In the first entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on Galatians I discussed introductory matters concerning the founding of the churches to the Galatians the situation when Paul wrote to them when the letter might have been written and the type of letters which Paul wrote based on the com
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
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (21)
In the first entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on Galatians I discussed introductory matters concerning the founding of the churches to the Galatians the situation when Paul wrote to them when the letter might have been written and the type of letters which Paul wrote based on the com
Posted inThe Word
Everyone Belongs
Some people just do not belong They might be annoying they might not ldquo fit rdquo or they might not be the ldquo right rdquo sort of person I think you know who I am talking about That rsquo s right You and me The vast majority of people in the church today would not have met the crite
Posted inFaith, The Word
Holy Ghost Story
God does not always come to us in the flesh, or in the storm, or in chaos. God is revealed in numerous ways.
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (20)
In the first entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on Galatians I discussed introductory matters concerning the founding of the churches to the Galatians the situation when Paul wrote to them when the letter might have been written and the type of letters which Paul wrote based on the com
Posted inThe Word
The New and the Old
Here is a desire new and old ask for anything in the world and it will be yours Usually in fairy tales and legends three wishes are granted Then after poor choices or ambiguously worded requests the truth is discovered about what really matters Lessons are learned the hard way The First B
Posted inThe Word
A Tangible Love
The Guardian newspaper reported on June 19 that according to a U N report ldquo the number of people forced to flee their homes across the world has exceeded 50 million for the first time since the second world war an exponential rise that is stretching host countries and aid organisations to br
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (19)
In the first entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on Galatians I discussed introductory matters concerning the founding of the churches to the Galatians the situation when Paul wrote to them when the letter might have been written and the type of letters which Paul wrote based on the com
Posted inFaith, The Word
Why Jesus taught in parables
Though other Jewish teachers taught in parables, there are distinctive elements to Jesus’ parables.
Posted inThe Word
People, Not Plants
The parable of the weeds among the wheat is found only in Matthew and it is an eschatological parable a parable about the Final Judgment For gardeners it evokes memories of hours in the garden distinguishing between weeds and desirable plants which is harder to do than one might think at leas