Jack Crabtree

Jack Crabtree is the director of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College, where he has taught since 1981. His teaching at MSC focuses on interpretation of the biblical texts and biblical philosophy, the history of philosophy and theology, religious epistemology, and hermeneutics. Jack is also a tutor at Gutenberg College, a co-author of The Language of God: A Commonsense Approach to Understanding and Applying the Bible, and the author of The Most Real Being: A Biblical and Philosophical Defense of Divine Determinism (Gutenberg College Press). He has a Ph.D. in philosophy.

Below you will find the following materials by Dr. Jack Crabtree:

Articles
Audio files

Articles

Easter Fantasy. Imagines one man's experience on Judgement Day. (4/12)
The Fact of Easter. Discusses four important implications of Jesus' resurrection. (4/11)
Merry Anti-Climactic Christmas!. Reflects on both the birth and resurrection of Jesus in the light of God’s purposes and promises. (12/10)
What God Gave Us for Christmas. Contrasts the futility we experience in this life with God’s promise of Life in the age to come. (12/08)
Perseverance: The Meaning of Christmas. Proposes that the meaning of Christmas lies in the certainty that God will fulfill His promises. (12/09)
Following Jesus on the Trail to Life. Discusses the importance of Jesus' resurrection and addresses the question, "Who will follow the resurrected Jesus into Life?" (6/09)
The Scandal of Jesus’ Birth. Reflects on how the circumstances of Jesus’ birth foreshadowed His willingness to suffer shame and wrath on our behalf. (12/07)
The Challenge of Easter. Looks at the implications of Jesus as Judge. (3/08)
Identifying and Responding to False Teachers. Addresses the question, “How are we to interact with others who hold doctrinally significant beliefs that we think are false?” (10/07)
The Shock of Easter. Discusses the “shock” of the resurrection and its implications for how believers live their lives. (5/07)
The “Magic of Christmas”. Reflects on Christmas as a light shining in the darkness and one of the few remaining times when the story of Jesus can be freely told in the public forum. (12/06)
Jesus, Jacques, and the American Church. (John 3) Discusses church “technique” in light of Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus. (3/06)
College and Losing One’s Faith. Comments on the college experience and Christian faith. (8/05)
Satan and the Significance of Easter. Examines the meaning of the resurrection of Christ as reflected in the role of Satan in human sin and God's purposes in history. (6/04)
A Basis for Hope. An excerpt from The Most Real Being that explains how divine determinism is the only human hope of glorification, while limited determinism provides mere "groundless optimism" or empty despair. (11/04)
Faith and Worry. Explores the connection between our fears and our faith. (3/04)
There Must be Fifty Ways to be a Pharisee. Explores the essence of Phariseeism and how it manifests itself today. (4/03)
Easter Unbelief. Uses the disciples' response to the resurrection to discuss the biblical basis for faith. (3/02)
Answers to Chapter Eight. Provides answers to the study questions at the end of chapter eight of The Language of God. (1/03)
Understanding the Bible. Reinforces and supplements some points made in The Language of God. (2/02)
Commonsense Interpretation. Shows the original, longer version of the conclusion to The Language of God. (2/02)
Faithfulness: Building the Temple Anyway. Uses the example of the returned Jewish exiles to describe what makes a ministry faithful. (11/00)
The Parable of the Rock Garden. Explains how love of the church and criticism of the church can and must go together. (4/96)
Has the Time of the Gentiles Passed?. Asks whether the spiritual darkness of our generation indicates that the "time of the Gentiles" is over. (10/97)
Only One Thing Necessary. (Luke 10:38-42) Explores Jesus' puzzling interaction with Mary and Martha. (11/99)
To Live is Christ. Reconsiders the 1960s generation as an unlikely role-model. (11/98)
Two Challenges. Addresses the 1998 Gutenberg College graduating class. (7/98)
Can Spiritual Man Learn from Natural Man?. Refutes the idea that Christians have nothing to learn from unbelievers. (8/96)
Letter to the School Board. Addresses problems created by lack of philosophical bases for the public schools' AIDS/HIV curriculum. (10/93)
The Unimportant Birth of the Insignificant Jesus. Highlights the surprising and instructive way that God brought His Son into the world. (12/99)
Treasuring These Things in Our Hearts. Asks how the extraordinary events of Jesus' birth were so easily forgotten. (/96)
Have Yourself a Mary Little Christmas. Portrays the hardships and faith of Mary as a model for the Christian life. (12/95)
Christianity. Asserts that true godliness is not necessarily religious. (9/98)
The Miracle of Sophrosune. Describes the Greek and biblical virtue of 'sophrosune' and its implications for the problem of self-hatred. (4/93)
The Anatomy of Sainthood. Draws the "portrait" of a saint to answer the question "Who will be saved?" Discusses the role of belief in salvation. (4/92)
A Christmas Message. Laments that the popular idea of "the true meaning of Christmas" obscures the true meaning of Christmas. (12/94)
Up With Legalism!. Shows how opposition to "legalism" and indifference to righteousness are by no means the same thing. (5/93)
Appeal for Radical Biblicism. Calls for a radical commitment to the search for what the Bible actually means. (8/97)
Bible Study for What Ails Us. (Revelation 2:1-11) Defends the importance of pursuing doctrinal understanding. (12/97)
Sharper Than Any Sword. (Hebrews 4:12-13) Explains how the proclamation of the gospel lays bare the hidden person of the heart. (10/94)
The Holiness of Financial Independence. (I Thessalonians 4:9-12) Explores Paul's teaching about "working with your hands" and its implications for Christian fundraising. (10/95)
The Tao of Faith. (Galatians 5) Discusses the concept of 'woo we' in Taoism and the striking parallels between it and the Evangelical understanding of "walking by the Spirit." (2/94)
Two Reflections on Thomas and the Story of Easter. (John 20:24-29) Portrays "doubting Thomas" as a model for truth-seeking and a lesson in the miracle of faith. (6/94)
The Parable of the Ten Virgins. (Matthew 25:1-13) Explains the parable as a call to a deep and persevering desire for the kingdom of God. (1/95)
Unorthodoxy. (Matthew 25:14-30) Asserts that "orthodoxy" can be a way of burying one's talent in the ground. (12/93)
In Praise of Manna. (Deuteronomy 8:1-10) Illustrates the place of suffering in the Christian life through the story of the manna in the wilderness. (5/95)
Understanding the Second Commandment. (Exodus 20:4-6) Highlights the transcendent nature of God taught by the commandment against "graven images." (6/95)

