You Tube Theology

“From the beginning, the Israelites were a multi-ethnic family whose most prominent members often married foreigners. Later laws against intermarriage are focused exclusively on protecting Israelite worship rather than trying to maintain the purity of the Israelite bloodline.” (pg 30)

Just one of the many wonderfully provocative snippets that litter Dr Carmen Joy Imes’ third book, Becoming God’s Family: Why the Church Still Matters. But Carmen is not a provocateur. This book (like the others in the trilogy) is aimed squarely at helping us think Biblically about the topic at hand, which in this case is the nature of the “people (or ‘family’) of God”.

Carmen’s last time on the pod (which, wildly enough, was back in May/June 2022, on the day she clicked “send” on the manuscript for her 2nd book, Being God’s Image: Why Creation Still Matters). At that time we talked about her visit to Southeastern, Critical Race Theory, the distinction between gender & sexuality… all the fun stuff. Throughout this new conversation, Dr Imes unpacks the scriptures with acumen & ease, shedding light in dark areas and clarifying my own misunderstandings of the nature of The Church. Hopefully you’ll appreciate it as much as I have!

Carmen Imes - https://carmenjoyimes.com/

Becoming God's Family - https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Gods-Family-Church-Matters/dp/1514010321/

Being God's Image - https://www.amazon.ca/Being-Gods-Image-Creation-Matters/dp/1514000202/

Previous pod appearance - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/marc-jolicoeur-aka-jolly-thoughts/id1586902441?i=1000565952118

keywords:
Church, Biblical Theology, Old Testament, New Testament, God's Covenant, Community, Adoption, Family of God, Eschatology, Christian Life

key topics:
The birth of the church and Acts 2
The Old Testament roots of the church
The significance of God's covenant and presence
The metaphor of adoption and family in Scripture
The expansive nature of God's people and inclusion of foreigners
The relationship between vertical (God) and horizontal (people) relationships
The role of the church in social responsibility and justice
The eschatological hope for the end of nations and kingdoms

chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
05:22 - The Importance of Church Community
08:28 - Understanding the Church's Origins
11:35 - The Role of the Old Testament in Defining the Church
14:28 - Continuity Between the Old and New Testament
17:32 - The Nature of God's Covenant with His People
20:34 - The Expansive Nature of God's Family
23:40 - The Dynamics of Church Membership
26:32 - Adoption and Relationships in the Church
31:22 - The Metaphor of Adoption in Faith
33:00 - Living as Children of God
34:50 - Cultural Contexts and Family Systems
36:02 - God's Wrath and Social Responsibility
43:09 - The Kingdom of God vs. National Identity
52:42 - Women in Ministry and Gender Dynamics