Category Archives: Culture

February 18, 2013

Jesus UnCrossed

By David D. Flowers

Saturday Night Live has been known for pushing the envelope over its 37 year history with NBC. This past Saturday night (Feb 16th), SNL brought Jesus into a comedic sketch where the carpenter from Nazareth takes his revenge on the Romans.

Christoph Waltz, most notably known for Inglorious Bastards & Django Unchained, hosted SNL this past weekend. Waltz plays Jesus as seen in the movie trailer of a new Quentin Tarantino parody film called “DJesus Uncrossed.” No, Tarantino isn’t really doing a film about Jesus (though that would be interesting), it’s just a bit of SNL humor.

Humor can certainly offend our religious sensibilities, especially if a person thinks that shows like SNL are of the devil. But it also has a way of holding a mirror to the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of our faith, that’s of course if we will let it. It’s time that we start listening to our critics.

I believe that SNL’s portrayal of a “kick ass” Jesus is representative of the bad theology and sloppy biblical hermeneutics that’s so often prevalent among believers who have shaped for themselves an American gun-slinging Jesus—a Jesus that is unlike the Christ revealed in the Gospels.

In fact, I believe SNL has done us a favor. What do you think?

How does this SNL skit about Jesus make you feel? Do you see any inconsistencies with the Jesus of the Gospels and the Jesus that’s often portrayed in the lives of Christians who believe in violence toward enemies? How should Christian’s respond to SNL’s parody of Jesus?

53 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Culture, Historical Jesus

February 5, 2013

Open Theology in MIB3

By David D. Flowers

A few weeks ago my wife and I rented Men in Black 3 (MIB3 – 2012), starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, and Josh Brolin. I didn’t dislike the first two films, but it’s not really my style. I like sci-fi films, but sci-fi comedy… not so much. However, we heard it was good so we decided to give it a go.

I was pleasantly surprised with how well the plot held my attention. I like Will Smith, and of course Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are great actors. But as entertaining as it was to watch them, I found that the most fascinating character in the movie was an alien named Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg). He appeared to be human, but he was unlike anyone you’ve ever met.

Griffin has the ability to see all possible futures. While Griffin is merely a human (or alien), he possesses a “supernatural” ability to see what only an infinite-minded being could foreknow.

I think Griffin works well as a comedic caricature of God, as presented in the open view. In fact, I believe that Griffin offers a teachable moment for those who remain unclear or even skeptical of open theism.

In a nutshell, open theology comes down to this:

God created a free universe where creatures are always given an appropriate degree of freedom to operate within creation and shape the future. Therefore, God is immanent and operates within his creation according to its laws and nature. Since God’s foreknowledge is perfect in his infinite ability to know all possible futures, as if they were all certainties, he is forever ahead of his creatures and fully prepared to interact and respond to us.

In the following scene, Agent J (Smith) and a young Agent K (Brolin) are introduced to Griffin. They quickly discover his unique abilities. They are at first bewildered by Griffin’s great power of foreknowledge, but in time they see his ability as reason to place great confidence in him.

Do you think it is logically and biblically consistent to believe that God sees all of the future as predetermined, while at the same time claiming that human beings have free will? Let’s instead consider how an infinitely intelligent God can grant a great level of freedom to human beings, leaving the future open to a degree, and also reign supreme over creation in the unfolding of God’s good purposes for the cosmos.

D.D. Flowers, 2013.

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Culture, Theology

January 17, 2013

Is God Good?

By David D. Flowers

Is God good? If so, then why is there evil and suffering in the world? Have you heard this before? If you’re like me, you’ve wrestled with it yourself.

It’s a legitimate question that we must answer.

Epicurus (Greek philosopher, 4th cent. BC) is believed to be the first to argue the following:

  1. If an all-powerful and perfectly good god exists, then evil does not.
  2. There is evil in the world.
  3. Therefore, an all-powerful and perfectly good god does not exist.

David Hume (Scottish philosopher, 18th cent. AD) said…

“Is he [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?” (Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion)

Theologians and philosophers throughout history have responded to the scoffing of skeptics and accusations made by agnostics against a “good” God creating a world where evil is possible.

