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Writings on Christian Topics

www.abxn.org

Andrew Basden

Information,
Ideas and
Innovation
for those who would like them
and perhaps a bit of Motivation too.

Here is a brief index of my writings on various Christian topics. Enjoy them, whoever you are: I have tried to write them avoiding Christian jargon. They are intended to help our thinking about a wide range of issues; many are pages I have written to clarify my own thinking, and then realised that others might find them useful too. Please feel free to comment, by email, post or phone.

If wish to get to know me, look at my Spiritual Journey (mostly complete but a first, unchecked version).

Main Sections of Whole Site:

This-level pages, containing reflections on a wide range of issues, and then the following sub-sites:
Discussion - Topics for discussion, with invitation to comment
A New View in Theology and Practice - Christ and the world
A Brief History of God - what God has been doing and showing us throughout history, according to the Bible
Climate Change and Global Economy - discussions with Sir John Houghton, Bob Goudzwaard and Dr. John Lockwood about the links between the two.

Sections of this Home/Index Page:

Systematic Thought
God's Ways Work
Trying to See Things God's Way
Table of pages on engaging with mainstream thought
Understanding Biblical Principles and Themes
Discussion Points
Possible Words from God ('prophecy')
Relating to my Work
Links

New or Worth Looking At

Competition, Rivalry and Status --* New 31 August 2021 *--
A Short Theology of Climate Change Q: Isn't climate change rather a secular issue ...? --* New 7 July 2021 *--
The Jewish Temple: Did God Want One Built? --* New 29 June 2021 *--
Jeremiah 45 page updated for Covid-19 --* New 25 October 2020 *--
Making Sense of Covid-19 - Trying to gain a bigger picture.
Praying About the Covid-19 Pandemic
Psalm 91, written during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Luke 9: 23-26, a challenge.
God: Power or Love?
Three Levels of Good and Evil
A Story and a Warning especially to Christians.
On Elites and Elitism
Milton on Marriage, Some notes from Bill Gordon.
Why does God seem so harsh in the Old Testament?
God Loves His Creation, Deeply
Living in Harmony with God's Creation
Against God?
A Brief Investigation of Christian Reconstruction
Making Problems
Human ways of Solving Problems
So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?" - excerpts from Wayne Jacobsen's book
Jesus is Real; and can be Trusted. A true account from the Middle East.
Table of pages on engaging with mainstream thinking
On Anger - "Man's anger does not work the righteousness of God."
Email-excerpt on anger
Scriptures: A compendium of Scriptures on various topics.
Imago Dei - a short thought.
How Jesus Used Scripture:
- In order of Gospel chapters
- In order of Scriptures referred to
- Analysis of those two.
TL;DR? The Bible in 300 Words
Climate Change and Global Economy growing website
The Sacred-Secular Divide - Mark Green's excellent booklet 'The Great Divide' about overcoming the Sacred-Secular Divide, and how the New View can assist and take it further.
The King James Version: its literary impact, with C.S. Lewis' argument and some comments.

Thematic Index to This Site

Systematic Thought

A New View: Theology + Practice - Theology as if the rest of creation matters: a theology for an age of climate change, global economy, and the Internet.
A developing website attempting to forge a new theology of the creation, the place of humanity, the fall, redemption, etc. in which Romans 8 completes the circle back to Genesis 1.
A Brief History of God - Looking for the 'big messages' in Scripture.
A growing and developing website looking at what God has tried to teach humankind since we started. A history of God's activity in and communication to the world.
Scriptures: A compendium of Scriptures on various topics.
How Jesus Used Scripture:
TL;DR? The Bible in 300 Words
'Imagine' - God's words to the information technology profession, and others, on Judgement Day. A few pieces as yet.

God's Ways Work

I believe that God's ways ('laws' etc.) should not be seen as onerous constraints to condemn us. Instead, God's ways work. For the good and bad alike, for the religious and non-religious alike. God's laws are diverse, not just moral codes. They work, not just for self but for others, society and environment. Especially over the longer term. Here I am collecting a number of examples of God's ways working. It is part of an attempt to work our a new view in theology.

Competition, Rivalry and Status --* New 31 August 2021 *--
A Story and a Warning especially to Christians. --* New 23 September 2018 *--
Living in Harmony with God's Creation --* New-old 11 February 2018 *-
Against God? --* New 11 February 2018 *-
Making Problems --* New 11 February 2018 *- but originally begun in 1998!
Solving Problems --* New 11 February 2018 *- but originally begun in 1998!
God's Ways in (British) Socialism?
Farming God's Way in Kenya.
On Retribution and Forgiveness.
God's Ways Work; Human Ways Don't - Some Examples.
Repentance and Forgiveness in South Africa.
In Defence of Marriage - Some reasons you might not have thought of.
Sex, Marriage, Friendship, a thougtful insight from Guy Brandon.
Some interesting figures on crime.

