The Reformed Olive Press

Joel 2:28–29 in Judaism: “I Will Pour Out My Spirit on All Flesh” Few biblical passages are more frequently removed from their original context than Joel 2:28–29. Often treated as a prediction of a permanent spiritual revolution or a universal religious experience, the text reads very differently when interpreted within Jewish language, covenant logic, and prophetic tradition. In Judaism, Joel is not announcing a new religious era but describing a temporary, national intensification of prophetic activity following crisis and restoration. Understanding this passage requires paying close attention to how Judaism understands ruach (spirit), prophecy, social hierarchy, and covenant continuity. Joel’s Context: Crisis Before Inspiration Joel 2 does not begin with inspiration—it begins with catastrophe. Whether the “army” is read as a locust plague, a human invasion, or a poetic fusion of both, the chapter describes a national disaster threatening Israel’s survival. Only after communal repent...

The Problem With the “Fixed Core” View of Theology Many religious traditions claim that their beliefs possess a timeless, unchanging essence—a fixed core that has remained intact across centuries, cultures, languages, and political systems. This core is said to define what truly belongs to the faith and what does not. Doctrinal changes are framed not as developments, but as distortions or corruptions. At first glance, this idea is comforting. A fixed core promises certainty, stability, and identity. But when examined critically, it collapses under the weight of history, linguistics, sociology, and basic human psychology. The notion of a fixed theological core is not only implausible—it is misleading. 1. History Does Not Support It If theology had a fixed core, we would expect remarkable consistency across time. Instead, we find fragmentation, evolution, and contradiction. Early Christianity alone demonstrates this clearly: Jewish followers of Jesus emphasized Torah observance. Pauline ...

S emper Reformanda: The Greatest Lie of All “Always reforming” is one of the most celebrated slogans in Christian theology. Semper reformanda is supposed to mean that doctrine remains open to correction, that beliefs should evolve as understanding improves, and that truth should never be frozen in time. But in practice, this phrase often functions as its opposite. It gives the appearance of intellectual humility while preserving the same ancient assumptions, the same theological frameworks, and the same authorities—especially the Church Fathers. If Christianity were truly “always reforming,” it would not treat second-, third-, and fourth-century writers as final arbiters of truth. It would not elevate their interpretations as near-canonical. It would not quote them as if proximity to antiquity equals reliability. And it certainly would not treat disagreement with them as spiritual rebellion. The uncomfortable reality is that the Church Fathers were deeply limited in ways modern believe...

Theological Colonialism  Throughout history, conquest has rarely relied on brute force alone. More often, domination has depended on narrative control. When a people’s stories are redefined, their identity is reshaped. When sacred traditions are recast, cultural memory is overwritten. When language itself is altered, reality is reorganized. This strategy was used repeatedly by imperial systems, and nowhere is it more visible than in the treatment of Native American cultures and the later Christian treatment of Judaism. When European colonizers encountered Native American societies, they did not simply conquer land. They restructured meaning. Oral histories that preserved centuries of environmental knowledge, theology, astronomy, and law were dismissed as folklore. Sacred histories were downgraded into myths. Complex political systems were flattened into “tribes.” Spiritual traditions were recast as superstition. Indigenous cosmologies were reframed as primitive attempts to explain ...