Orthoparadoxical Theologizing

S3K: Jews & Christians in Conversation

Monday and Tuesday of this week I was privileged to be in dialogue with a remarkable cohort of Jewish and Christian religious leaders reflecting together on the challenges of guiding faith-communities in our ever morphing culture. The gathering was hosted

Dwight J. Friesen January 18, 2006January 14, 2021

emergent 2006 theological conversation

I’ll be attending the 2006 Theological Conversation featuring Dr. Miroslav Volf sponsored by Emergent, the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Zondervan Publishing, and Abingdon Press/Cokesbury Bookstores.  February 6-8,  2006. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen January 13, 2006January 18, 2021

marvel comics

Ronna Miller led a small group of us (Molly the wise, Jen the passionate, and Paul the great), at MHGS in Advent reflection this morning. Ronna guided our hearts and minds around the theme of “marveling.” It was a thoughtful

Dwight J. Friesen December 7, 2005May 12, 2022

Living & Loving the Questions

I wasn’t raised with the wirings and poetry of Rilke, but I am sure grateful to have been introduced to them. The following is arguably one of his best known quotes, yet I had to post it. It is just

Dwight J. Friesen December 4, 2005September 30, 2022

life wisdom

“The day you die is better than the day you are born. It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still

Dwight J. Friesen October 30, 2005May 9, 2022

windshield spraying

On a crisp clear fall morning as I was driving north on I-405 the car ahead of me cleaned its windshield, and as it did it sprayed me. So I did the natural thing – I cleaned my windshield –

Dwight J. Friesen October 28, 2005October 26, 2022

obedience: an insidious temptation?

I have always enjoyed reading Ray Anderson (Fuller). Recently I was rereading, The Shape of Practical Theology and his one of his phrases in chapter eight gripped me and I have been sitting with it ever since. “Obedience by itself

Dwight J. Friesen September 22, 2005September 30, 2022

raising a heretic?

The other day my son (four years old) made a disturbing confession. He boldly declared, (and I paraphrase), “I have two Gods. One tells me to do good, and one tells me to do bad.” Apparently some Marcionite has been

Dwight J. Friesen September 14, 2005June 9, 2022

Authoritative Bible

How Can the Bible be Authoritative? by N.T. Wright. Vox Evangelica 21 1991. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen August 14, 2005January 14, 2021

fall retreat for PSCC

I have the privilege participating in Puget Sound Christian College’s fall orientation retreat. August 25 – 27th, 2005. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen August 3, 2005January 18, 2021

power & forgiveness

Here is a great article by Dr. Elaine J. Ramshaw titled: Power and Forgiveness in Matthew 18. The article first appeared in Word & World. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen July 17, 2005September 26, 2022

Social-Evangelicals

A comment in a student’s paper this Spring has been lingering in the back of my mind. Dale Helt re-framed the classic Evangelical litmus-test question by exchanging the word “personal” for “communal.” The question, as he voiced it was, “Do

Dwight J. Friesen July 7, 2005January 14, 2021

Inverting the Bridge Illustration

Recently, I wrote a very brief article for Off-the-Map.org, titled, “Rethinking the Bridge Illustration.” You can find it here. Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen July 2, 2005January 14, 2021

Relational Hell?

If you have visited my site before than you know that I take pretty seriously the notion that relations form identity.  I would go so far to say that understanding of self is impossible without the other.  As I sit

Dwight J. Friesen June 23, 2005January 14, 2021

“What do you Believe?” . . . Wrong Question?

Dwight J. Friesen June 10, 2005January 14, 2021

hubbing texts

Leadership is an Art, by Max DePree The Tale of Three Kings, by Gene Edwards The Emergence of Leadership, by Douglas Griffin Connective Leadership, Jean Lipman-Blumen Complexity and Management, by Ralph D. Stacey The Paradox of Control in Organizations, by

Dwight J. Friesen June 7, 2005January 18, 2021

recursion

Which came first?  The chicken or the egg?  In a brief conversation with Marty Folsom (Seattle-area theologian/counselor), he highlighted some possible connections between recursion theory and relational theology.  The language of recursion was new to me and I have much to learn.  This

Dwight J. Friesen May 26, 2005September 20, 2022

what did Jesus reject?