Trying to See Things God's Way

These pages suggest a different way of seeing things we have known for ages, or perhaps some new things. Designed to make us think.

Competition, Rivalry and Status --* New 31 August 2021 *--
Psalm 91, written during the Covid-19 pandemic. --* New 8 April 2020 *--
A Story and a Warning especially to Christians. --* New 23 September 2018 *--
God Loves His Creation, Deeply --* New 11 February 2018 *- but originally begun in 1998!
God: Power or Love? **- New 21 October 2018 -**
Three Levels of Good and Evil --* New 21 October 2018 *--
Justification and Sanctification - Does I Corinthians 1:30 suggest that two more things should be added to these two in God's eyes?
On Anger - "Man's anger does not work the righteousness of God." - and Email-excerpt on anger
Against God? --* New 11 February 2018 *-
Hardness of Heart: Two Kinds
'Plundering the Egyptians' - Why I do not believe this is a good approach to engaging with mainstream thought.
So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore?" - excerpts from Wayne Jacobsen's book
An easy-to-read, stimulating look at Purpose of Church leadership.
The Jewish Temple: Did God Want One Built? --* New 29 June 2021 *--
A Brief Investigation of Christian Reconstruction --* New 11 February 2018 *- but originally begun in 1997, now updated!
Abolition of Slavery, Reduction of Climate Change - a table showing many parallels
Resistance to tackling Slavery and Climate Change - a list of the common excuses
Climate Change and Global Economy subsite, with Sir John Houghton, Prof Bob Goudzwaard and Dr. John Lockwood.
- Why Oil is a Problem with special focus on Nigeria
- Critique of Nigel Lawson's book 'An Appeal to Reason - sadly, it is anything but that, full of polemic, special pleading and misunderstandings, though with a few useful pieces
- Draft Manifesto and background argument
- Seven Questions about Climate Change, some of which have yet to be asked, let alone answered. (easy read)
Seeking God's Heart (Hand-Face-Heart)
Struggle with jealousy.
Prayer is Not an Ought
Salvation - A richer way of seeing it?
Why Atonement? - the reality of sin and 7 ways of dealing with it.
God's New Agenda
Politics with Eternal Significance - the positive politics of tsedeq-radah.
Nelson Mandela: was he converted to Christ? - an important topic for Christians of my persuasion.
Why Christians should be 'Green' - An argument from Scripture; see if you agree.
How should Christians respond to the Green Movement? - (Originally linked with the New Age response above, and a version was published in Third Way back in 1996 or so.)
How should Christians respond to the New Age? - I had to tackle this some years ago.
Genetically Modified Foods - Three levels of this issue.
On Food, Kosher, and the U.K. BSE Crisis.
Some ideas on Success - in business life etc.
A framework for understanding prosperity.
Why did God allow September 11th 2001?
Steps in Unrepentance - The U.S.A.
Making Sense of Israel - pages not ready yet.
Serbia, Milocevic and War Crimes

Engaging with mainstream thought and the secular world:
Pages containing Essays and Reflections from Christian perspective
"abxn.org/nv/engage.secular.html"	Engaging with secular thought: Talk and workshop to Christian postgrads 2011
"abxn.org/nv/faith.scholarship.html"	Bringing Faith and Scholarship Together: my long, meandering journey (Talk as WYSOCS 2013)
"abxn.org/discussion/xns.love.mainstream.html"	Why Christian Scholars Should Love Mainstream Scholarship
abxn.org/non-xn-thought.html	An early email to 'Aaron' who had found it "frustrating" trying to engage as a Christian with Heidegger, Husserl and Hegel
"abxn.org/nv/christian.scholarship.html"	'Christian' Art, Physics, Maths, Sociology, etc.?
"abxn.org/nv/engage-ps.html"	Engaging with post-secular thinking (brief)
"abxn.org/nv/engaging.html"	Engaging with thinking going on the world
"abxn.org/nv/3ds.html"	Theology: Salvation has three dimensions: Not only justification and sanctification but also blessing the world.
"abxn.org/nv/compelling.html"	Compelling us to be engaged (in this case with environmental responsibility)
"abxn.org/nv/continuance.html"	What we do here that is founded in Christ (including good scholarship) continues into the next life
"abxn.org/nv/sacred.secular.html"	Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide (going beyond Mark Green's booklet)
"abxn.org/nv/salt.light.html"	Reflecting on being salt and light, with application to academic, professional and 'ordinary' life
"abxn.org/cri.html"	A Brief Investigation of Christian Reconstruction: Problems with Christian Reconstruction from a Biblical viewpoint
"plunder.egypt.html"	Why I do not believe 'Plundering the Egyptians' is a good approach to engaging with mainstream thought.
"abxn.org/nv/dangers.html"	Some dangers of these views

