He begins by disputing the errors of popular creation narratives in the Roman world, and concludes that the biblical story is the most rational because it reflects the integrity and character of God.

Everyone recognizes the world is not what it should be. All creation stories attempt to deal with the brokenness of humanity and the existence of evil. For Athanasius, this reality is best understood from Genesis: “from nothing and having absolutely no existence God brought the universe into being through the Word” (51). God created the world out of nothing, for he depends on nothing. He is the source of all things and gives meaning and purpose to all of his creation.

“For God is good, or rather the source of all goodness, and one who is good grudges nothing, so that grudging nothing its existence, he made all things through his own Word, our Lord Jesus Christ” (52).

First, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to the creation of the world.

Christ was born into our world, yet our world was completely born out of him. It was created good in honor and reflection of its creator’s goodness! God did not make the world evil. Some false deity did not corrupt it. Rather, humanity chose to embrace a lesser state in disobedience to its maker.

“If they guarded the grace and remained good, they might have the life of paradise — without sorrow, pain, or care — besides having the promise of their incorruptibility in heaven; but if they were to transgress and turning away become wicked, they would know themselves enduring the corruption of death according to nature, and no longer live in paradise” (52).

This “transgress and turning away” explains our reality for Athanasius, and ultimately the reason we have hope in Advent. We may have turned from God, but God did not turn from us.

Second, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to our need for atonement.

God could not merely sit by with his creation in rebellion and decay. Athanasius builds his argument on the goodness of God. God entered his world in physical flesh to redeem creation and humanity, not because we are worthy but because of his loving character.

“The weakness, rather than the goodness, of God is made known by neglect, if, after creating, he abandoned his own work to be corrupted, rather than if he had not created the human being in the beginning…once he made him and created him out of nothing, it was most absurd that his works should be destroyed…It was therefore right not to permit human beings to be carried away by corruption, because this would be improper to and unworthy of the goodness of God” (55-56).

Humanity, even in our best attempts at obedience and repentance, fail to live rightly in God’s world. We do not mediate his goodness, for we are “held fast by death” in our natural corruption and fallen state. Our acts of remedial holiness, according to Athanasius, are not enough for humanity to be vessels of God’s goodness in the world. We need an act of God on our behalf to set the system right — to establish unity between God and the world.

“For no part of creation is left void of him [Christ]; while abiding with his own Father, he has filled all things in every place. But now he comes, condescending towards us in his love for human beings and his manifestation” (56-57).

Thirdly, Athanasius connects the incarnation of Christ to the crucifixion and resurrection.

Only through God dwelling among us, living in human flesh, did he mediate the necessary grace and forgiveness of sins to the world.

“Although being himself powerful and the creator of the universe, he prepared for himself in the Virgin the body as a temple, and made it his own, as an instrument, making himself known and dwelling in it. And thus, taking from ours that which is like, since all were liable to the corruption of death, delivering it over to death on behalf of all, he offered it to the Father, doing this in his love human beings” (57).

While the theme of atonement can be quite obvious while contemplating the implications of the cross, we often overlook its importance in the incarnation. Without the birth of Christ, we do not have the death of Christ. Athanasius’ emphasis on substitutionary atonement and the defeat of sin through his death is central to the purpose of God in creation renewal and establishing unity with his people.

“On the other hand, that as human beings had turned towards corruption he might turn them again to incorruptibility and give them life from death, by making the body his own and by the grace of the resurrection banishing death from them as straw from fire” (57).

Out of God’s goodness, he redeems his people, restores creation, and casts away the blight of sin forever. Advent season helps us remember God’s restorative work in the past, but it also brings us hope in the future resurrection where death is defeated and his goodness will be fully displayed throughout the world.

St. Athanasius the Great of Alexandria. On the Incarnation. Preface by C.S. Lewis. Yonkers, New York: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2011.

What do you think of when you hear constitutional policy and self-representative rule? If I took a guess, I’d say multiple things may come across your mind: Benjamin Franklin, the American Revolution, “no taxation without representation,” or maybe the year 1776. The origins of the American institutionalized government naturally connect to ideas about constitutionalism.

Interestingly, though, our American understanding of constitutional policy, conviction, and order does not begin in the eighteenth century, but rather when its seeds were placed a hundred years prior in the colonial period of New England. The premier thinkers of the American Constitution were not completely innovative in their work, but were, of course, borrowing from those who inspired, influenced, and preceded them in similar authoritarian dilemmas.

Below this line I have already written a full published review of this book in the link below:

Book Review of A Constitutional Culture

Check out the published review and continue reading below for a few additional thoughts on this work.

