My Christmas Prensents

Sadly, even after threats of suicide, shameless pleading, hours of sulking etc., Anja still wasn't persuaded to buy me Barth's entire Church Dogmatics (she muttered something about moving out if I had the nerve), but I was glad to have been given instead:

1. My Struggle for Freedom (Continuum, 2004), by Hans Küng.

2. The Drama of Doctrine: A Canonical-linguistic Approach to Christian Theology (Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), by Kevin J. Vanhoozer
3. The new Hurtado book: How On Earth Did Jesus Become a God?: Historical Questions About Earliest Devotion to Jesus (Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2005)


4. And finally, and most profound and thought-provoking of all, the entire 4 series DVD set of Blackadder – British comedy at its very best. If you haven't seen these, you really are missing something.

Emil Brunner

Speaking of Jim West, I would refer my readers to his recent and enjoyable posts on Emil Brunner whose works I have been reading through myself recently. I have thus far found Brunner so stimulating because as well as being intellectually engaging, it is also material that can be preached and prayed through. On top of that, he writes with conviction and passion, like a man who really believes what he's speaking about. I like that. In my opinion, and this is only my opinion, there is nothing worse than a damp-squid with a pen who doesn't appear to actually believe a word he writes – but I wont mention any names (Tillich). Theologically, I have found Brunner's take on universalism most helpful, even if not entirely satisfactory (cf. pg 53 of Bauckham's article now posted free on Rob Bradshaw's blog!). Jim's posts in chronological order:

a. Emil Brunner (intro)
b. a book recommendation that overviews Brunner
c. The ultimate theological audience
d. Brunner on revelation and reason
e. Brunner on anthropology
f. and Brunner and Mozart

"Alle Kreatur ist nicht nur durch das Wort, sondern für das Wort, und eben darin zum Bilde Gottes geschaffen ("All of creation isn't only through the Word, but also for the Word, and as such created in God's image") ... Wir sind, was wir von Gott hören ("We are what we hear from God")"

Brunner, Gott und Mensch, 55.

First test

For the frame, template etc.