At the heart of humanity, the sacred lies in wait unveiled through our interpretations of ancient scriptures alongside our pursuits in design, innovation, and creativity. Together, they guide us in reaching for profound truths, revealing the essence of our existence.
Erica Mongé-Greer, Ph. D.
Read my most recent blogs below:
Barbie and the Easy Man
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, conversations about gender, power, and representation take center stage. While history often focuses on real-world trailblazers, fictional storytelling has long been a powerful tool for examining societal norms and challenging assumptions. Two summers ago, one film, Barbie (2023), explored gender norms and societal expectations by portraying an encounter with…
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Ethical Reflections from the Book of Ruth
The Book of Ruth, often seen as a simple love story, holds profound insights into immigrant relationships, philanthropy, and social justice within the Hebrew Bible. Through a closer examination, we can uncover the ethical dimensions of the narrative, especially as they pertain to migration and community responsibility. Here are three key takeaways from this exploration:…
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Exploring Liberation and Justice in Exodus and the Asaph Psalms
The Book of Exodus and the Asaph Psalms are profound texts that delve into themes of liberation, justice, and divine intervention, offering timeless insights that resonate with faith communities today.
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The O’s Have It Part I: God’s Omniscience in the Bible
One of the first things I learned in Seminary was that the gap between biblical and theological studies grew wider as scholars specialized. Even the vocabulary and basic assumptions about belief, faith, and the nature of God differed between the two camps. I was raised in a Christian tradition considered “full Gospel,” meaning any belief…
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‘Though He Were Dead, Yet Shall He Live’: Permanency and Impermanency of Death in Video Games
Video games have advanced to extreme realism in the past few decades. Forty years ago, players could only place themselves in a video game with great imaginative power. Then, animation improved, so a player manipulated a humanoid in a cartoon, like Mario or Link. The character moved at the command of the player—one button for…
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Embracing Lectio Divina: The Art Reading the Divine in Scripture
In exploring the depths of biblical passages, scholars often turn to rigorous analytical methods to unearth the text’s historical, cultural, and theological contexts. Yet, Lectio Divina, or Divine Reading, presents an enriching alternative or complementary practice to traditional scholarly exegesis. This ancient technique invites us into a reflective and meditative engagement with scripture, blending intellectual…
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Applying Biblical Passages to Contemporary Contexts: The Final Step in Exegesis
This post is part of a series on illuminating Scripture through personal study that follows biblical exegesis methods. Read the Introduction article: Illuminating the Scriptures: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical Exegesis. Having meticulously navigated through annotating your passage, understanding its historical-cultural backdrop, structuring your analysis, and engaging with past scholarship, we now arrive at the…
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Crafting a Structural Outline and Developing a Working Thesis for Your Exegesis Commentary
This post is part of a series on illuminating Scripture through personal study that follows biblical exegesis methods. Read the Introduction article: Illuminating the Scriptures: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical Exegesis. In our journey through biblical exegesis, having explored both the “World in Front of the Text” and the “World Behind the Text,” we now…
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Integrating Past Scholarship and Commentary into Your Biblical Exegesis
This post is part of a series on illuminating Scripture through personal study that follows biblical exegesis methods. Read the Introduction article: Illuminating the Scriptures: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical Exegesis. After establishing a solid foundation through a structured outline and a clear working thesis for your exegesis paper, the next critical step is to…
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Delving into the “World Behind the Text”: Unearthing the Historical and Cultural Contexts of Biblical Passages
This post is part of a series on illuminating Scripture through personal study that follows biblical exegesis methods. Read the Introduction article: Illuminating the Scriptures: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical Exegesis. In our journey through biblical exegesis, after annotating our selected passage and exploring its significance in our personal and contemporary context, we now venture…
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