Karen Keen

Playing in the Dust by David Runcorn

Occasionally, the internet yields good fruit, and one of those is the opportunity to meet different sorts of people we would never encounter otherwise, especially if they live overseas. The digital world introduced me to Rev. David Runcorn, a retired Anglican priest in the UK. We recently learned of each other’s work and connected via Facebook and email. A prolific writer, Runcorn’s latest book is Playing in the Dust: A Pilgrimage with the Creation Stories. […]

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Book Reviews

Discover Theology Lab

A church in the northeast is up to good stuff lately. I accidentally came across Highrock Covenant Church last year when either Beth Allison Barr (The Making of Biblical Womanhood) or Kristin Du Mez (Jesus and John Wayne) posted on Twitter about speaking for a series on American Evangelicalism. I had been pondering my faith heritage within evangelicalism for several years, and certainly since 2016, trying to make sense of it.  So, I eagerly signed

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Leaders Living Well, Reading Scripture

Overcoming the Guilt of Saying No

I had planned to attend a one-day leadership conference today. It has an impressive line-up of speakers and a range of topics I am excited about, things like “Practices of Leading for the Long Haul” and “Leading with Resilience.” Another presentation covers “Mental Health and Resilience in Ministry.” It’s exactly what I need right now. So, why am I not there? Truth be told, I’m exhausted. I couldn’t bring myself to make the four-hour round-trip

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Leaders Living Well

A Leopard Tamed by Eleanor Vandevort

I grew up on missionary stories. My bookshelf was full of them, and they inspired my dreams that, one day, I would follow in the footsteps of these godly heroes.  Foreign mission work was a rare avenue open to women in my conservative Christian world, and I had no doubt God had called me to full-time service. But missing from my bookshelf was a story published in 1968 called A Leopard Tamed by Eleanor “Van”

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Book Reviews
Zone of Interest picture.

Why You Should Watch The Zone of Interest

Last night, I watched the Oscar-winning film The Zone of Interest, and I can still feel it in my gut. It taps into present concerns as I survey the political and social landscape of my country and the world at large. Theologically, the film reminds us of what many religions have long asserted—depravity lurks in the human heart. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:1-12; NIV; see also Isa 53). Human atrocity

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Film Reviews
Film cover of Book of Clarence

The Book of Clarence by Jeymes Samuel

At first, I didn’t want to watch The Book of Clarence (2023). A hasty glance at the description made me assume the film would regurgitate low budget movies on the life of Jesus, except using Black actors this time. But my spouse thought it looked intriguing, so we watched it last night. And I’m glad we did. The film is thought-provoking and creative, presenting the gospel in a way that shatters tired and redundant versions.

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Film Reviews

How to Practice Digital Minimalism

One of the best books I’ve read lately is Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (which I reviewed previously). I’m now practicing what he preached, having almost completed the thirty-day break from social media to discern my philosophy of technology. In what ways do my values guide why and how I use tech? Turning Reflex into Intentionality Two things I noticed right away as I unplugged: first, relief from the constant stimulation of scrolling and, paradoxically,

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Leaders Living Well

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

When two different friends on the same day recommended Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, I immediately bought the book. Not only because it came recommended, but also because the title was calling my name. I have a love/hate relationship with social media and other tech. Social media, particularly, has caused me problems: anxiety, loss of time, distractability, and difficulty reading books (even though books are my passion). I often want

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Book Reviews

Ethics In Ancient Israel by John Barton

John Barton is one of the foremost scholars on ethics in ancient Israel and his book on the topic,  Ethics in Ancient Israel, is well worth picking up. John Barton has been working in the realm of ethics and the Old Testament since his dissertation days in the 1970s. His book is a much needed and valuable contribution to biblical studies. Scholarship in ethics and the Old Testament typically take one of two forms: study

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Book Reviews, Ethics

A Few Thoughts on Faith and Historical Criticism

Recently, I wrote an article for Logia’s blog entitled, “How Historical Criticism Challenged My Faith . . . Then Strengthened It.” Commonly, when graduate students from evangelical backgrounds continue their studies in theology and the Bible, they encounter truths they didn’t know before, facts that can be unsettling at first. In the article, I share my own journey (as much as one can in a short blog post). If you or anyone you know has

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Reading Scripture, Resilient Faith

Noah by Darren Aronofsky & Ari Handel

Have you seen the movie Noah starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly? Given my interest in Old Testament reception history, I could not pass it up. How would two Jewish men today interpret this flood story? The Genesis account itself is a product of unique Israelite interpretation of a common ancient Near Eastern narrative. The story appeared in ancient texts long before Genesis was written. But, the biblical authors offer their own theological perspective on

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Film Reviews

The Bible Made Impossible by Christian Smith

I recently read Christian Smith’s book The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture (2012) published by Brazos Press. It critiques a form of biblical interpretation that too often treats the Bible in a wooden and rule book fashion, thereby diminishing the richness of Scripture. Having grown up in fundamentalism, I understand the problem he is describing. At the same time, I often felt he did not capture important

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture
Book link to Peter Enns's book The Bible Tells Me So

The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns

How do we make sense of difficult passages in the Bible? What about the violence or apparent contradictions? Peter Enns addresses these concerns in his book The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It. Enns is concerned that instead of honest engagement with Scripture some Christian thinkers make unreasonable attempts to cover up or explain away the challenges. He specifically sees this occurring among those who treat the