Understanding Biblical Principles and Themes

Again to make us think, these pages take biblical themes are re-examine them. Of they try to clarify biblical concepts in today's context.

A Short Theology of Climate Change Q: Isn't climate change rather a secular issue ...? --* New 7 July 2021 *--
Luke 9: 23-26, a challenge. --* New 27 April 2019 *--
God Loves His Creation, Deeply --* New 11 February 2018 *- but originally begun in 1998!
Why does God seem so harsh in the Old Testament?
>
Hardness of Heart: Two Kinds
On Anger - "Man's anger does not work the righteousness of God." - and Email-excerpt on anger
Confession Leading to Revival?
'Plundering the Egyptians' - Why I do not believe this is a good approach to engaging with mainstream thought.
How did Jesus surprise his followers?
TL;DR? The Bible in 300 Words
On The Death of a (non-Christian) Friend, Heinz Karl Klein.
Some relfections on Why Revival Happens that goes beyond the obvious ones.
On An early email to 'Aaron' who had found it "frustrating" trying to engage as a Christian with Heidegger, Husserl and Hegel.
The Creation Matters to God - Some arguments from Scripture.
Justice and Righteousness are the same thing, 'tsedeq'. Why we have misunderstood them. Some word counts!
On the Hebrew word, radah, often translated 'have dominion'.
What is Idolatry? - How does it relate to us today?
Why God had to take the initiative in redeeming us.
Why the much maligned Doctrine of Original Sin is a good one.
Matthew Fox's famous book 'Original Blessing' - An Appreciative Critique.
Why Atonement? - the reality of sin and 7 ways of dealing with it.
sin.html - Some notes; thinking about the topic of 'sin'.
shit.html - A fun quote from George Melly on how some world religions think about sin and trouble - and an extension of it.
A look at some of Jesus' Sayings. (Page only started)

Discussion Points

Bob Goudzwaaard's Socioeconomic Paradoxes - our affluent lives are characterized by unresolvable paradox, whose roots lie in idolatry
Creating a Relational Society - Comment: A Discussion response on Michael Schluter's Cambridge Paper
On An early email to 'Aaron' who had found it "frustrating" trying to engage as a Christian with Heidegger, Husserl and Hegel.
Real Life versus Fiction - a quotation from Simone Weil - and now also Billy Connelly.
On Punishment
On Child Labor
On What 'Worldly' Means
'Thought For The Day' on Animals
'Thought For The Day' on Is God Warning Us?

Some Comment

I have begun to comment on ...

Jesus is Real; and can be Trusted. A true account from the Middle East.
The King James Version: its literary impact, with C.S. Lewis' argument and some comments.
The Blair v. Hitchings debate about whether religion is good in the world.

Possible Words from God ('prophecy')

God speaks into our situations today. What might God be saying? A reflection on what kind of things God might say, and a number of possible warnings. First, some general things:

What is God Saying? - to us at the start of the 21st Century?
What Is God Doing - in the world today, at the start of the 21st Century? Second Version ten years on.
The nature of God's 'punishments' - or in this case, signs.

Now some specific things:

Eruption of Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallaj�kull - An Act of God, warning us to reduce our air travel?
A warning to the affluent of the world to change attitudes and lifestyle. (draft)
Warnings about agriculture and floods in the U.K. and Mozambique in 2002.
Is this a Word for American Christians? (written 2001)
For Information Technology Professionals? (my own profession).

Relating to my Work

Christian Philosophy and Information Systems - a substantial paper presented to the Toronto Institute for Christian Studies that attempts to provide a coherent, integrated philosophical underpinning for all four areas of concern in information systems, bearing in mind the high failure rate of information systems.

Links

Some of Elaine Storkey's 'Thoughts for the Day', which she has presented, over a period, on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, put up here with her permission. The first one, which started me on this was 'On the Petrol Crisis', which was an excellent, stimulating and clear statement of the issues.
Eemlandhoeve - Sustainable Farming based on Christian World View. Some papers ..
- "Sustainable Agriculture is the most compatible with a theocentric worldview" by Dr. Ronald J. Vos.
- "New Professionalism for 'Rural Entrepreneurship'" by Ir. Jan Huijgen.
UK Christian Academic Network
Coalition for Christian Outreach - a useful group
- Their resource page
- Their list of Christian Perspective and Jubliee articles
Agape.

