Poem on Earth

The Earth is beautiful

Wherever you live, you see the same wonder:

rivers, flowers, mountains, butterflies, and birds,

blue skies, rainy days, and sudden storms—

all of these hold such striking grace.

Why, then, do people look past them,

searching for things beyond their own home?

True beauty surrounds us right here.

Look up at the sky, gaze at what is around you;

you will feel and touch all good things.

Do not look for something in another place tomorrow.

The world is here.

The only thing we truly have is now and here.

Check details carefully

When I signed the contract for my edited volume, Rethinking Paul: Critical Conversations for Our World (Westminster John Knox Press), I failed to notice that my name was misspelled. Thankfully, the publisher caught the mistake, corrected it, and sent over a new copy for me to sign. It is a good reminder of how important it is to check details carefully. I am glad this was sorted out!

Challenging the colonial theology

Today, I highlight a compelling chapter by Demetrius K. Williams, Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, titled “The Colonial Christ, the Canaanite Woman, and the Crumbs of Insufficiency” in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Williams analyzes the narrative from an African American postcolonial perspective, challenging the colonial theology that constructs a savior figure who demands subordination as a prerequisite for inclusion. Furthermore, he underscores the Canaanite woman's defiant, transgressive faith as an empowering model for her daughter and marginalized communities.

My vocation as a scholar

One of the most rewarding aspects of my vocation as a scholar is editing collective volumes. These projects allow me to spearhead less developed fields or reinforce specific areas of interest by bringing together formidable scholars for a crucial endeavor. While my fifth edited volume, Rethinking Paul, is currently underway, I have already conceived of a new project tentatively titled Reading Scripture, Reading the Self: Critical Autobiographical Interpretation. I have recruited eight exceptional scholars who will bring their lived experiences to bear on the biblical texts.

A Womanist Reading of Matthew 15:21-28

Today, I want to honor Mitzi Smith, a professor of New Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, and highlight her essay, "A Womanist Reading of the Canaanite Woman (Matt 15:21–28): Dehumanization, and the Politics of Respectability and Inclusion," featured in my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Smith explores the Canaanite woman's faith from a womanist perspective, challenging the ideologies of inclusion and respectability applied to the marginalized. She powerfully argues that true faith is never a weapon used to subdue others.

Queer Interpretation

Today, I highlight Rhiannon Graybill’s chapter, "Love Makes a Family: Queer Kinship in Ruth," from my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Graybill, a professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Richmond, explores queer interpretations of the text while resisting fixed definitions. She ultimately challenges readers to remain attentive to the nuances and complexities of queer kinship throughout the story of Ruth. #bookofruth #queerreading #homiletics #interpretation

When It Rains, We Meander: The Quiet Call to Look Inside

There is a profound reason why a rainy day turns our thoughts inward, pulling us into a space of quiet sentimentality. As gray skies dim the natural light, a gentle biological shift occurs: our serotonin dips while melatonin rises, lowering our emotional volume and nudging us toward introspection. Simultaneously, the steady, low-frequency rhythm of falling rain acts as a natural sedative, slowing our heart rates and triggering an evolutionary instinct to seek shelter, let our guard down, and pause from the frantic pace of the outside world. Cloistered safely indoors, the physical world grows quiet, and the scent of petrichor—the earthy aroma of rain hitting dry soil—unlocks the brain's deepest memory centers. In this beautifully suspended moment, free from immediate distractions, our minds naturally meander backward, transforming a simple weather event into a deeply restorative, nostalgic journey.

Decolonizing Ruth: Postcolonial African Perspectives

Today, I highlight a chapter by Robert Wafawanaka, a Hebrew Bible professor at Virginia Union University: "Decolonizing Ruth, Reading and 'Un-reading' Ruth with African Eyes: Masculinity, Disability, and Survival," from my edited volume, At the Intersection of Hermeneutics and Homiletics. Wafawanaka brings a postcolonial Zimbabwean perspective to the text, exploring the intersections of ancient tradition, modern African contexts, masculinity, disability, and survival. Viewing Naomi and Ruth as victims of a male-dominated world, he powerfully argues that women should be empowered to thrive without being shackled by patriarchal traditions.

Faith

Faith cannot fabricate facts. Faith is not a panacea. While it has positive functions, we must also caution against uninformed claims that contradict clear evidence or science. In many cases, faith's primary function is to shape how we respond to reality.

Revisiting My Review of Paul Was Not a Christian: Why It’s a "Half Success"

When I first reviewed Pamela Eisenbaum’s provocative book, Paul Was Not a Christian: The Original Message of a Misunderstood Apostle, for the Review of Biblical Literature, I walked away with a mixed verdict. It is a book I frequently recommend for its historical grounding, but one where I must firmly draw the line at its core theological conclusion. I call the book a "half success."

Where I Fully Agree: Restoring Paul to Second Temple Judaism

Eisenbaum masterfully hits the mark when it comes to Paul’s identity. As I noted in my review, she successfully demonstrates that Paul lived and died an unambiguous Jew. He never abandoned Judaism, never rejected the Torah, and never intended to found a new religion in opposition to his heritage.

She also does a brilliant job critiquing the traditional Western, post-Reformation lenses (influenced deeply by Augustine and Luther) that project an anachronistic "introspective conscience" onto Paul's letters. Paul's mission can—and should—be understood through the framework of radical Jewish monotheism and covenant theology.

 

Where I Must Disagree: The "Two-Ways Salvation" Problem

Where the book falls short for me is its insistence on a "two-ways salvation" model. Eisenbaum claims that because the Jews are already justified through the covenant, they have no theological need for Christ—meaning Jesus is strictly an expiation for lawless Gentiles. 

To be absolutely clear: Paul did not exempt Jews from needing Christ.

As a Pauline scholar, I find Eisenbaum's "two-ways" position scripturally unsustainable. Paul’s letters consistently stress the word "all". Both Jews and Greeks are under the power of sin (Rom 3:9), meaning no group is exempt from the need for redemption. Furthermore, Paul’s deep personal anguish in Romans 9:2–3 over his fellow kindred who had not accepted Christ makes absolutely no sense if he viewed Christ as merely an optional path for the Jewish people. While Paul certainly did not require Gentiles to become Jewish to enter God's household, he absolutely maintained that Christ is the fulfillment and Lord of all—Jews and Gentiles alike (1 Cor 8:6, Rom 10:4).

The Missing Context: Pistis Christou and the Roman Empire
Furthermore, I find Eisenbaum's view of Christ’s faithfulness (pistis christou) to be far too restrictive. By confining it strictly to a theological expiation on the cross, she sacrifices the vital sociopolitical, historical, and counter-imperial context of the Gospel. Christ’s faithfulness was a transformative message of peace and justice that directly challenged Caesar’s kingdom.

 
Because this is left out, the concept of a believer's "participating faith"—how Gentiles actually live out and emulate that transformative faith in their daily lives under empire—remains vastly underdeveloped in her work.

The Bottom Line

Eisenbaum succeeds in making Paul more Jewish than normally expected, but she fails to persuade me on "two-ways salvation". Nevertheless, it remains a highly valuable text for anyone looking to strip away centuries of Western bias and see Paul's apocalyptic vision clearly. 

I extensively wrote about Paul and his theology during my over 20 years of scholarship. For example, see How to Read Paul (2021, Fortress Press).