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture

Three Reviews: Ethics and Old Testament Violence

Numerous books have been published in recent years addressing challenging passages in the Old Testament. Many of them have focused on the Israelite conquest of Canaan, while others discuss a palette of “problems.” In this post I review three books that engage these challenges. I especially consider how they handle violence in the Old Testament. Book 1: Paul Copan and Matthew Flannagan, Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God

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Book Reviews, Ethics, Reading Scripture

Divine Scripture in Human Understanding by Joe Gordon

One of my research interests, and one I am currently writing on for publication for Eerdmans, is the origins, nature, and useful interpretation of Scripture. Well, I guess that is more like three research interests! But I like to contemplate them together, as they intertwine. Origins helps us to know what the Bible is and what it is helps us to know how to meaningfully use it. So, whenever possible I pick up books on

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture

The Jesus Way: Practicing the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises by Karen Keen

I first became captivated by the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises while going through my spiritual direction training program about ten years ago. I was drawn to this 500 year old contemplation on the life of Jesus that invites us to discern God’s path for our lives. When doctoral studies took me to Marquette University, a Jesuit institution, it gave me the unique opportunity to receive further training in the practice. At the time, I was serving

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Book Reviews

What Is Your Picture of God?

Who is God? What do you imagine this Divine Being is like? Your picture of God is likely shaped by a variety of factors, including what you were taught in your faith community, the way clergy modeled themselves, your relationship with parents, or significant life events. These can intersect with each other. For example, you might have learned to view God as a father based on Scriptures that use this metaphor. This in turn is

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Resilient Faith

Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?

“You Asked” is a blog series that answers questions people have submitted to Karen via e-mail or asked in person that relates to the faith life or Scripture. Question: “I wonder if you could provide some of your thoughts on how one should interpret eternal punishment in the Bible? . . . Like many others, I cannot imagine how a loving God would like to see those who have failed to repent to end up

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Resilient Faith

Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch by John Webster

John Webster provides a helpful contribution to the discussion on the inspiration of the Bible in Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch. He provides a much needed look at the role of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology) that is missing in some of the discussions on the nature of Scripture. Webster roots his views of Scripture in a doctrine of God as saving presence (39). He emphasizes the importance of understanding the Bible as Holy Scripture, and

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture

Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns

In Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament. Peter Enns proposes an incarnational model for understanding how the Bible was inspired by God. Just as Jesus is 100% divine and 100% human, so also the Bible is both divine and human (17). Jesus was “God with us.” Even though he is divine, he took on human flesh and all the cultural trappings of this world. In the same way, the Bible

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture

When Death Comes Too Soon

During Lent this year, death hovered near. My friend Bill, a beloved pastor in the community, underwent chemo for an unexpected brain tumor. The spouse of someone I provide spiritual care for was suddenly hospitalized. And well-known Christian writer, Rachel Held Evans was placed in a medically induced coma after the flu took a dangerous turn. On Holy Saturday I mentioned each of them in a tweet and pleaded, “This Holy Saturday I am crying

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Resilient Faith

Sacred Word Broken Word by Kenton Sparks

In his book, Sacred Word Broken Word, Kenton Sparks proposes an “adoptionist” model for understanding how God speaks to us in Scripture. He writes, “Scripture is God’s Word because God providentially adopted ancient human beings, like Paul, as his spokespersons. In doing so God ‘set apart’ or ‘sanctified’ their words for use in his redemptive activity” (29, 156). Interestingly, he chooses a 2nd century heresy as an analogy. Adoptionism denies that Jesus was eternally pre-existent

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Book Reviews, Reading Scripture

Rabbi Green on the Bible and “Halakhah”

In my Old Testament class at the local community college I teach students about Israelite law in its ancient Near Eastern context, as well as the meaning of biblical law in Christian and Jewish tradition today. In this brief three minute video, Rabbi Arthur Green provides a lovely discussion of how he understands the law texts in relation to faith and practice. The word “halakhah” is the word used in the Jewish community to refer

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Ethics, Reading Scripture

Doubt: When You’re Not Sure What You Believe

Several years ago, I was walking down the street on an ordinary day when suddenly a thought inserted itself out of the blue: What if there is no God? Given that I was not pondering the subject at the time, the intruding thought felt strangely self-animating. But rather than disturbing me, I felt relieved. My body began to relax and an exhilarating sense of freedom washed over me. I was surprised by my reaction. Why

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Resilient Faith

World So Full

I recently came across a song called “World So Full” by Jon Dee Graham. It is covered below by Gloria Showalter who writes, “My major is Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, which means that many of my classes deal with some of the worst stuff in the world. My four years here at Goshen College have been challenging as I look at the pain of the world in my academic study, and in my own

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Resilient Faith

Never Heard of Spiritual Direction?

If you have never heard of Spiritual Direction before, you are not alone. Not too many years ago, I was in the same boat. I first learned about the practice through a woman at my church who had been trained by the Mercy Center in Burlingame, California. When I began to meet with Bonnie all I knew was I needed to talk to someone about my doubts, fears, and hopes for the future. I felt

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Resilient Faith