Two days before Christmas, a minor voice from the New Testament speaks out. Squeezed obscurely between Timothy and Philemon, not large players themselves, Titus has a voice worth listening to: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation [health, integrity, wholeness] to all… Two days out from Christmas, Titus reminds us that, ultimately, a giftContinue reading “Advent Voices: Titus tantalises”
Tag Archives: salvation
Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Finale)
We survived the panel! The three of us briefly summarised our previous presentations and then fielded questions, challenges and positions from the 40 or so gathered. These ranged from the philosophical to the pragmatic. 90 minutes later we had to draw a line under the energised and enthusiastic public discussion. If it had an overallContinue reading “Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Finale)”
Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 3)
Neville can be counted on for controversy. Eschewing Augustine for Irenaeus (“The glory of God is every creature fully alive”), Neville’s brief was to explore a projection of “the salvation of the human species.” He proceeded with Frank Fenner, the Australian microbiologist who pioneered the eradication of smallpox who said “The human species is likelyContinue reading “Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 3)”
Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 2)
Does popular culture have its own way of addressing theological constructs? We briefly considered three movies to see how they handled preoccupation with the tension between determinism and free-will – “salvation” being seen in terms of liberation from controlling forces, be they personal or institutional. You can check out for yourself the reviews of Groundhog Day,Continue reading “Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 2)”
Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 1)
This is the subtitle of the “Salvation Today” Lent series cooked up by my local Uniting Church colleagues and myself. I did promise some context for yesterday’s “Saving puppies from a runaway train” conundrum. In the wake of the visit of evolutionary theologian, Bruce Sanguin, we pondered the meaning of “salvation”, a word more oftenContinue reading “Universal truth or ultimate self-indulgence? (Part 1)”
Wondering Pilgrim 