On Biblical Interpretation

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A Review of LAMB OF THE FREE by Andrew Rillera

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  Rillera, Andrew R.  Lamb of the Free: Recovering the Varied Sacrificial Understandings of Jesus's Death . Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2024.   Reviewed b y Kelly D. Liebengood Jesus saves. But how ? And in particular, what did Jesus accomplish in his death? Historically, most Protestant traditions have replied that he died to offer himself as an atoning sacrifice. That is, in his death, Jesus stood in the place of sinners (substitution) and took upon himself the punishment for sins (penal) that they committed in order to appease God’s wrath, to satisfy his justice, and to secure forgiveness of sins (atonement). In Lamb of the Free , Rillera disassembles the building blocks for this prominent interpretation of Jesus’s death (often referred to as penal substitutionary atonement [henceforth, PSA]), and replaces them with an account of the saving significance of Jesus’s death that is coherently aligned with the logic of Old Testament sacrifice and the prophetic expectations t...
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First Loved: A Message for Biblical Studies, Theology, and Christian Ministry Majors

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First Loved. A Message for Biblical Studies, Theology, and Christian Ministry Majors Academic Chapel September 5, 2025 Kelly D. Liebengood, Ph.D. Dean, School of Theology and Vocation Scripture Reading “Beloved,...”  (Pet 2:11; 4:12; 2 Pet 3:1, 8, 14, 3:17; 1 John 2:7; 3:2, 21; 4:1, 7, 11; Jude 1, 3, 17, 20; see also Heb 6;9; Eph 1:6; 5:1; Col 3:2; 2 Thess 2:13.) Proclamation  There’s a word in the New Testament that is too often treated as a throwaway, a pleasantry that serves to fill the awkward space as the author transitions from one idea to another. The word, as you may have guessed from our Scripture reading, is beloved.  The word is particularly prominent in key rhetorical moments in the Catholic Epistles (James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude; see references in note 1). And at the center of the Catholic Epistles is a reminder that Jesus is the beloved, the one who has always been loved, and who in turn loves as an extension of his belovedness (2 Pet 1:16-21). We learn...
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A Word of Encouragement for Ministry Leaders: Practice "Where Are You?"

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  Practice "Where are you?" It’s an honor to be here, to be asked to encourage ministry leaders who serve here and in this region. I stubbornly and doggedly am convinced that pastors, shepherds, teachers, spiritual directors  in all their forms and degrees do the most important job in the world.  The greatest challenge of ministry is finishing—and finishing well. How do we become people that can endure till the end? Better yet, how can we become people who thrive?  I don’t pretend to have the answer to this question. But I would like to share with you a practice that I have found to be sustaining and life giving. Orienting Your Day with “Where are you?” For the past three years (with varying degrees of consistency), I have incorporated a practice into my morning routine—one that emerged both as a result of my study of Genesis 3, but also from becoming more aware of some of my own self-sabotaging patterns. Rather than starting my day journaling about all the things I...
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