Articles, papers, essays
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Pierre Gilbert
Associate Professor |
“Infinitely more than Animals. Made in the Image of God.”One of my two brothers died at 15. His name was Norman, and he was a thalidomide baby. Genesis is one of the most remarkable books of the Bible. In respect to its role in the Pentateuch, as David J. A. Clines has brilliantly pointed out in his book, The Theme of the Pentateuch, Genesis 12-50 unfolds how God will fulfill the first part of his promise to Abraham to make him “into a great nation” ... Thinking through the Notion of Hell (Christianity.ca. Originally published in The Messenger, April 18, 2007)How can we maintain our belief in a loving God if hell is a place of punishment, where reprobates consciously experience the judgment of God for all eternity? I suspect many Christians would echo Clark Pinnock's misgivings: Everlasting torture is intolerable from a moral point of view because it pictures ... The Challenge of “Dual-Citizenship” in the 21st Century (also published in Christian Leader [May 2007])Christians normally think of themselves as citizens of the Kingdom of God. As such, they are expected to act and live as Kingdom citizens and to give it their primary allegiance. But Christians are also citizens of nations here on earth and are expected to grant at least some degree of allegiance to their country ... “When God’s Justice and Goodness Collide” (Mennonite Brethren Herald, January 2007)Do Mennonites believe in hell? Welcome to the “Complex” Life! (Mennonite Brethren Herald, September 1, 2006)In 2003, Fox Network created The Simple Life, a surprisingly successful reality show in which Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, two young urban and wealthy socialites who never worked a day in their lives, take on a variety of jobs. The heart of the matter is that these two women leave the “complex” life ... Le défi de la « double citoyenneté » au 21e siècleOn dit que les Chrétiens sont citoyens du Royaume de Dieu. À ce titre, ils sont appelés à se comporter comme citoyens du Royaume and et à lui accorder toute leur allégeance. Mais force est de reconnaître que les Chrétiens, de part leur condition historique, détiennent également une citoyenneté nationale ... A Theology for Hopeless People in Hopeless Places (The Messenger v.44, no.1 [Jan. 11, 2006]: 4-6)The account of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 is the story of a hopeless person who lived in a hopeless place, and given up as hopeless by all but one. This is one the oddest narratives in the gospels. It is so strange that some simply avoid it, and for good cause: The naked lunatic, the screaming ... The Explosion of the Horizons! A Case Study on Leadership (February 2000)I was recently asked to give a short devotional on the issue of leadership in the Old Testament. (This was in the context of a consultation organized by the Mennonite College Federation in Winnipeg.) There is no shortage of leadership examples in the Old Testament—from Abraham the patriarch to such ... Real Christianity (also published in The Messenger)What does it mean to be a Christian? As a teenager, that was an easy question to answer. For me, a Christian was someone who was born in a Catholic or Protestant home. We were not Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists. We were Christians. That’s all there was to it. Or was it? Well, for one, my ... The Violence of God: Investigations in the Book of Isaiah [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6]The book of Isaiah: 66 chapters, 1292 verses. By all accounts, an exceedingly complex piece of literature. A masterpiece in its own right. While scholars have long debated the authorship of the book and its date of composition, the book has traditionally been associated with Isaiah of Jerusalem ... A Change of Allegiance: Who is this Christ we claim to follow?Who is Jesus Christ? This question, which has been on the backburner for some time, is making a comeback, particularly as a result of the release of the Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ. Whether one likes the movie or agrees with its reconstruction of Jesus’ final hours, the fact remains ... Faith in the God of Life: The Sacrifice of IsaacWhen tragedy strikes, it is not uncommon to hear that we must have faith. But what does it mean to have faith? The book of Hebrews offers Abraham as an ideal example of faith (Hebrews 11:8-20). The author alludes, however, to one of the most shocking stories of the Old Testament to make his point: God's ... The Person of God and the Relevance of the GospelConsider the declaration of a young woman who introduces to her parents for the first time a serious candidate for marriage. She has talked about him. She has described him in detail. She has been bouncing around the house repeating his name to anyone who will listen. Finally, the great day ... The Problem of War in the Old TestamentNothing is quite as divisive as religion and politics. Considered individually, they can divide families and be the source of horrendous conflicts even amongst friends. But as the September 11 terrorist attacks reminded us, mixed, they can be deadly. That horrific event also served as a catalyst to reflect on ... How the Bible Shapes Our WorldOver the last forty years, Christians have suffered from a significant loss of confidence in the Christian faith and in the Bible. This phenomenon can be attributed to a number of causes. Secularism has, to a great extent, relegated faith to the private sphere and to the outer fringes of social life. Unless there ... Victory over Death!Christmas. The mere word immediately evokes a myriad of images—snow, evergreens in the living room, decorations, presents, singing, families getting together and foods of all kinds. For me, Christmas calls to mind images from my childhood. My grandfather would invite his children and grandchildren for ... Libre arbitre et déterminisme: une réflexion sur la figure de PharaonTel que le titre de cet article le suggère, nous proposons d’examiner, dans le cadre de ce congrès de l’ACÉBAC consacré à la problématique épineuse du libre arbitre et du déterminisme, une figure biblique qui occupe encore aujourd'hui une place importante dans l'imaginaire de nos contemporains, soit la ... Human Freewill and Divine Determinism: Pharaoh, A Case-StudyDr. Wally Unger’s keen interest in the life of C.S. Lewis and his writings is no secret. It is well known that the question of human freewill defines, more than anything else, the theological core of C. S. Lewis’ thought. It is in keeping with this critical issue for C.S. Lewis and, I suspect, for Dr. Unger as well, ... Spiritual Warfare and the Third Wave Movement. A CritiqueIn the last few years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the demonic in general and in how, more specifically, Satanic forces interface with the world of human affairs. This flurry of interest has particularly been fueled by a number of Christian leaders who have been closely associated with what is known as ... The Biblical Text vs. the Old MythAt the eve of a new millennium, we cannot help but wonder about the insanity of the 20th Century. Whether it is children killing children in our high schools or abroad, the murderous conflicts between the Serbs and the Albanians, the Tutsi and the Hutus, Turks and the Kurds, the blind hatred of the Nazis ... A New Look at Amos’ Prophetic StatusOver the years, the pericope found in Amos 7,10-17 has received an unusual amount of attention from biblical scholars. That this be the case is not surprising in light of the questions this passage raises on several important issues such as Amos' preprophetic vocation, particularly as it relates to the ... L’appel à la conversion chez les prophètes de l’Ancien Testament: Une lecture actualisante du motif imprécatoire dans la littérature prophétique du VIIIe siècle A.C.L’appel à la conversion est au coeur même du discours prophétique de l’Ancien Testament. Il est impossible de lire les prophètes sans être immédiatement frappé par l’absolue nécessité d’un retour vers Yahvé; c’est la survie même du peuple d’Israël qui est en jeu. Si l’on ne peut nier le rôle fondamental ... |