Trauma-Informed Church Kid

What is "nature"? Did the first Christians change this because of Greek philosophy? What is a "person"? Whom am I, underneath all the "masks"? What does it mean to be Self-led, or self-controlled? What does it mean to partake of the divine nature, and how do we do that? What are passions, and how did we get them? How do we overcome them? Do we have a sin(ful) nature? Is it even possible for flesh to seek after God? And what purpose did the Law of God serve in this goal? What does it mean for our nature -- and person -- to find its rest in God?
 
This is the third of four in our Anthropology of Adam series. This one covers the Greek words for body, flesh, nature, being/essence, person, and individual/subject. This covers a ton of philosophical ground, but I hope it doesn't hurt your head too much. I always pray it doesn't hurt your heart. I hope that you can join me on this journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!
 
Orthodox Apologetics: Prosopon and Hypostases
St Gregory of Nyssa: Differentiating Ousia and Hypostasis | Eclectic Orthodoxy
The Christian Transformation of Greek Philosophical Concepts ---- The Distinction of ousia and hypostasis in the Formation of the Trinitarian Formula “One ousia and three hypostaseis”.
Basil ousia and hypostasis
Greek Trinitarian Terms in the Early Church (Part 1) – Krisis & Praxis
Anthropological background: The human composite and spiritual healing
Substance, Nature, and Human Personhood
The "Sinful Nature" Translation Dilemma and the Upcoming NIV Revision - Jason Staples
Our Heart is Restless Until It Rests in You - Augustine -

What is the human heart, according to the Bible? Is it the seat of thoughts, or emotions? How is it related to our desires and our wills? Is it "desperately wicked"? Can we trust our feelings? What does it mean to have our "bowels moved" for someone else, and is it really as gross as it sounds? Does God feel toward us like a Father, or like a Mother? Or does he just demand blood to satisfy his anger?
 
This is the second of three four "Anthropology of Adam" episodes, where we will look at the words in the Hebrew Bible which represent who adam is. Along the way, we learn that our hearts are deep, murky waters with thoughts and intentions that can either incline toward or away from Adonai. We also discover that Adonai himself is inclined toward us, with a gut-level compassion that comes out of his "womb". I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction.Podcast episode from BibleProject about the "Womb of God"

What is "the flesh"? What is the best way to think of and treat our bodies? What is the relationship between the spirit and the body? Is our spirit the essence of who we really are? Or is that our soul? Is that something other than our body? Do we have souls or not? And will our bodies be part of the new heavens and new earth?This is the first of three four "Anthropology of Adam" episodes, where we will look at the words in the Hebrew Bible which represent who adam is. Along the way, we learn that we are souls, composed of body and spirit, who are created good and despite the falls of humanity are still able to desire and seek out Adonai. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction.

What are spiritual beings? Are they some kind of ethereal substance, or just in our minds? Are things in our minds real? Where do our thoughts come from? What about ideas? Can spiritual beings influence us, and in what ways do they do so?  Is that the same as being "possessed"? What does it mean to conform our wills to theirs? And what does it mean to actually have "free" wills?
 
In this episode, we take a look at what it means to be human, and what it means to be a spiritual being, and explore the overlap of the two. Along the way, we discover that humans are permeable creatures: designed to have our wills interact with the wills of the spiritual realm. In the end, we try to understand how all this relates to everyday life and becoming better "spiritual beings" ourselves. I hope you will join me on the journey of finding resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!
 
But We Have the Mind of Christ | Ancient Faith Ministries
The Most Important Question -- Nathan Jacobs Podcast
What's a Spirit When It's at Home? | Ancient Faith Ministries
Bible Project video on spiritual beings
Stimulus - Reaction - Response graphic
 

What is the third "fall" of humanity? Why is it so bad for people to build a tower? Does it actually reach to the heavens? Why does God confuse their language and scatter the people? And who are the gods of the nations? Do they exist at all? What is their purpose? Is there anything we can learn from the Babel narrative about what God wants for his human family?
 
In today's episode, we take a closer look at the Genesis 11 Babel event and its connection to the redemptive plan of God: to lovingly shepherd his children back to him, in order to unite them in their diversity, so that the unique glory each possesses can participate in his life once more. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!
 
The Gods of the Nations | Ancient Faith Ministries
Pentecost and the Ziggurat — Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick
The Human Desire to Be Godlike - TheTorah.com
Language Is Baffling – The Story of the Tower of Babel - TheTorah.com
What-is-spiritual-warfare-from-Heiser-DEMONS-MS-unedited.pdf
The Angels Who Left Their Former Estate - The Whole Counsel Blog
The Unseen Realm Collection (10 book series) Paperback Edition

What the heck is happening in Noah's tent after the Flood? Why is Canaan cursed, and not Ham? What is the meaning of Ham's genealogical line? Does it mean that biological descent curses people? How much does God actually care about ethnicity, anyway? Isn't that what Israel being his chosen people is all about? What is the "table of nations", and why do the nations matter?
 