The English Atlantic world was a period of change, stress, and political brawling in the 1660s. As Charles II ascended to the throne after the collapse of the Puritan Commonwealth in England, his rule and vision threatened many of the Puritan magistrates and pastors in the New England colonies. Although the Stuart regime did not want to strongarm colonial religious institutions into bridging with the Church of England (at least, in the early years), Charles strongly desired to consolidate colonial political, economic, and military power in step with his more global project of English supremacy.

Weimer’s argument is simple. She articulates clearly that the New England leaders, particularly in the Massachusetts Bay region, resisted the Stuart regime’s policies by emphasizing their colonial charters, which were signed and affirmed by Charles I before his assassination. These charters were the lifeblood of English religious, political, economic, and social liberties in the colonial world, and justified intentional acts of resistance towards arbitrary rule.

Here are some of the thoughts I had in reading the book.

One of the most fascinating sections of the book, which are some of the first chapters, is its emphasis on Puritan religious culture in the church, pulpit, and news during this time. Strange accounts of aerial phenomena and miracles exploded in newsletters that heightened the religious imagination of political intrigue and end-time doom.

To some degree, the fascination with mysterious flying objects and unexplainable sightings of today’s world are not so different from that of our colonial predecessors. The discussion of UFOs (or UAPs) and glowing, fast-moving objects within recent government sessions are not entirely dissimilar to the events of the 1660s New England. English Puritans, though, often interpreted many of the baffling signs of the sky theologically as omens of doom, judgement of God, and the end of the world.

Puritan New England seemed to understand greater spiritual implications in the strange phenomena over our Western naturalistic, secularist considerations. The worldview since then has shifted to a dramatic degree, but the level of interest in unexplainable events has clearly not. We are still mesmerized by the phenomena in the sky and its potential apocalyptic implications.

For better or for worse, these experiences are not wholly new. For all of our technological advances, our imaginations are not so different from our colonial predecessors.

Another enjoyable section is the gathering of the local churches for fasting and praying during times of political change and uncertainty.

Politics tends to be a no-go in the modern evangelical pulpit. While I am not necessarily advocating for the sponsoring of political leaders in church sermons, it is important to think about how we can pray for our leaders, connect biblical truths and virtues to our voting patterns, and be united as a local church under one Lord while righteously serving, or resisting, earthly rulers. The Puritans pastors did not restrain from proclaiming biblical truths in resistance to earthly tyrants.

The Christian prophetic voice in the modern political sphere has not only become absent and silent, yet often where it does exist it is dull and shallow.

The modern church could learn and thing or two from reading our religious colonial forefathers, even through their mistakes. They, too, were not in full agreement on political and religious issues. Puritans did, however, see the church as a means of permeating and changing their culture around them, particularly when it came to addressing political controversy.

Thank you for taking the time to read this month’s Read and Think.

Leave your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below!

While in preparation for new classes, research papers to be grinded out, and final revisions of presentations for upcoming conferences, I take the summertime as an opportunity to read new books that otherwise I might never get the chance to open. It’s my “break” from the mundane to explore new, and sometimes old, topics and perspectives that often refresh my interests and grant me new motivations for reading.

This year I decided to read a couple of books that have been on my shelf for a long time, and now I can finally place them in the “read” section of my library.

Delighting in the Trinity by Michael Reeves

Published: 2012 | Category: Systematic Theology

If there was one approachable book I’d recommend to you on the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, it would be Michael Reeves’ book. Sometimes understanding this ancient doctrine of the historic, orthodox church can be difficult simply because we as Christians are unsure how it applies to our theological perspective and the way we live our lives.

Has it ever felt irrelevant to you?

Reeves intellectually, yet also very practically, explains why this doctrine is a distinctive Christian belief in our monotheistic tradition of faith, and helps the reader understand why the eternality of the relational, loving, and united three persons of the Godhead is important. Note the emphasis on love here. The triune nature of God is the basis of the eternal, loving character He displays towards His creation and people.

The book is geared towards understanding this doctrinal truth in very practical ways. The three persons of the Trinity, as revealed in the scriptures, carry out particular roles in the process and application of salvation in the believer’s life. The way we pray for God’s forgiveness, His flow of grace in our life, and our daily needs and support ought to be verbalized in Trinitarian form. Think of Jesus’ prayer taught to His disciples: “Our Father in Heaven…”

The simple yet rich presentation of Reeves’ work makes it easy for anyone, even those struggling to understand the orthodox Christian view of God, to grasp in a clear way why the Trinity is a distinct, vital Christian belief.

