Holy week?

Theological study is actually a result of the week we in the churches are celebrating. Without this week Christians would be the

most hopeless people. Paul tells us that when some Corinthians questioned the resurrection - for themselves (1 Cor.15:1-19). Yet it was all due to Jesus - his incarnation as a human being, in order to give that life, to die, be separated from what we know as 'life', to go through hell to get to the First day of the week and be raised to a new life. The implications of all this lead to theologising.

We want to understand. We want to comprehend the hows and whys of it all. We can start with thinking through the whats - what did happen? Who was Jesus? Then the hows and we find a host more questions. Why do we as his followers continue to believe he is God? Why do we consider this so important to the whole of our lives, and indeed how does it all relate to the world?

That is theology!

It does not have to be only for tertiary students of course. However, my work focuses on those who are studying for a BA or MA or even PhD in theology and religious studies. They have the privilege to take time to think through the answers for several years. Some may find that talking it out helps before they set out to write essays. Even choosing which essay option may need discussing. I can be an objective person with whom you could discuss it. I spent many a half hours or even 10 minutes with students coming into the library I managed at a small theological and ministry training college for over 20 years discussing essay titles and how to choose, how to handle a specific topic. It is often more motivational to sit and write if you choose a topic that you actually cannot handle easily and get to grips with the real issues.

What might be a 'real' issue? If we consider this very week of history around 1990 years ago, what do we start with? Palm Sunday? The entrance of a King? on a donkey? The previous years were an obviously important lead-up but for now, what do we read? In all four of the gospels there is the story of Palm Sunday. Jesus was determined to go into Jerusalem in the style of the prophecy of Zechariah 9. 500+ years before; on a donkey. There are purposes in the plan God had set before him. That is a huge issue; WHAT are God's purposes? From the beginning of creation, of time itself, what was God proposing to do? How was this being considering this tiny planet in the vastness of the universe? How do we know anything about it?

Well, we have the Bible - 1500 years in its historic scope of writing but millennia in its scope of meaning. It all points to one year, to us now 1990 years ago. One week on the festival of Passover, the commemoration of God's rescue of the nation of Israel. One day when God rescued the whole of humanity -through a crucified saviour? a crucified King? I will not write more here or I would end up with a tome of applied theology, hopefully in simple terms.

However, if you have any quandaries on how to start thinking these things through, how to structure an essay, or you may simply want a proofread of what you have written, I make my services available. Contact me through this website's contact form; scroll below all the blogs of the past few years. Fill it in and I will hopefully find it and respond to you.