In this episode, we take a closer look at the relationship of the chosen seed and the sons of promise to the rest of the family of God -- the nations of the earth. We challenge the idea that ethnicity plays a major role in salvation history, and examine what the vocation of the "firstborn son" was supposed to be. Namely: to be a light to the nations. I hope you will join us on a journey to find resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!
 
Naked Bible 159: Noah’s Nakedness, the Sin of Ham, and the Curse of Canaan | The Naked Bible Podcast
 
Sukkot's Seventy Bulls - TheTorah.com
 
israels-early-inhabitants1_2021-12-01-174244_jgmx.jpg (700×993)

What does it mean to find "rest" in the Flood narrative? What does it mean for God to "remember" Noah? What about "remembering" our sins, or forgiving our sins? Does forgiveness like God forgives mean "forgive and forget"? Does Adonai need death or blood in order to forgive? What was the function of the sacrifice Noah offered after the Flood waters receded, and what is the deal with the "covenant" God makes with all flesh? Does the rainbow have a different meaning than just a pretty sign of that covenant?
 
Today we take a good long look at the consequences of the Flood, and what it means to search for rest in the midst of a world drowned in sin and needing purification. We explore the symbolism of the ark as a mini-cosmos and examine how the God we see in the Flood is a God whom we can trust to always bring justice -- just perhaps not in the way we think, or demand he should. I hope it is helpful for you in your process of finding resurrection on the other side of deconstruction!
 
Noah and God’s Rest in Hebrews 4 – Citizens & Sons
Why did God flood the world? (Bible Project)
A Cup of Wrath? (Bible Project)
Are We Really Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God? - N.T. Wright Online
Zakar: REMEMBER… and pass it on. – Hebrew Word Lessons
What Is the Rainbow Really Teaching Us? - Jewish Theological Seminary
 

Is Noah's Ark and the Flood a children's story? Was it a local flood, or a global one? What is the emotional response we see God give to human wickedness? Why was the Flood necessary, and how can that possibly be justice? Was there any chance for repentance or salvation? What does God require in order to offer forgiveness and purification? And what does it mean to be "saved through the waters" (1 Pet 3:20)?
 
This is a meditative episode, focused on the nature of God's judgment and his mercy. In it, we find a God who always deals with sin... but not always in the way we think. We also find a God who always provides a way out... but not always in the way we want. And through it all, we discover that we all must go through the waters of purification.
 
The Deluge as a Biblical Symbol - EARLY CHURCH HISTORY
 
Noah’s Ark: Josephus, Earlier Historians, & Church Fathers | Dave Armstrong
 
Coming to Grips with the Early Church Fathers’ Perspective on Genesis, Part 1 (of 5) - Reasons to Believe (the whole series is worth a look)

Who are the Nephilim? What is the story in the Bible about how they came to be? What is the "second Fall"? What does it mean to be a spirit in "conjugation" with the material realm? How does metallurgy, mercantilism, and music connect to the Nephilim? How does this connect to demonosis? Are there really giants as tall as the Pyramids in the Bible? And what is the connection of all of this to trauma -- spiritual or otherwise?This is an episode where we get mystical, taking a look at ancient near east mythology and its connection to our lives today. Along the way, we survey a lot of disputed scholarship, understand more about where human depravity comes from, and learn about what "shrinking the giants down to size" looks like in recovery from trauma. I hope you enjoy it!
 
Here There Be Giants - The Whole Counsel Blog
 
The Five(ish) Falls of Angels | Ancient Faith Ministries
 
Herodotus' narrative of the Nephilim ritual
 
Etemenanki - Wikipedia
 
Daijosai ritual
 
Story of Gilgamesh (YouTube video)
 
Genesis Marks the Spot (episode 1 of the series on reception history of Genesis 6)
 
Article about Og, the Rephaiim and other giants
 
The Ancient Near Eastern Context for Genesis 6:1-4 - Dr. Michael Heiser
 
Cross-referenced posts from Dr. Michael Heiser (Nephilim)

Today, I will give you a bonus holiday episode where I will be reviewing a book I have read recently: Anthony Delgado's The Gospel Is Bigger Than You Think. In this book, Delgado examines the "gospel of Middle America" that is focused on a moment of decision and conversion, often at the expense of discipleship and spiritual transformation. He presents a (biblical) alternative to this "cultural folk religion" that is deeper, broader, more enchanting, and "bigger" than we might have thought.Hope you like it!
 
(disclaimer: I was given a free copy of the Audible book for review purposes)
 
Amazon link to buy the book