I found this book insightful and reassuring. How often do you address God in the triune language of the Scriptures? The book has challenged me to consider the ways I see the loving care and power of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit in my day-to-day life.

Reformed Piety: Covenantal and Experiential by Joel R. Beeke and Stephen G. Myers

Published: 2019 | Category: Practical Theology

A brief yet substantial work on Reformed pietism.

I’ve been in charismatic-like settings that emphasize a strong sense of spiritual formation with little understanding of a personal theological framework. I’ve also been in Reformed communities that sometimes de-emphasize pietistic living to a tertiary category compared to developing complex theological arguments on issues such as baptism or ecclesiology.

Where do you find yourself in these comparisons? Does the Christian life have to be a fight between personal, intellectual theological beliefs and a faithful expression of practical devotion and godliness?

Short answer is no. In fact, I think Joel Beeke and Stephen Myers argue well that true spiritual formation comes through pietistic living that derives from a deeply understood and inwardly meditated theology of the Scriptures.

Beeke and Myers say, “Knowing who and what God is (theology) informs and leads to right attitudes toward Him and produces right conduct, or doing what pleases Him (piety)” (pg. 2).

The Reformed view of piety emphasizes the role of God’s Word in the life and devotion of the saints, and living in obedience to the Scriptures brings about true joy and peace in Christ. These authors show that living out the Law of God has a place in the Christian life for those who dwell, partake, and flourish in God’s grace, for without it there would be no hope.

A heart that experiences the indwelling Spirit of God finds happiness and satisfaction according to His mandates because mercy triumphs over judgement. His Word brings comfort in our failures, not despair. We have peace in the blood of Christ and power in His resurrection to live holy, righteous, and just lives for the glory of God.

Foretaste of the Future: Reading Revelation in Light of God’s Mission by Dean Flemming

Published: 2022 | Category: Biblical Theology

When was the last time you read the book of Revelation in the Bible?

Many, if not most, Christians struggle to make sense of the figurative language and odd imagery of the book, and decide that it must not be important for the modern readers of the twenty-first century. Is this so?

Dean Flemming disagrees. Rather than a scary book focused on Black Hawk helicopters, microchips as the mark of the beast, and the complete destruction of the Christian church against unstoppable demonic forces, Revelation is a vision of hope, triumph, and the reign and mission of Christ throughout church history.

I’ll let Flemming speak for himself: “Revelation is not about scripting future events but revealing God’s great purpose to redeem and restore the whole creation, including people, through the mission of the slain Lamb. At the same time, Revelation seeks to shape and equip Christian communities to participate in God’s saving purpose by living as a foretaste of God’s coming new creation now, through their lips and through their lives” (pg. 3).

John’s vision was not only for those in the first-century church or some Christians in a future period in history but for every Christ-centered community in every century of this Church age. Revelation displays the sovereignty of Christ over the saints and their struggles in this world and reveals how their unwavering triumph through suffering leads to their conquering over Satan’s demonic forces and the evil institutions of this world.

Flemming’s book is not a commentary in the traditional sense. It follows the theme of God’s mission throughout Revelation, and not in literary order. I consider it more of a biblical (narrative) theology approach. This is a great book for learning how to reorient your thinking on Revelation and its purpose for the modern church.

I personally think his thematic-approach to reading Revelation is perfect for anyone who wants to read Revelation from an idealistic approach (in distinction to preterist or futurist views) for the first time. Like any good primer resource, Foretaste of the Future is not overly complicated in its evaluation of the scriptures and gives helpful conclusions in thinking about Revelation’s message for us today.

Granted, Revelation is not the easiest book to read, so I would recommend a good commentary to help you explore each specific chapter as well (see G.K. Beale’s Shorter Commentary on Revelation).

Carmen Joy Imes explains in her new book Being God’s Image that every person born into this world is created to act as a representative of God’s rule and reign over all aspects of life. We were created to display the character, power, and beauty of God in everything that we do. Of course, the impact of sin in the world has deeply marred that vision of human purpose towards self-ruling and self-glorifying ends, but it has not irreversibly done so.

The flow of the book is written in a biblical theology, or narrative theology, approach, so it overviews the purpose of humanity from selective passages in Genesis up to Revelation. With a well-articulated and easy-to-read perspective, the author bridges the academic world for lay readers in an accessible and intriguing way. She breaks her argument down into three sections: the nature of human identity and purpose in God’s created world, the human search for meaning and purpose in a fallen world, and Jesus as the way of being human in God’s new world. Let’s take a look into each of those sections.

