Mike Wittmer

Category: Theology

  • creation and evolution

    Last Monday the seminary hosted John Walton for a provocative discussion on what the Bible, and in his talks specifically Genesis 1-2, says about creation. I think about Walton’s thesis like I think about the New Perspective on Paul—I like what it is for but not what it is against. I gladly add Walton’s functional…

  • St. Patrick’s Day

    I have never understood why people get so excited about St. Patrick’s Day. The only thing that makes any sense is that its closest competitors are President’s Day and Groundhog Day, so maybe people are looking for a reason to get sloshed. But my student, Todd Frederick, just passed me this video about St. Patrick…

  • witty Barth

    I was reading “Reminiscences of Karl Barth” by John Godsey in the Princeton Seminary Bulletin, ns. 23, no. 3 (2002):  313-24, and came across a funny story that illustrates Barth’s quick wit. “After the service in a parish church where Barth had been preaching one Sunday, he was met at the door by a man…

  • historic day

    The pope resigned today, which has to turn out better than last time. Last time began with what historians call the “The Babylonian Captivity of the Church” (1305-77), which began when King Philip IV of France imprisoned and abused the 86 year old Pope Boniface, who died in a sack on his way to France.…

  • mysterious mystery

    This is my second post on the superb new book by Steven Boyer and Christopher Hall, The Mystery of God. Steve sent me a link to their book’s website for those who want to learn more, and you really should. I want to blog mostly through the specific issues that occupy the second half of…

  • deja vu all over again

    I saw in the paper yesterday that Rob Bell will begin his new book tour in Grand Rapids next month, and his slightly pretentious trailer (I read books! I take notes! I am creative!) is already drawing comments from a few blogs. If history is any guide, here is what is about to unfold, again.…

  • good grief

    I preached on death this past Sunday, and afterword a retired man gave me a book written by his son after the sudden passing of his teenage daughter. I’m usually reluctant to receive these gifts, as I have a stack of reading that I still must plow through, but it’s a topic that I’m interested…

  • hear the Word

    Okay, one more ODJ devotional for this month: read > Colossians 4:2-18 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them (v. 16).  Paul’s closing remarks indicate how his letters were read. There were…

  • bless the Lord

    Here is my latest draft for Our Daily Journey. Any feedback is always appreciated. Have you sung Matt Redmon’s inspiring song, “10,000 Reasons”? It begins, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, O my soul, worship his holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I’ll worship your holy name.” Matt said he based the…

  • the end of civil religion

    I made the mistake of reading about the Louie Giglio imbroglio before going to bed, and it kept me from falling asleep. So now I’m dangerously typing a blog post at 1:00 AM, hoping I won’t regret this in the morning. I share my evangelical friends’ concerns about America’s growing intolerance with conservative Christianity (i.e.,…