Monthly Archives: March 2020

Love: Bernard of Clairvaux

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Steve Harper

​When we come to Bernard (1091-1153), we arrive at the highest point so far in church history with respect to a Christian theology of love.  He not only incorporated everything we have looked at previously, he also added new brush … Continue reading →

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Love: Benedict’s Rule

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Steve Harper

​Written in the sixth century a.d., the Rule of St. Benedict soon became the guide for cenobitic (communal) monasticism, and I write about it today because the Rule continues to direct the common life of many communities to this day.  … Continue reading →

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Love: Abba/Amma Love

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Steve Harper

The early Christian spiritual guides were called abbas and ammas, people who incarnated Trinitarian (”Abbba/Amma”) love.  Their central teaching was perfection (completion) in love in keeping with Jesus’ teaching of it in Matthew 5:48. The context for their theology of … Continue reading →

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Love: The Didaché

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Steve Harper

​The Didaché is the oldest surviving catechism, likely written between 90-110 a.d. The centrality of love is seen at the beginning, where the “two ways”—life and death—are described.  Concerning life, it says,  ”Now the path of life is this — … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Collision Course

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Steve Harper

​Lent is the season in the Christian year when we take a prolonged look at ourselves in relation to Christ.  It is a time for remembering the radical nature of the Gospel, and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to it. … Continue reading →

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Along the Way: At the Bottom of “The Slippery Slope”

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Steve Harper

When I wrote ‘For the Sake of the Bride’ in 2014, I received immediate pushback and censure from colleagues at Asbury Theological Seminary, and from the larger conservative Wesleyan world.  One parachurch group described me as “the latest evangelical to … Continue reading →

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Love: New Testament Style

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Steve Harper

​Our first step into love in Christian history occurs before we leave the Bible itself.  It happens in the New Testament.  In this post I will illustrate love from three vantage points found in the New Testament. First, the priority … Continue reading →

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