In the beginning, Imes covers the importance of understanding why, not necessarily how, creation occurred as read in Genesis 1 and its implications for human identity as imago dei. The image of God given to humanity as a special, privileged status of ruling over all of God’s created order. As the first three days display the form of God’s creative work, the latter three show the filling of those spaces with wisely attuned creatures, with humanity as the governing centerpiece of God’s design. Both men and women were created with the divine task of stewarding the world as partners in harmony together. Being the image of God does not only define humanity’s relation with itself horizontal, but also with the created world and with God vertically as well. Our rulership, as representatives of God in reflecting his beauty, power, and wisdom, has a unique connection and access to God as creator who lovingly allows us to be gardeners within His temple-garden.

A quick glance into Genesis 3-11 will show that things did not continue in harmony. When Adam and Eve sinned under the deception of the serpent, they lost something. Was it the image of God? Imes argues that humanity did not lose the image of God - our dignity, purpose, and meaning - in the Fall but our innocence, trust, access and connection towards the Creator and his glory. Their disobedience led to sin disrupting the world and causing enmity, rather than peace and joy, between God and his earthbound representatives. Our mission was to rule over creation with the presence of God’s glory revealed, but now, with sin in the world, humans rule over creation for ourselves and for our own renown.

The next section focuses on how wisdom literature of the Old Testament directs humanity back into its original purpose and relationship with God and ruling well over creation in a broken world. Psalms, Proverbs, and other wisdom texts seek to orient our heart, mind, and desires into God’s good and providential will, and living alongside the Creator allows us to function in our original role under His kingship.

Imes notes the importance of godly community and intimate relationships, such as marriage in the Song of Solomon, in expanding the knowledge of God’s glory and fulfilling the role of human flourishing as image-bearing rulers. Our intrinsically woven desire to understand our place in the world comes from our God-given role as bearers of God’s image and the scriptures guide us into good and righteous living.

Books like Ecclesiastes and Job speak to the brevity of life and suffering that arises from experiences within a sin-marred world. Being a human that represents God’s rule and character is not easy in places that want nothing to do with the Creator’s design and order. Whether it’s suffering from other bad humans, terrible life choices and their consequences, or persecution for your faith, the wisdom in life’s harsh experiences teach us to make the most of our divine calling in the here-and-now. Having a humble grip on our own mortality should cause us to take seriously our identity as imago dei and fulfill our vocation and calling in a godly and holistic way.

I felt that this section of the book lacking in one particular way. Imes’ knowledge and understanding of biblical wisdom literature is insightful, and I wish she had written more on it. This part of the book is the shortest out of the three, but I think spending more time here could have brought more practical information into her work. Nonetheless, it is very valuable and well worth the read.

Finally, the reality of God’s new world comes through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, who displays the imago dei in its truest and fullest form. Imes notes that Jesus is not the image of God because of his full divinity but precisely because he is fully human. Jesus upheld what it meant to be a true human living as a ruler over creation and carrying out the divine prerogative of displaying God’s dominion and glory. He not only fulfilled the calling we have failed to carry out in our own lives, but he struggled, suffered, and died without sinning or betraying his role as an image-bearing human. In fact, throughout his earthly ministry Jesus reversed the effects of sin by establishing God’s kingdom on earth through his miraculous and teaching ministry, dying sacrificially for the sins of the world, and closing the divide that separated humanity from experiencing God’s presence and glory.

Because of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, sin-marred image-bearers find themselves enabled and empowered to live for God in their new, resurrection-established bodies. The author shows that the resurrection of Jesus, the first fruits of all redeemed believers, included the redemption of his physical body. God’s plan for his image-bearers has always been to live and rule physically over creation. The disharmony created by sin between humanity has also been restored as the church stewards their gifts in establishing God’s dominion together. Rather than seeing escaping the material world as the universal church’s goal, Imes encourages believers today to embrace the renewing of the God’s physical creation in their daily lives, and prepare for His final work in making all earthly things new.

In summary, Being God’s Image is a wonderful reminder of what it means to be a human commissioned as an agent of God’s creative design. The story of Jesus’ inauguration of new creation through his life, death, and resurrection gives hope for all humans who believe and trust in the gospel of redemption. Imes captures the essence of our nature and purpose as Christians in the way we are meant to be strategic, grounded, and active in how we live our lives and take responsibility for the world where God has placed us.

Carmen Joy Imes. Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023.

It is my conviction that books are a powerful tool in the Christian life in fostering a heart and mind with doctrinal fervor, healthy forms of spiritual development, and a resilient intellectual worldview. Through the thought-provoking breakdown of books both old and new, I hope to share with you my own passion for reflective reading and academic exploration.

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