From Irenaeus, Augustine, and Aquinas to contemporary voices like John Hick, Alvin Plantiga, and William Lane Craig, a great deal of ink has been devoted to the issue of theodicy (moral defense of God in the face of evil).

I personally subscribe to the Trinitarian Warfare Worldview proposed by Greg Boyd. It is a serious theological, as well as philosophical, treatment of the problem of evil. See my summary of Greg’s views here.

Is it logical for a good God to create a world where evil is possible? Yes, I believe so. However, philosophy (logic & reason) must also make room for theology (natural & divine revelation) for a full, satisfactory response.

God has expressed his true nature in the cross of Jesus. Contrary to the sentiments of Richard Dawkins, the crucifixion is not a “petty” matter inconsequential to human history and the cosmos.

In orthodox Christian perspective, the cross of Christ is the climax of incarnation. God displays the depths of his love for all of creation by bearing the ultimate consequence of the evil our free will has brought into the world.

We also learn that God’s omnipotence doesn’t look like that of Zeus, king of the gods. The power of God is revealed in Jesus’ giving of his life by his own free will for the purpose of reconciling a broken humanity.

Greg Boyd writes…

“The cross refutes the traditional notion that omnipotence means God always gets his way. Rather, the cross reveals God’s omnipotence as a power that empowers others—to the point of giving others the ability, if they so choose, to nail him to the cross. The cross reveals that God’s omnipotence is displayed in self-sacrificial love, not sheer might. God conquers sin and the devil not by a sovereign decree but by a wise and humble submission to crucifixion. In doing this, the cross reveals that God’s omnipotence is not primarily about control but about his compelling love. God conquers evil and wins the heart of people by self-sacrificial love, not by coercive force.”  God of the Possible, p.18

The logic is sound, but the true beauty of it is only discovered in faith.

Do you find this video helpful in articulating God’s righteousness in the face of evil? Let’s renew our belief in the goodness of God by looking upon Jesus as the full and final revelation of his character. 

7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Culture, Theology

January 9, 2013

The Twilight Zone God

By David D. Flowers

I’m sort of a nerd. I haven’t always been that way. I grew into it. I’m not ashamed of the fact.

I have always enjoyed movies. But when I was younger I didn’t care much for black & white films. I was entirely disinterested in Science Fiction.

I actually laughed at my dad when I caught him watching Star Trek in the living room. Not anymore. No sir. Not anymore.

Today I enjoy reading theology books and contemplating the mysteries of the universe. When I want to wind down and detach from the world a bit, I watch a sci-fi film. I like to feel like I’ve entered another dimension of reality. It’s therapeutic and stimulating all at once. I told you I’m a nerd.

I have especially grown to love Rod Serling’s TV episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959-64). There are so many theological and ethical messages that are nicely illustrated in the original series.

The original Star Trek episodes are of the same sci-fi strata.

In the future, I’m gonna use some old sci-fi to help us rethink God in Christ.

I’ll begin with the last five minutes of “It’s a Good Life” (season 3, episode 8) from The Twilight Zone.

A little boy named Anthony has divine powers that are wreaking havoc on everyone in his world. He does some really bizarre things. The neighbors witness him create a three-headed gopher and kill it because he can. When he gets angry at people for the slightest reason, he makes them disappear.

He even turns someone into a jack-in-the-box before sending them to the “corn field” never to be seen again. Right before he makes it snow on the crops in the middle of summer, destroying the harvest.

Anthony doesn’t even allow people to think bad thoughts about him. So his parents and neighbors all try to convince each other that Anthony is really good after all. They dare not question the justice of Anthony, or else.

He can do it because he’s Anthony. And it’s The Twilight Zone.

I think this episode epitomizes the idea of some really bad pop-views about what God is like. Some call it Calvinism. I call it The Twilight Zone God.

Don’t you think it’s time for someone to knock some bad theology over the head? Isn’t it time that we seriously consider how Christ is the full revelation of God? Let’s say “No” to The Twilight Zone God. 

D.D. Flowers, 2013.

* This post inspired Greg Boyd’s message: Escaping the Twilight Zone God.

15 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Christianity, Culture, Faith & Science, Theology