Tag Archives: J. Richard Middleton

God Redeems His People … Then and Now

Posted on November 24, 2015 by rjs5

One of the overarching themes of the Old Testament is God’s redemption of his people (and boy, do they (we) need it). Chapter six four of Richard Middleton’s book A New Heaven and a New Earth sketches this Old Testament … Continue reading →

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The Thrust of the Biblical Plot

Posted on November 10, 2015 by rjs5

A while ago I was taken to task in a (late) comment on a post I put up discussing the Bible’s plot line. I find the short hand creation – fall – redemption – new creation or consummation (CFRC) to … Continue reading →

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Singing Lies in Church?

Posted on October 29, 2015 by rjs5

As Christians we love to sing. This is an important and beautiful part of worship. But the words to these song teach theology … and the theology isn’t always right. One place where our song may take us wrong is … Continue reading →

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Richard Middleton: After The Liberating Image

Posted on August 5, 2014 by rjs5

As I am off vacationing this week, picking wild blueberries (four  pies worth this morning) and getting in a little fishing, we have a great opportunity to think a little deeper about the image of God. Earlier this year we … Continue reading →

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A New Look at Genesis 1

Posted on June 24, 2014 by rjs5

In the final chapter of his book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 J. Richard Middleton suggests a new interpretive framework for Genesis 1. This is not new as in totally innovative, or dismissing tradition altogether, but … Continue reading →

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In the Image of a Violent God?

Posted on June 19, 2014 by rjs5

Chapter 6 of J. Richard Middleton’s book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 addresses the question of the nature of God revealed in creation. Most of the Mesopotamian creation myths involve creation as part of some great … Continue reading →

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Babel as Ideological Critique

Posted on June 10, 2014 by rjs5

The previous post on J. Richard Middleton’s book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 looked at the way in which Middleton sees Genesis 1-10 as an ideological critique of the dominant and dominating Mesopotamian culture. The creation … Continue reading →

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Genesis 1-10 as Ideological Critique

Posted on June 3, 2014 by rjs5

The fifth chapter of J. Richard Middleton’s book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 considers the ways in which Genesis 1-11 critiques the Mesopotamian ideology. This chapter is worth a couple of posts – the first will … Continue reading →

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Humans Created to Serve the gods?

Posted on May 29, 2014 by rjs5

The third chapter of J. Richard Middleton’s book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 concluded that the Mesopotamian cultural context had the dominant influence on the early chapters of Genesis and on the meaning of the image … Continue reading →

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All Humanity is the Image of God

Posted on May 22, 2014 by rjs5

The third chapter of J. Richard Middleton’s book The Liberating Image: The Imago Dei in Genesis 1 looks at the ancient Near Eastern context for parallels to the image of God. Chapter 2 placed the term in the context of … Continue reading →

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