks. Each chapter has discussion questions. And each week, you'll find a free companion video on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRU48Cn6E5iggsrMn3cdR_Q" target="_blank">Sacred Roots YouTube channel</a> in which I introduce the next "chapter" of the book. Here's my introduction to the series:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="307" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5pVTfLeHiXI" width="551" youtube-src-id="5pVTfLeHiXI"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /><p>If you plan to join us in reading through the Psalms, I'd love to hear about your experience! Comment below to let me know that you're joining us. Could you recruit a friend or two to join you? </p><p>This volume is the first in the Sacred Roots Spiritual Classics series funded by the Lilly Foundation. The series is one dimension of the Sacred Roots Thriving in Ministry project led by Hank Voss of Taylor University, which seeks to connect under-resourced pastors with the riches of our historic faith. You can learn more about the larger project on the <a href="https://www.sacredrootsministry.org/" target="_blank">Sacred Roots website</a>. The Lilly Foundation covered the cost of producing the first 16 volumes, so all the income from sales of the book will fund a second series of spiritual classics. You can order a copy of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Praying-Psalms-Augustine-Friends-Carmen/dp/1955424020/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3MF22AU1157Q&dchild=1&keywords=praying+the+psalms+with+augustine+and+friends&qid=1623381148&sprefix=praying+the+psalms+with+%2Caps%2C417&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Praying the Psalms</a> </i>on Amazon. </p><p>I hope this is a rich summer for all of us as we expand our prayer language and practice bringing our whole selves into the presence of God</p><p><br /></p></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7126343678626870694.post-56361507630308296802021-04-13T16:10:00.002-07:002021-11-14T20:59:57.268-08:00Best Books for Academics Learning Their Craft<p>So you have your PhD. Now what? If you're fortunate enough to land a job, even a contingent one, how do you transition from slaving away at a dissertation in the bowels of the library to joining a faculty and standing at a lectern? The books below have helped me navigate this transition. I wish I could share them with every academic I know. </p><p>Disclaimer: I didn't set out to write a commercial for InterVarsity Press. IVP just happens to consistently hit home runs by publishing books that I want to read! They aren't paying me to write this. I'm sharing it in hopes that these books can help you reach your full potential.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGJz9StcGcbEoiHMVsK8rahjbZo8Mb85_9HZbk2NTU-TkrkslR6P9PbtY1OdbOC52HQq3y1uZ1Qci7ei8Gq9ZEUfSs7sxxj_vTJvWygmkyFAp4iQO9PuFedXAP-im-iIOIQf0btu7U9-YxCnWCXNxIyA8O_ZSeIDdyHtqNZWP_NE_6CgbZRLAhNJha3Q=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGJz9StcGcbEoiHMVsK8rahjbZo8Mb85_9HZbk2NTU-TkrkslR6P9PbtY1OdbOC52HQq3y1uZ1Qci7ei8Gq9ZEUfSs7sxxj_vTJvWygmkyFAp4iQO9PuFedXAP-im-iIOIQf0btu7U9-YxCnWCXNxIyA8O_ZSeIDdyHtqNZWP_NE_6CgbZRLAhNJha3Q=s320" width="207" /></a></div>Trying to engage a classroom of 18-year olds is a far cry from spending long hours in the library laboring over a dissertation. Mike Kibbe (Great Northern) gets this, and he's written a wonderful guide to navigating the transition from what you've been trained to do (i.e., research and write) and what you're now hired to do (i.e., captivate students and help them learn). <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/from-research-to-teaching" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">From Research to Teaching: A Guide to Beginning Your Classroom Career </a>(IVP 2021) should be required reading for every newly minted PhD in Bible, theology, and related disciplines. Honestly, I couldn't put it down. Mike writes with candor and teaches with creativity. