Category Archives: hermeneutics

Appealing to the conscience of everyone

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Mark Love

I’m not a philosopher or psychologist, so my functional anthropology lacks the precision and care that it deserves. But I’ve often been fascinated by what Paul means by the term “conscience.” It appears in the 2 Cor 4 text that … Continue reading →

Posted in 2 Corinthians, Christian practice, conscience, hermeneutics, ministry, missional leadership, missional practice, Paul | 4 Comments

“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 5

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Mark Love

Recently, I visited with a group of church elders who felt the need to do something related to the issue of gender inclusion in their worship. Their instinct was to begin with a Bible study. This is because, in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology | 3 Comments

“Christian leadership” is not an oxymoron, part 4

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Mark Love

Sorry for the delay between posts. It’s been a busy few weeks, including the loss of my laptop for a few days. But here we go. Anything that passes for missional leadership must find its focus in the life of … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology | Leave a comment

Living in a story bigger than justification by faith: theological worlds

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Mark Love

My friend and former student, Wayne Beason, asked a good question in response to the last blog post. I made the observation that if you proclaim the Kingdom of God’s nearness prior to eating and healing, you have nothing, other … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Three Smooth Stones: Myth and Parable

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Mark Love

Anderson and Foley’s outstanding book, Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals, brought clarity to my work as a minister in ways few other books have. In it, they argue that narrative and ritual are primal ways that humans make meaning. In other … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, culture, hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

On Sinners Reading Scripture

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Mark Love

My undergrads often comment on how strange Scripture seems to them when they read it. They can’t make sense of a lot of it. They’re like the Eunuch in the chariot saying, “how can I understand what I’m reading unless … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Reading Scripture Together for the Sake of God’s Mission

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Mark Love

I’m currently writing an article for Missio Dei, a great online journal you should know about, on missional interpretation. I’m assuming this means that it might make a difference in how you read Scripture if your orienting perspective was the … Continue reading →

Posted in hermeneutics, missional leadership, missional theology, Scripture, Uncategorized | 12 Comments

Your sons and daughters shall prophecy…one last piece

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Mark Love

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, Scripture | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Your kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven: further points on my gender-inclusive journey

Posted on November 4, 2013 by Mark Love

My mother, as a girl, was taught that Christians should not say the Lord’s Prayer. The reason? Because it was no longer needed, since the Kingdom had already come. It was a model prayer, it turns out, for only a … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics, Scripture | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

If you really got to know her…

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Mark Love

Before my first day of school in Eastland, Texas, my mom sat me down for the Church of Christ shorter catechism. She told me what made us different from other churches. But she also made sure that I knew that … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian practice, hermeneutics | 6 Comments