Audio Series

Acts. Jack Crabtree teaches on the book of Acts at Reformation Fellowship, a church in Eugene, OR. (Also on iTunes)
An Anniversary Medley (Oktoberfuss 2004). On the occasion of McKenzie Study Center's 25th anniversary and Gutenberg College's 10th, Gutenberg tutors present "An Anniversary Medley" of talks at the 2004 Oktoberfuss:
Jack Crabtree reflects on the nature, role, and value of personal Bible study.
R. Wesley Hurd proposes that all forms of art are formed by the interplay of the artist's beliefs and the effort to create meaningfully.
David Crabtree argues that our understanding of the oft cited analogy of the human body's "organization" has significant implications for the individual's life in the Church.
Ron Julian takes a balanced look at the argument of the very popular book The Purpose Driven Life. (Also on iTunes)
Authority of the Bible. Talks on the issues related to biblical authority, given at Reformation Fellowship. In modern times, there has been much debate about the nature of the Bible's authority. In the first four talks, Jack Crabtree argues for the absolute authority of the Bible and calls people to a radical commitment to study and follow it. In the last two talks, Curt McKinney contributes to the discussion by looking at how Christian traditions understand authority. (Also on iTunes)
Biblical Philosophy (2006). Informal conversations with Jack Crabtree about the content of the biblical worldview. This series was presented in 2006 as an evening class of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College. (Talks 8, 14, and 15 are not available.) (Also on iTunes)
Biblical Philosophy: The Message and Worldview of the Bible. At Reformation Fellowship, a church in Eugene, OR, Jack Crabtree leads a discussion that systematically looks at the teaching, the message, and the whole worldview that is given to us in the Bible. (Also on iTunes)
Christianity@Work Radio Program. The radio program "Christianity@Work" aired from 1997 to 2002 and featured a dialogue between Gutenberg tutor Dr. Jack Crabtree and marriage-and-family therapist Christine Barber discussing the implications of the biblical gospel for our lives. Together they created 183 programs covering a range of topics on relationships and key biblical concepts. (Also on iTunes)
Christmas. Talks given at annual Reformation Fellowship Christmas celebrations. (Also on iTunes)
Coming to Truth. Gutenberg tutors and others within the Gutenberg College community describe the intellectual journey that led them to conclude that Christianity is true. (This series was presented in Winter 2008 as an evening class of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College.) (Also on iTunes)
Dealing With Fear and Anxiety. Jack Crabtree offers perspective on the fact that Christian believers experience fear and anxiety in life. These talks were given at Reformation Fellowship. (Also on iTunes)
Democracy: A User's Manual (SI 2010). We all love America's Founding Fathers, but what did they really say? Does their plan still work? Gutenberg tutors discuss the history and future of American democracy. These talks were giving as part of Gutenberg College's 2010 Summer Institute. Modeled after Gutenberg College's "Great Books" approach to education, small group discussion of historical, contemporary, and biblical authors is the heart of the Summer Institute. Daily lectures (available here at iTunes U) help put the topics and readings in perspective. Works discussed at the 2010 SI: The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoyevsky); The Federalist Papers (James Madison); Individualism and Economic Order (F. A. Hayek); Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville); The Political Illusion (Jacques Ellul). (Also on iTunes)
Did Jesus Have to Die?. Talks by Jack Crabtree exploring the significance of the death of Jesus, given at Reformation Fellowship. How Jesus' death serves to bring about our salvation has always been a much-argued topic; in these talks Jack Crabtree explores both the Old and New Testaments to articulate his understanding of the reasons for Jesus' death. (Also on iTunes)
