Many theological reasons for Jesus rsquo baptism have been proposed explaining it as a sacramental model for the church an act of solidarity with sinful humanity or ldquo a manifestation of his self-emptying rdquo Catechism of the Catholic Church No 1224 but any answer must stress that ld
John W. Martens
John W. Martens is an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn,where he teaches early Christianity and Judaism. He also directs the Master of Arts in Theology program at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He was born in Vancouver, B.C. into a Mennonite family that had decided to confront modernity in an urban setting. His post-secondary education began at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas, came to an abrupt stop, then started again at Vancouver Community College, where his interest in Judaism and Christianity in the earliest centuries emerged. He then studied at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and McMaster University, with stops at University of Haifa and University of Tubingen. His writing often explores the intersection of Jewish, Christian and Greco-Roman culture and belief, such as in "let the little children come to me: Children and Childhood in Early Christianity" (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2009), but he is not beyond jumping into the intersection of modernity and ancient religion, as in "The End of the World: The Apocalyptic Imagination in Film and Television" (Winnipeg: J. Gordon Shillingford Press, 2003). He blogs at www.biblejunkies.com and at www.americamagazine.org for "The Good Word." You can follow him on Twitter @biblejunkies, where he would be excited to welcome you to his random and obscure interests, which range from the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, to his dog, and 70s punk, pop and rock. When he can, he brings students to Greece, Turkey and Rome to explore the artifacts and landscape of the ancient world. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and has two sons. He is certain that the world will not end until the Vancouver Canucks have won the Stanley Cup, as evidence has emerged from the Revelation of John, 1 Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra which all point in this direction.
Posted inThe Good Word
Acts of the Apostles Online Commentary (10)
This is the tenth entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles The first entry nbsp covered some of the major critical technical and background issues that will concern us as we read through and comment on the Acts The second post found here considered the prologue t
Posted inThe Word
The Joy of Wholeness
In Impurity and Sin in Ancient Judaism Jonathan Klawans outlines the differences between ritual impurity and moral impurity Moral impurity which includes acts like adultery and murder comprises a category of impure sinful acts Ritual impurity includes natural processes like childbirth marita
Posted inThe Word
The Work of the Kingdom
Our evaluation of work is equivocal A person without work is in a precarious situation financially and emotionally and being jobless can erode a sense of worth But those lucky enough to have jobs seem always to be plotting when to retire Although work is sometimes a burden it is also necessary
Posted inThe Good Word
Acts of the Apostles Online Commentary (9)
This is the ninth entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles The first entry covered some of the major critical technical and background issues that will concern us as we read through and comment on the Acts The second post found here considered the prologue to the
Posted inThe Good Word
Acts of the Apostles Online Commentary (8)
This is the eighth entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles The first entry nbsp covered some of the major critical technical and background issues that will concern us as we read through and comment on the Acts The second post found here considered the prologue
Posted inThe Word
Following a Friend
When is the best time to repent Now Now is the time Now is always the time Who knows whether there will be time if you wait This seems to be the approach of the Ninevites who appear in the prophetic book of Jonah as the most eager of penitents Scholars do not see Jonah as a historical account
Posted inThe Word
Tell Me the Good News
We are all formally students for some time in our lives and it is best to remain informal students throughout our lives for there is no point at which there is not something we can learn At the same time most of us function as teachers at many points in our lives some of us professionally but m
Posted inThe Word
Finding a Friend
How do relationships begin There is naturally not just one way one place or one word needed to start a relationship But is there a common process by which friendship is built from nothing to the point that neither party can imagine life without the other Some friendships begin in childhood thei
Posted inThe Word
Spirit of Justice
In a number of Servant Songs in Isaiah a mysterious individual appears who sometimes represents the nation of Israel though later Christians understood him to represent Jesus In Isaiah 42 this person is designated ldquo my servant rdquo ebed in Hebrew while in the Septuagint ldquo my child