Category Archives: Worship

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

Orthodox Alexithymia and Unorthodox Sentimentalism

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

The issue of ‘orthodox alexithymia’ has resurfaced in a number of contexts online over the last few days. Richard Beck describes what he means by this term: What I’m describing here might be captured by the tag “orthodox alexithymia.” By “orthodox” … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Society, Theological, Theology, Worship | 36 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

The Psalms in Worship

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

Ben Myers has some wonderful thoughts on the place and importance of the Psalms in worship: I sometimes worry that our hymnbooks – where you have a more or less arbitrary selection of songs, arranged by various doctrinal and liturgical … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christian Experience, OT, Psalms, The Church, Theological, Worship | Leave a comment

Scripture as Performance

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Alastair Roberts

During my absence over Lent, a couple of guest posts of mine on the subject of Scripture were posted over on A Borrowed Flame. They give a rough sketch of some thoughts on a different way to approach and think … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Guest Post, Worship | 1 Comment

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

The Primacy of the Imagination

Posted on July 14, 2007 by Alastair Roberts

Reformed Christians have traditionally tended to operate in terms of the primacy of the intellect. Even when we deny that we are doing so, our worship and the message that we preach are primarily directed at the mind. Much of … Continue reading →

Posted in The Church, Theological, Worship | 25 Comments

Against the Youth-Driven Church

Posted on May 31, 2007 by Alastair Roberts

This video has been posted by a number of people in the blogosphere. Like most others, I strongly disagree with this guy in a number of areas and believe that his argument against the Emerging Church is riddled with problems. … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, The Blogosphere, Video, Worship | 14 Comments