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr3epTZa77c-QvnnwAJH9z8Bj2R4ZTtJRHk7neLqsIOA-hIdglOK6mSMr42tyAe96q99vZ3Vy2OleYqVeqjl2lfyOlkb-qeX5F3wCwmoMQZZnr2HppYNPBIKnHlrZjsypnV9wEMzwoyEG9485pSzan35F9rFbD5RFyDe4qPo9Ifvx8fGW1UgbgSECrEQ=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgr3epTZa77c-QvnnwAJH9z8Bj2R4ZTtJRHk7neLqsIOA-hIdglOK6mSMr42tyAe96q99vZ3Vy2OleYqVeqjl2lfyOlkb-qeX5F3wCwmoMQZZnr2HppYNPBIKnHlrZjsypnV9wEMzwoyEG9485pSzan35F9rFbD5RFyDe4qPo9Ifvx8fGW1UgbgSECrEQ=s320" width="207" /></a></div>I'm 5 years in to the teaching profession, and I still believe it's the #bestjobintheworld. However, its rhythms and challenges are so unique that only an experienced insider can help someone like me find sustainable ways to navigate the academic year. Christina Bieber Lake (Wheaton) is the faculty mentor I wish I had in real life. <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/the-flourishing-teacher" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Flourishing Teacher: Vocational Renewaal for a Sacred Profession</a> (IVP 2020) procedes month by month through the academic year, offering honest reflections and sage advice. I have savored each month's chapter for most of this school year. Last weekend I indulged myself by reading to the very end. What a gift to help me find perspective and cultivate joy in the journey!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh56MClgxH9uKgnLTJ01hlrGSC9PX9_AEvobu0rDap4Zea0wZkHe1xMD_kPTnpwGGWR3LqYQs76MufmmL7-n2dmEB5GyQ8XSwTZ2ZHjDh4ROVEAkc5o9GdlwdQiLpBs7BYYTYYcIceFbC_locuwnY_mEDF6_Yxv6efarXHRI9Syh-cQuh5MTfpucY6DWA=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh56MClgxH9uKgnLTJ01hlrGSC9PX9_AEvobu0rDap4Zea0wZkHe1xMD_kPTnpwGGWR3LqYQs76MufmmL7-n2dmEB5GyQ8XSwTZ2ZHjDh4ROVEAkc5o9GdlwdQiLpBs7BYYTYYcIceFbC_locuwnY_mEDF6_Yxv6efarXHRI9Syh-cQuh5MTfpucY6DWA=s320" width="214" /></a></div>THIS<i> </i>is the book I wish I'd had ten years ago. <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/power-women" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Power Women: Stories of Motherhood, Faith, and the Academy</a> (IVP 2021) is a collection of essays by academic mothers about how they've navigated the dual callings of raising children and being a professor -- simultaneously. <b>Men, before you tune out, you need this book, too, especially if you work in academic administration</b>. This book will show you proven ways to recruit and retain female faculty in your institution. It's a treasure trove of ideas for how to help academic moms flourish. I had no women to model for me how to get an MA with small children, and few who could strategize with me about how to navigate a PhD with school-aged children. I am currently the only academic mom at my institution. How many other women out there are alone and need support? <i>Power Women </i>is a wonderful first step. Editors Nancy Wang Yuen (Biola) and Deshonna Collier-Goubil (Azusa) have done us a great service by bringing us the voices of a diverse group of women who have approached the quest for work-life balance in unique ways.