Theopoetic Reflections

Theopoetics is a helpful corrective on much of today's post-enlightenment theology, which attempts to systematically explicate faith and God. 

Theopoetics appreciates metaphor to dynamically express divinity, humanity, and life.

Theopoetics values beauty, mystery, and humility as necessary components to theological inquiry.

Theopoetics is an illuminating conversation among kindred friends –
theology, imagination, philosophy,
aesthetics, and the arts. 

At its essence, theopoetics – theo (god) and poiein (to make) – is a particular way of making God known. However, the result of theopoetics is something much better than dogma. 

It is awe.
        And wonder.
                And gratitude.
                        And delight.

Although theopoetics is a fairly recent term, it is an ancient way of doing theology that encourages conversation, basks in beauty, and welcomes complexity. The reflections below are intentionally theopoetic reflections. Agree or disagree? No problem. Awe, wonder, gratitude, and delight? Yes please. Little else is as marvelous as dancing with words to try and fathom the ineffable. Enjoy.

 Why Be Christian? An Introduction
October 17, 2023

This reflection is an introduction to a series of reflections that will explore non-violent and non-dominion reasons for being deeply, yet humbly christian, in 2023. I believe that this exploration is both relevant and important. Many christians today are necessarily deconstructing ideologies central to christian life. In times of old, it was these very ideologies that explained why christian life mattered. However, as these ideologies crack and crumble, the old reasons for christian life no longer work. Let me explain…

Christian Captivity in Paul’s Atonement
March 10, 2023

This reflection expounds on a primary focus within black theology—liberation—and it urges western christians to make an exodus out of their captivity in Paul’s atonement in order to participate in an atonement that flows with milk and honey.

 Mary’s Christmas
January 5, 2022

Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas! 

Divine light shines from a child in a manger, reminding us that Divinity is not up there or out there, but right here, among us. However, this reflection isn’t about Jesus—it’s about Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

 Good News, The Essence of Atonement
August 13, 2021

Atonement is essential to Christian thought. In its most simple form, atonement refers to a reconciled state between parties that were formerly alienated in some manner (Robert S. Paul, The Atonement and the Sacraments, 20). However, as important as this word is said to be, you may find it interesting to know that the word “atonement” isn’t actually used in the New Testament. Isn’t that curious? Atonement is a—if not the—paramount concept in Christian perspective. Many theologians would heartily state that atonement is the whole point of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Others, being less bombastic, would say that atonement is central to the meaning of the gospel. Yet, as important as this word is said to be, it is altogether absent from the New Testament.

The Epiphany Gap, Response, Part II.
February 6, 2021

Since my last reflection I continue to receive feedback from—as far as I can tell—heterosexual, and primarily male, evangelical Christians. So, I’m providing a second and final response to my sermon from January 10, 2021. I have three kinds of people in mind as I write this reflection. First, I hope that this reflection rouses evangelicals—who find themselves questioning the goodness of their theology and systems—to demand change, today. Second, I hope that this reflection emboldens evolving pastors of conservative churches to courageously lead their communities to fully include women and LGBTQ people. Third, I hope that this reflection provides helpful language and reasoning for progressive Christians who find themselves in conversation with evangelicals who continue forward in exclusive ideologies.

 The Epiphany Gap, Response, Part I.
January 17, 2021

For context on this reflection, here’s an email that I wrote to those subscribed to my mailing list:

Hello Friends,

A week ago Sunday–four days after The Epiphany of our Lord and the riot at the capitol–I felt compelled to preach a sermon on the undeniable connection between trumpism and evangelicalism. My hope was to rouse awareness of this connection and to encourage change in the stories we tell and in the systems in which we participate.

Since preaching that sermon I've received a fair amount of feedback and on this day–the eve of MLK Day–I feel emboldened to respond. You'll find that the reflection I’m sharing with you is more fiery than my usual reflections. Yet, during these days of hate and violence, especially in Jesus' name, I struggle to imagine a different tenor. Religious reformation is desperately needed and many of the evangelical reasons for why such reformation is unnecessary, I find, are incoherent. Worse, I find such reasoning slowing progress and complicit in fomenting today's violence.

 Systemic Complicity
May, 30, 2020

Once upon a time...

There was a family that believed in God and called Jesus, “Lord.” They regularly attended church and the Bible was their sacred text. During their time at church the family listened to pastors and Sunday school teachers expound on passages from the Bible and at home they talked together about Bible stories.

 Wisdom Grasping
October 5, 2019

In the marvelous land of story, nothing is more important than the inciting incident. The inciting incident is the essential point that evokes plot, the cause of ensuing chaos, and the key factor to understanding a story’s meaning.

 Death & Divinity
May 3, 2019

The crucifixion of Jesus has had incredible staying power. It’s been a central symbol in the christian tradition for millennia. But what exactly does it mean? And, how is it relevant for us, today?

 Harmonization & Accommodation
February 16, 2018

I love the Bible. Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading me its stories. I can remember dear old saints teaching it to me on Sunday mornings. As I grew, I began to read it on my own. At one point, as an adolescent, I committed to a reading plan that took me through the Bible, cover to cover, three times a year. I did this for at least seven or eight years.

 Advent Longing
November 22, 2017

Sometimes one facet of life – personal, familial, professional, spiritual, political, etc. – feels out of control. When this happens, the world can feel pretty overwhelming. However, when every facet of life is in sync by being out of sync, the world can become nothing less than grim.

 Nashville Nonsense
October 28, 2017

Since the Nashville Statement came out in August, much has been written in response. Some have hailed the statement as long overdue – a necessary anchor in the midst of changing mores. Some seem to agree with the statement but don’t like the clandestine process or the timing of its release. There are others, of course, who think that the statement is tone deaf to culture, violent against the LGBTQ community, and outright offensive.

 An Ordinary Day
September 17, 2017

We are often asked at the end of a day, “What did you do?” And so, we reflect, we fret a bit, and then we offer a list of details that comprise our day. However, consistently absent from this list is waking up. I wonder why? To wake up is truly extraordinary. I like how Whitman put it:

 Bible as Trajectory
August 27, 2017

I have often heard Christians decry the present state of the church, while looking back to the “Good ‘ole days.” The thinking goes something like this, “If we could just return to the first century, and live like the early church, then things would be much better.” At one point in my life I would hear such sentiment and I blithely assumed that it was correct.

 Why Now
August 6, 2017

Preparing to launch this website, a few of my friends have asked, “Why now?” It’s a good question, really. I’m not technologically savvy. Nor am I particularly interested in being know beyond the community I’m a part of. Furthermore, I’ve been a minister since 1998 and have – for better or for worse – avoided social media. And so, why now?