The Ethic of Enemy Love (Part 1)
by Herb Montgomery | January 24, 2020 “I want to be careful with this ethic of enemy love. First, this ethic does not mean that we should expect reconciliation without change or reparations from our enemies . . . To…
When Equality Means Some Are Given More Than Others
Equality, Equity and Jesus’ Preferential Option for the Marginalized by Herb Montgomery | January 17, 2020 "Some may cry unfair when others receive more, yet if this 'more than' is based on what they need is more than what others…
Great Joy for All People (Part 3)
Herb Montgomery | January 10, 2020 Luke’s narratives about Jesus, beginning with the Christmas narratives, ultimately offer hope for those society deems less than, and they are still problematic to those in positions of power and privilege. I believe they…
Great Joy for All People (Part 2)
Herb Montgomery | December 20, 2019 “Luke skillfully integrates into his story the hopes of Judaism and the subversion of the political theology of the Roman Empire. Jesus, for Luke, is simultaneously the fulfillment of one (Judaism) and the subversion…
Great Joy for All People (Part 1)
by Herb Montgomery | December 13, 2019 "Seen in their original context, Luke’s birth narratives for Jesus subvert the Roman economic, political, social, and theological systems of their day. Do these stories offer anything to our justice work today and…
A Christmas Story for the Marginalized
Herb Montgomery | December 6, 2019 “The question for those presently at the center is not whether they will include the presently marginalized at their table, but whether they will participate in the socially transformative work that is already taking…
Jesus’ Enoughism
by Herb Montgomery | November 22, 2019 Photo by AK¥N Cakiner on Unsplash “Some will say, ‘This sounds like socialism!’ I’m reminded of the words of historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan, ‘Do not, by the way, let anyone tell…
A Gospel About Jesus Versus the Gospel Jesus Taught
Herb Montgomery | November 15, 2019 “One thread in Jewish tradition enlarged this hope and applied it not only to the Jewish people, but also to the rest of humanity with a much more universal end to all oppression, violence,…
Biblical Inclusion Versus Biblical Exclusion
by Herb Montgomery | November 8, 2019 “What is our relation, as followers of Jesus, to the marginalized of our day? To what degree are we marginalized in our own lives? Are we standing in solidarity with others who are…
A Primer on Self-Affirming Nonviolence (Part 10)
Herb Montgomery | October 11, 2019 “Jesus’ form of nonviolence was an act of self-affirmation in a society where one’s self was already being sacrificed. When we interpret nonviolence as self-sacrifice, irreparable harm, even lethal harm, is done to those…