</div><div><br /><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrfqf03b2O0TyTgs7wLd5MNokXSFoiy_WbDP7mu5dD-CaMr4HIaxpnFKsqOGhsc9akc3pUqBrrOdbtEbq6ftxeOQhEBn-rawibQOnwbnmYQfl7ljD4l40H7RFi6BmAafsRDNB5rTMKn4PBQbBjSHn91XuTkwSwu_EC1M8EzZX9FWOPcjCYgQscIiyIGg=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrfqf03b2O0TyTgs7wLd5MNokXSFoiy_WbDP7mu5dD-CaMr4HIaxpnFKsqOGhsc9akc3pUqBrrOdbtEbq6ftxeOQhEBn-rawibQOnwbnmYQfl7ljD4l40H7RFi6BmAafsRDNB5rTMKn4PBQbBjSHn91XuTkwSwu_EC1M8EzZX9FWOPcjCYgQscIiyIGg=s320" width="214" /></a></div>Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality</i> (IVP 2019) is a winsome guide written by one of IVP's star editors, Andrew T. Le Peau. His practical advice<i> </i>will revitalize your writing. Not everyone senses a calling or desire to write, but in most educational institutions it's a must. Writing is the currency of the academy -- the surest path to tenure, to impacting your field, to building a brand, and to reaching a broader audience with important ideas. Learn to do it well.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaFUIAxBOhpqJfu4nN_xX7gMVJzmYSO37BhA_B7zBMMHRnfsAintUnulTpJtLBtmqpNGKJ7UhSWKyukq2kkXJgl76nm3HwOGBwYUbl3lEGPY1uks2_U_qWoVZCkFJE4x-h_4uV5-sDWTr71gJc8jalRWjSDwnKKpU7-EGG8hAygJSDsn4lDrUhaP2A4A=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaFUIAxBOhpqJfu4nN_xX7gMVJzmYSO37BhA_B7zBMMHRnfsAintUnulTpJtLBtmqpNGKJ7UhSWKyukq2kkXJgl76nm3HwOGBwYUbl3lEGPY1uks2_U_qWoVZCkFJE4x-h_4uV5-sDWTr71gJc8jalRWjSDwnKKpU7-EGG8hAygJSDsn4lDrUhaP2A4A=s320" width="214" /></a></div>I read <i><a href="https://www.ivpress.com/institutional-intelligence" target="_blank">Institutional Intelligence: How to Build an Effective Organization</a> </i>(IVP 2017)<i> </i>when I transitioned from adjunct to full-time faculty. I wanted to know how to serve effectively in my institution. Gordon T. Smith is president of Ambrose University in Calgary. He has a keen sense of how to lead well and how to help others learn to lead well. Every generation has a tendency to try to re-invent the wheel, but lasting change comes through healthy institutions. My own passion will give out in time. A healthy institution harnesses the passion of a whole team and makes it last a generation or more. Though most professors would not identify the faculty meeting as the highlight of their week, a well-led faculty meeting can be a tangible generator of lasting change. I blogged about this book over at <i><a href="https://thewell.intervarsity.org/arts-books-and-media/changing-world-one-faculty-meeting-time" target="_blank">The Well</a> </i>if you'd like to learn more.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPHwLfDAoCsQrOunG3JmEVJr-tisU630TqNRrkGu2WVtlGyheQqSmdLYMuAYd962BXI3ekVlmDTv1EOK7nkvAFdDGV9KgvorRCm9vtTonF4u3OIUMxX6OGiXfgjpUYSrZehFvTECdwi3QVrbljlu6jo10Tth0rvIlJvtBbQ5yuGAg7o9MFVquI33YGCQ=s550" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPHwLfDAoCsQrOunG3JmEVJr-tisU630TqNRrkGu2WVtlGyheQqSmdLYMuAYd962BXI3ekVlmDTv1EOK7nkvAFdDGV9KgvorRCm9vtTonF4u3OIUMxX6OGiXfgjpUYSrZehFvTECdwi3QVrbljlu6jo10Tth0rvIlJvtBbQ5yuGAg7o9MFVquI33YGCQ=s320" width="214" /></a></div>Gary Burge (Wheaton) has been around the block a few times. Looking back at a productive career, he reflects on distinct seasons of his own life in which priorities shifted and new goals coalesced. Where <i>The Flourishing Teacher </i>is a month-by-month guide to the academic year, Burge's book delivers on its title: <a href="https://www.ivpress.com/mapping-your-academic-career" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Mapping Your Academic Career: Charting the Course of a Professor's Life</a> (IVP 2015). It takes a much longer view and identifies the promises and pitfalls of each decade. I plan to keep this handy throughout my career.<p></p><p>Do you have another favorite that I haven't listed here? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. I never want to stop improving at the art of being a professor!</p></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2