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 Word
Humble Is He
The Gospel of Matthew presents Palm Sunday in the context of one of the Gospel rsquo s many prophetic fulfillment citations which demonstrate that Jesus was the promised one who would establish the kingdom of God Matthew presents a free rendering of the prophecy from Zec 9 9 to explain Jesus rsquo
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (10)
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
Away With Death
Why did Jesus cry when he saw the tears of Lazarus rsquo s sisters and his friends After all Jesus already knew Lazarus was dead In fact his purposeful actions allowed that death to occur So why when faced with the mourning of Lazarus rsquo s loved ones did Jesus cry The account of the raisi
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (9)
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
Away With Darkness
In the Gospel of John, Jesus encounters a blind man, but physical blindness represents only one element of darkness, and not the most significant darkness.
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (8)
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 Good Word
The Bible and Snake-handling
How should we respond to the news of the recent death of another snake-handling Christian nbsp I can tell you a few ways that have been tried condescension amusement disbelief mockery advocacy and rational assessment of the textual place of the snake-handling verses in the Bible Some who wou
Posted inThe Word
Away With Despair
When my oldest son was a little boy he was shopping with my mother and father and saw something on a display shelf that he wanted He said so ldquo I want that I want that rdquo My mother explained that you cannot have everything you want but that we buy what we need He thought about that fo
Posted inThe Good Word
The Letter of Paul to the Galatians Online Commentary (7)
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