These pages are offered to God as on-going work. Comments, queries welcome.

Part of his www.abxn.org pages, that open up discussion and exploration from a Christian ('xn') perspective.

Written on the Amiga with Protext.

Created: 1999. Last updated: 21 November 1999. 8 January 2000. 16 January 2000. 2 October 2000 Elaine Storkey's page. 7 February 2001 email. 24 February 2001 Rearranged contents list, provided meanings, and added green and america. 4 March 2001 removed most page file names. 25 March 2001 added link to What Is God Doing, Warnings, Animals. 7 April 2001 Weil and corrected link. 3 May 2001 ccojubilee links. 18 May 2001 Link to new site Elaine Storkey. 30 June 2001 link to milocevic. 22 July 2001 link to salvation. 8 September 2001 crime.engels link. 22 September 2001 USA Attack. 23 September 2001 israel. 1 December 2001 spiritual journey moved earlier; CPIS paper link. 20 January 2002 Seeking God's heart and radah.html; many of the links rearranged, added counter. 1 March 2002 Eemlandhoeve. 8 September 2002 new link to 9/11. 19 January 2003 politics added. 12 May 2003 link to gweg r.t. pride.html to broaden it from pride to God's ways. 19 October 2003 links to God's New Agenda, and Prayer, slight reformatting. 14 December 2003 New View; and gna moved into discussion/. 1 August 2004 unrepentance. 24 November 2004 On engaging with non-Christian thought; removed old 'new's. 28 November 2004 some rearrangement. 14 June 2005 corrected nv link. 19 October 2005 jealousy. 25 March 2007 Slavery and climate change. 18 April 2007 link sex, marriage, friendship. 24 May 2007 like.slavery. 5 August 2007 paradoxes, discn/creatingrelnlsoc. 5 January 2008 discussion/evil. 9 February 2008 persecution+peace. 15 March 2008 revival. 20 November 2008 discussion/warning, copyright. 29 December 2008 atonement, hkk. 1 January 2009 otg, new .end, america to discn. 22 November 2009 fgw. 28 December 2009 tidy up; better into of NV, BHG. 18 April 2010 volcano, and some rearrangement; sections. 25 July 2010 corrected links to nv, bhg; added .nav! 12 December 2010 blair.hitchings, c-a-n link. 1 January 2011 kjv.cslewis. 17 January 2011 sacred.secular. 30 January 2011 demon. 16 May 2011 link to eeml made http. 6 June 2011 link to leadership. 30 May 2012 links to ccge! 24 March 2013 mans.anger. 8 December 2013 nelson.mandela. 27 April 2014 what.God.doing to discussion/, link to WhatIsGodDoing. 7 June 2014 entreprneurship. 10 September 2014 intro has list of main sections of site, and new 9-11-response. 17 September 2014 law.of.moses. 27 December 2014 bible.300. 7 July 2015 How Jesus used Scripture. 27 September 2015 rearranged contents and 'new' as columns; jehoshaphat. 7 November 2015 love. 13 March 2016 surprises. 18 March 2016 Plundering the Egyptians. 18 May 2016 revival.conf. 11 July 2016 hardness.of.heart. 15 January 2017 just.sanct; imago.dei. 6 February 2017 /s/ 26 April 2017 anger.html, mans.anger. 23 June 2017 table of pages on engaging; some cleaning of old 'new's. 28 August 2017 Jesus.is.real. 24 September 2017 gww/biblical.influence.soc. 17 December 2017sydwtgt.church. 11 February 2018 against.God, cri (Christian Reconstruction), beloved.creation, making.probs, solving.probs, creation.harmony - all old unfinished pages now finished. 30 April 2018 God.harsh. 20 July 2018 marriage.milton. 9 August 2018 elitism. 23 September 2018 warning-180923; rid old "new" notices. 21 October 2018 power.love, three.levels. 27 April 2019 Luke9. 8 April 2020 psalm91. 21 April 2020 covid19, covid19.praying. 25 July 2020 CANONICAL link. 15 September 2020 new intro, I I I. 16 September 2020 mvn. 25 October 2020, slight reword intro; dsicussion/jer45 link. 29 June 2021 temple. 7 July 2021 theology.cc. 31 August 2021 competition.