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Paul M. van Buren was the first Christian theologian to argue that the Jewish No to Jesus is a Yes to God. He offered Christians and Jews fresh ways of understanding both themselves and the other. His trilogy, A Theology of the Jewish-Christian Reality, begins by honoring God's enduring covenant with the Jews and then proceeds to identify false turns both traditions have taken in their walks with God. He called both to critical self-reflection in theological conversation with the other's identity and missteps. He turned the church from being against the Jews to being alongside them and called Jews to return to God's covenant with them in order that Christian rethinking not be theologically empty.

Christian theological psychology has focused on sin and human helplessness before God to drive people to forsake self-confidence and take shelter in God who is often depicted as wrathful at the occasion of human sin yet mercifully willing that Christ bear the penalty of death that all deserve, although in reality all die in any case. This essay seeks to augment this pathology-driven narrative with strength-based language inspired by the sacraments, especially Christian rites of initiation, and particularly chrismation. These provide a secure foundation for Christians to live from their baptismal identity, for it authorizes strength and courage for healing from sin and for exploring the world equipped with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

Since this theme has not been widely addressed, it will be necessary to set the framework for thinking about the business world theologically. Could such leaders influence the industry more widely? Since even parents who feel uneasy about current girls' fashions rarely have the strength to resist purchasing them, designers themselves might be encouraged to offer an alternative to tight, midriff-baring clothing. [...]business capitalizes on the fact that people will buy products that they do not need and pay for activities that endanger or even degrade themselves or others, even though that may not seem evident at the time of purchase. Many people find such suits ridiculous because they reveal the degree to which we think we have surrendered our freedom when what we really have surrendered is our responsibility for our own lives. [...]the objection to the notion of Christian moral values being brought to bear in the marketplace ignores the fact that others are already making decisions for us.

Questions surrounding the normalization of homosexuality have generally turned on biblical testimony, on rights issues, on debates about biology versus experience, or on pastoral concern. None of these, however, takes account of what homosexual normalization implies for the common good. Suggestions in favor of ordaining unmarried, sexually active persons and in favor of adopting rites of blessing effectively privilege homosexual unions over heterosexual ones. The article examines this normalization from the perspective of ordained leadership that is called to provide a wholesome example to the flock of Christ and, beyond that, to the society as a whole. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Fortunately, Christian salvation was never defined precisely. In a culture of wealth like consumer capitalism—that seeds global culture—one's self-concept is constructed by advertising and other market-driven ploys that fan vanity, insecurity, and greed leading to anger, violence, and ennui amidst plenty. Such a socially constructed self is met by a theologically constructed self, a virtual self created by God. Whether through the cross, the trinitarian image of God, or the beauty, wisdom, and goodness of God, having a virtual identity from God is Christian medicine for a spiritually enervating culture.

Christians have focused primarily on personal salvation, while today's ecological Jeremiahs point to salvation's corporate dimensions, an important corrective to a more individualistic, human-centered Christian view. The psychological vision of salvation is discussed.

It is a mistake to oppose law and grace, for God's grace makes way for a radically transformed social and moral order. The law of Christ enables a new way of life that is obedient to God.