God on the ground

After the episode read Acts 4:1-22 and Romans 13:1-7. What do those passages, and the lessons learned from John Ponet, mean for your attitude to authority? And are there disputes or contexts where you need to be more flexible on for the sake of the gospel? Or issues where need to take a firmer stand for the sake of the gospel?

For more from Mark on the Reformation, see his book (edited with Jonathan Gibson) Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present. 

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God on the ground explores Biblical Studies, Theology, and Church History to help us figure out what God means for real life. This episode is a Bible Bamboozler: Emeritus Professor Edwin Judge  (the first Professor of History in the field of Ancient History) takes us through ancient philosophy and the apostle Paul.

After the episode read Acts 17:16-34. If you were an Epicurean, how would this challenge your outlook? What about if you were a Stoic? And how does it challenge your own perspective?

For more on this, hunt down Edwin's recent essay collection (edited by James Harrison) Paul and the Conflict of Cultures, especially the chapter "Paul and Greek Philosophy." For a more detailed comparison of Paul's worldview to that of major philosophical movements and figures in the ancient world, try Paul and the Giants of Philosophy edited by Dodson and Briones.

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After the episode read Romans 5. What does it tell you about sin and grace? 

To go further on Augustine, start with Confessions. You'll find decent editions in any decent bookshop & all the online/ebook stores, and plenty of libraries have physical and digital copies for loan. I like the Boulding translation, but you might also try Chadwick or the Penguin Classics edition (you can find Confessions free online, but the translation is older and not so nice to read). You can also find On the Spirit and the Letter online, as well as Augustine's other works. 

For works about Augustine, you might try Peter Brown's classic biography or the more recent (and sometimes more affordable) biography by Robin Lane Fox - Augustine: Confessions and Conversions. For something shorter (but a bit older), try Chadwick's Augustine of Hippo: A Life.

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After the episode read a chapter from Proverbs, perhaps chapter 15 or chapter 20. Pick a couple of proverbs that grab your attention & spend some time thinking through them - what situation in your life do they address? And how do these proverbs help you see the wisdom of Jesus?

Don't forget to check out The Adventure of a Skier by Italo Calvino over at the New Yorker.

For more from Andrew, see his book - Every Good Path: Wisdom and Practical Reason in Christian Ethics and the Book of Proverbs - or check out some neat articles online here (from 2014) and here (from 2019).

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After the episode read Romans 6 or John 15:1-17. What implications come from being "in Christ" in those passages? 

For more from Rory, see his book on union with Christ -  One Forever: The Transforming Power of Being In Christ -  and his articles over at The Gospel Coalition AU.

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To wrap your head around Mark, why not head over to the Gospel Coalition where Dane C. Ortlund has a neat introductory course online: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/course/knowing-bible-mark/. To explore the concept of miracles in a philosophical sense, we'd recommend C.S. Lewis's classic Miracles.

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