Category Archives: The Sacraments

Guest Post on the Body in Leviticus

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

I have guest posted over on The Big Bible Project, on the subject of lessons that we can learn from the significance given to the body in the book of Leviticus: The book of Leviticus has been the death of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christian Experience, Guest Post, Leviticus, On the web, OT, OT Theology, Sacramental Theology, The Blogosphere, The Sacraments, Theological, Theology | 4 Comments

The Cup of the Adulteress: Understanding the Jealousy Ritual of Numbers 5

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

The ritual of jealousy in Numbers 5:11-31 is a law that disturbs and perplexes many people. Many regard it as if it were some bizarre and ridiculous process lying somewhere between a superstitious magical ceremony, a Jeremy Kyle paternity test, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, NT Theology, Numbers, OT, OT Theology, Sacramental Theology, The Atonement, The Atonement, The Sacraments, Theological, Theology, Worship | 59 Comments

Very Rough and Rambling Jottings on the Church and Social Media

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Having spent a considerable proportion of my life online, the nature and influence of online media upon our modes of thinking and relating are subjects upon which I have frequently reflected. Within this post I wanted to raise a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Ethics, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological, Worship | 11 Comments

Sex and Death on the Threshing Floor

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

A friend asked me yesterday about the significant of the threshing floor in Scripture. I briefly sketched a response to his enquiry, but thought that it would be good to fill out this response in the following post. Perhaps some … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Deuteronomy, NT, NT Theology, OT, OT Theology, Ruth, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological | 27 Comments

The Hidden Functions of Religion

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

In The Sacraments: The Word of God at the Mercy of the Body (not the same book as I am currently summarizing), Louis-Marie Chauvet has a fascinating diagram illustrating some of the psychological and social advantages that people can seek … Continue reading →

Posted in The Church, The Sacraments, Theological | 3 Comments

Introversion and Why Evangelicalism is Doing It Wrong

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Introversion In a recent interview for Scientific American, Susan Cain claims that American society is biased in favour of extroversion. Cataloguing some of the ways in which introverts can be marginalized and their skills underappreciated, she argues that this results … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Experience, Culture, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological, Worship | 43 Comments

‘Symbol and Sacrament’ Chapter 7: Sacrament and Ethics

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Symbol and Sacrament Posts: Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2:I, Chapter 2:II, Chapter 3, Chapter 4:I, Chapter 4:II, Chapter 5, Chapter 6 Chauvet frames his seventh chapter with the question: ‘How can we avoid the temptation to oppose ethical practice and ritual practice without yielding to the reverse temptation … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, My Reading, Reviews, The Sacraments, Theological, Worship | 10 Comments

‘Symbol and Sacrament’ Chapter 6: Scripture and Sacrament

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Symbol and Sacrament Posts: Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2:I, Chapter 2:II, Chapter 3, Chapter 4:I, Chapter 4:II, Chapter 5, Chapter 7 Having established a model for the structure of Christian identity in the previous chapter, Chauvet proceeds to explore the interrelationships of the various elements of the … Continue reading →

Posted in My Reading, Reviews, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological, Worship | 11 Comments

‘Symbol and Sacrament’ Chapter 5: The Structure of Christian Identity

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Symbol and Sacrament Posts: Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2:I, Chapter 2:II, Chapter 3, Chapter 4:I, Chapter 4:II, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 Chauvet has now established the philosophical foundation for his larger project. Now he will turn more directly to the sacraments themselves. The guiding questions will be: … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Experience, My Reading, Reviews, The Church, The Sacraments, Theological | 11 Comments

‘Symbol and Sacrament’ Chapter 4:II: Language and the Body

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Symbol and Sacrament Posts: Introduction, Chapter 1, Chapter 2:I, Chapter 2:II, Chapter 3, Chapter 4:I, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 The Act of Symbolization To illustrate the act of symbolization, Chauvet gives the example of two secret agents who are given two irregular halves of a five-dollar … Continue reading →

Posted in My Reading, Reviews, The Sacraments, Theological | 11 Comments