Curtis A. Bronzan

If you’re at all interested what theological examinations are like:

Grades were due for the fall quarter at Fuller today, which means that after a couple busy weeks of grading 50+ final papers, I’m now able to return to some of my own research interests. I won’t begin actually writing my ThM thesis until this summer (after a required integration course in the spring), though this quarter I have the opportunity for another directed study with Barry Taylor, a professor who has significantly shaped my thinking in past courses as well as a previous directed study.

The first section of my ThM thesis will specifically examine Jesus’ action in the temple through detailed exegetical work. From there, however, I’m not exactly sure how best to proceed in arguing for a (post)modern de(con)struction of (our) temples that remain faithful to Jesus’ prophetic action.

As such, this quarter I’ll be examining the theological impact of a few different thinkers, some of whom I’m somewhat familiar with (Derrida, Vattimo, and Girard) and others of whom I’m not (Nietzsche, Rorty, and Foucault). Creating the reading list was rather difficult, especially considering T&T Clark’s recent “_____ and Theology” series as well as Baker’s Church and Postmodern Culture series. Ultimately, however, I’m excited about how it ended up – and am looking forward to conversations with Barry regarding the subject matter.

In The Politics of Jesus, John Howard Yoder states:

Jesus was not just a moralist whose teachings had some political implications; he was not primarily a teacher of spirituality whose public ministry unfortunately was seen in a political light; he was not just a sacrificial lamb preparing for his immolation, or a God-man whose divine status calls us to disregard his humanity. Jesus was, in his divinely mandated (i.e., promised, anointed, messianic) prophethood, priesthood, and kingship, the bearer of a new possibility of human, social, and therefore political relationships. His baptism is the inauguration and his cross is the culmination of that new regime in which his disciples are called to share. Hearers or readers may choose to consider that kingdom as not real, or not relevant, or not possible, or not inviting; but no longer can we come to this choice in the name of systematic theology or honest hermeneutics. At this one point there is no difference between the Jesus of Historie and the Christ of Geschichte, or between Christ as God and Jesus as Man, or between the religion of Jesus and the religion about Jesus (or between the Jesus of the canon and the Jesus of history). No such slicing can avoid his call to an ethic marked by the cross, a cross identified as the punishment of a man who threatens society by creating a new kind of community leading a radically new kind of life. (52-53)

Happy Holidays from These Numbers Have Faces from These Numbers Have Faces on Vimeo.

I picked up Ched Myers’ volume Binding the Strong Man at the Fuller Bookstore today, in preparation for an upcoming sermon series on the Gospel of Mark at the religious community I serve. I’m really looking forward to journeying through Mark – the earliest account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth – and am hoping we can go slowly, taking the entire year to do it.

Myers’ book has been on my wish list for a while, so being able to read it along with fellow companions at the church will be an added bonus for me – and hopefully for those I get to journey with as well. Check out the conclusion to his preface:

It is my hope that this commentary might stimulate further work along similar lines, in Mark or in other biblical texts. But above all it is offered, as the Gospel itself is, to discipleship communities, however discouraged and weary, as part of our ongoing search for renewed direction and hope in our struggle to follow the way of Jesus in difficult times. A true reading of Mark compels us to come to terms afresh with our faith and most certainly our lack of faith (Mk 9:24). I pray that this study might help Mark to speak, and the reader to have “ears to hear,” the good news that promises yet to overthrow the structures of domination in our world.

There’s some irony when you receive an e-mail which questions whether you’d like to receive e-mails:

Though I keep it fairly uncluttered, I’ve mentioned before some apps in use on my iPhone. One of my favorites is Stay in Tune, which utilizes the iPhone’s microphone to chromatically tune any instrument.

I use it for guitar primarily, though it’s come in handy for banjo and bass as well. Well worth the $4.99.

Ah, yes. Guy Fawkes night. Makes me want to “deconstruct” some buildings too.

A friend’s post on Facebook today explicates my reasons:

In 1999 American churches spent 6 billion dollars on new buildings, in ‘98 thirteen billion was needed to eliminate global hunger.

My interpretation of another interpretation (which opened on this day in 2005) can be viewed here.

I realize the above title sounds rather pretensious, though it is not meant to be so. I’m simply surprised that the banking industry is only now developing apps by which their customers can access their institution’s services.

Though, I suppose banks have been busy with some other issues. In fact, it was the demise of Washington Mutual and its sale to Chase that alerted me to this app in the first place.

And though this shift has not been the smoothest for me as a customer, I will utilize this application, thank you very much (there’s that pretension again).

I’ve noted before before my interest in Starbucks, but this new advert for their ready brew coffee takes the cake – or, the coffee cake, as it were.

Notice the posture of the Via consumer. Absolute worship. Proskuneo, even! This must be some amazing coffee that would engender such devotion.

I, personally, can’t handle Starbucks brewed coffee, though I wonder if it’s terrible bitterness isn’t a way to push their higher priced espresso drinks. But Via keeps consumers away from such products – if not for the distance from the store, then for the time it takes away from bowing down to our new favorite idol.