MBS Newsletter
The Christian Bible is one of the most religious books in the world: the centerpiece of Christian worship, the sourcebook of Christian theology, and the wellspring of Christian life and thought. And perhaps for just this reason, the Bible contains several key texts that put “religion” – and for Christian readers, this means “the Christian religion” most of all – under acute theological criticism. From Genesis to Job, the prophets to Paul, biblical texts repeatedly critique worship, theology, scripture itself, and so what Christians today would call “Christianity.” In this sense, the Bible may be understood as a tool for religious self-criticism in ways that are crucial to Christian discipleship.
In his teaching and research, Matthew Myer Boulton explores ways in which Christian worship founds and forms Christian life. This exploration draws together his interests in the history and practices of Christian liturgy; theology and public life; biblical interpretation and proclamation; and the performing arts, including theater, music, and film. He has published on Reformed liturgical theology in dialogue with social science, Christian lamentation in dialogue with biblical studies, and is the author of God Against Religion: Rethinking Christian Theology Through Worship (Eerdmans, 2008) and a co-editor and contributor to the volume Doing Justice to Mercy: Religion, Law, and Criminal Justice (University of Virginia Press, 2007). Dr. Boulton is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
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