In the theological process of crafting statements addressing the many and various issues which inevitably arise in the process of life (for example), there is often a summary statement followed by a series of articles of affirmation and denial. These affirmations/denials are an

Dwight J. Friesen May 25, 2005May 7, 2022

Toward the Heart of the Matter

Toward the Heart of the Matter by Eberhard Jungel Eberhard Jungel is professor of systematic theology and philosophy at the University of Tubingen. Toward the Heart of the Matter was translated by Paul E. Capetz, July 15, 1990. This article

Dwight J. Friesen May 24, 2005January 25, 2021

passion: screwing around with a relational barometer?

“Where’s your passion?” “I’ve lost my passion?” “I can’t find my passion?” “Has anyone seen my passion?” I’m beginning to wonder whether passion might be a tad over-rated. Maybe we are passion-crazed like we are sex-crazed. Don’t get me wrong

Dwight J. Friesen May 24, 2005October 4, 2022

who is part of the team?

In a student’s paper I was reading, there was an insightful comment about “fans” and “teams” that got me thinking . . . who is part of the team?  How important are fans to teams?  Are fans part of the team? 

Dwight J. Friesen May 16, 2005May 12, 2022

Brian McLaren: hell’s tour guide? …that just doesn’t sound right!

My friend, teacher, and colleague, Brian McLaren will be posting here on this journal tomorrow, Monday, May 9th.  Brian’s blog tour (including: Tallskinnykiwi, Jordan Cooper, Jen Lemen, Paradoxology, and Pomomusings), will be a conversation regarding his newest, and arguably most

Dwight J. Friesen May 8, 2005January 14, 2021

“U” becomes a “wave”

Following up to my “U-Theory and the Cross” post. One aspect of the U-Theory that Senge and the rest did not seem to speak to was the process of ongoing transformation. In my personal life – especially my spirituality –

Dwight J. Friesen May 5, 2005October 4, 2022

God or the devil . . . who is found in the details?

In a conversation with Terry O’Casey over the weekend, we got to discussing the idea of Biblical inerrancy; more specifically the role of inerrancy within narrative vision of Scripture. It could be argued that the doctrine of inerrancy as defined

Dwight J. Friesen May 4, 2005May 8, 2022

perfect liquid

My friend Kyle, passed along an interesting article in USA Today (April 20, 2005): “Picking apart the ‘Big Bang’ brings a big mystery.” “From colliding atoms: Instead of a hot gas of independent particles, top, experiments generated a ‘perfect’ liquid

Dwight J. Friesen April 25, 2005May 7, 2022

morphogenesis of church life

I’ve been giving some more thought to the connections of Cellular Mitosis with church growth and church planting. The body of Christ appears to be a not unlike a multi-cellular living organism. Multi-cellular living organisms contain more than one cell

Dwight J. Friesen April 22, 2005January 14, 2021

mission shaped church

Presenting “emerging theology” at the mission_shaped_church learning party sponsored by Karen Ward and the Church of the Apostles. April 17, 2005 Peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 17, 2005October 4, 2022

Theory-U & the Cross

Paragraph The reflective and discursive book, Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future by Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski and Betty Sue Flowers invites readers into the exploration and development of the “U-theory” of learning and change.

Dwight J. Friesen April 15, 2005October 5, 2022

rev. hosea?

Among the many intriguing characters of Holy Scripture is the Northern Kingdom prophet Hosea(circa 8-7 century BC). He’s the man God called to marry a “prostitute” named Gomer as radical form of prophetic performance art. It’s a tragic relational story.

Dwight J. Friesen April 9, 2005October 5, 2022

phone conversation with etrek

I have the privilege of interacting Spencer Burke and a group of etrek learners on my work on the Scale-Free Kingdom of God. peace, dwight

Dwight J. Friesen April 1, 2005January 18, 2021