Doing Christianity. What is a follower of Christ supposed to DO? This course presents a three-part picture of Christian discipleship: "Knowing the Truth," "Embracing the Truth," and "Living the Christian Life." (This series was presented in 2003-2004 as an evening class of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College.) (Also on iTunes)
Easter. Talks given at annual Reformation Fellowship Easter celebrations. (Also on iTunes)
Freedom of Thought: Hollow Slogan or Purposeful Practice? (Oktoberfuss 2008). Freedom of thought has been a long cherished tradition in Western society, especially within the academic and scientific communities. Is it still? At Gutenberg College's 2008 Oktoberfuss Conference, Gutenberg tutors survey various arenas where freedom of thought ought to be esteemed and treasured. (Also on iTunes)
How Jewish Was Jesus? (Oktoberfuss 2011). Jesus and all of his Apostles were Jews. Yet by the second century, the church had begun to turn its back on its Jewish origins. The 2011 Oktoberfuss Conference explores the significance that this "divorce" from Judaism and the text of the Hebrew Bible had on the development of Christian thought. (Also on iTunes)
Is the Bible Trustworthy? Responding to Bart Ehrman. In this series given at Reformation Fellowship, Jack Crabtree responds to Bart Ehrman's argument in Ehrman's book "Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them)." (Also on iTunes)
Jesus' Teachings on Pharisaism. Talks by Larry Barber, Jack Crabtree, and Earle Craig exploring Jesus' view of the Pharisees, given at Reformation Fellowship. Jesus articulated His message to a culture greatly influenced by the teaching of the Pharisees; these talks explore the nature of Jesus' response and the continuing implications of that response for us today. (Also on iTunes)
John 3: Jesus and Nicodemus. Talks by Jack Crabtree on Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in the third chapter of John's Gospel, given at Reformation Fellowship. (Also on iTunes)
John's Letters. Talks by John A. "Jack" Crabtree on the three letters of the apostle John, given at Reformation Fellowship. In his letters, the apostle opposes false teachers by articulating his authoritative eye-witness understanding of Jesus' gospel; in these talks Jack Crabtree explains the apostle's sometimes difficult argument. In the series, Dr. Crabtree refers to his translation of John's letters; a PDF of this translation accompanies the series. (Also on iTunes)
Kierkegaard & Artmaking. Gutenberg College tutors Jack Crabtree and R. Wesley Hurd explore Kierkegaard's views on Christianity and culture, as well as his "artful" strategy of communication, issues of great relevance to artmakers. (These talks were given in 2003 at a conference of Art Project, an institute of Gutenberg College.) (Also on iTunes)
Kierkegaard's Coffee House. Often called the first existentialist philosopher, Kierkegaard has influenced both Christian and non-Christian thinkers. In these talks (given at Imago Dei Church in Portland, Oregon, on April 14, 2007), Gutenberg tutors explore the relevance of Kierkegaard's project to the Christian believer. (Also on iTunes)
Luke. Talks by Jack Crabtree on the Gospel of Luke, given at Reformation Fellowship. Luke describes his Gospel as being the result of careful research and organization; these talks by Jack Crabtree carefully explore the structure and interpretive issues in this important Gospel. (Also on iTunes)
Reading Minds: Dialogues Between Two Generations (Oktoberfuss 2007). How does the older generation speak to the new? And the new to the Old? How do two generations communicate ideas and beliefs about truth with each other. At the 2007 Oktoberfuss Conference, Gutenberg tutors and students explore the complex and vital topic of communication between generations today. (Also on iTunes)
RF Talks: Jack Crabtree. Individual talks and two-talk series given by Gutenberg tutor Jack Crabtree at Reformation Fellowship, a church in Eugene, OR. (Also on iTunes)
Romans (2004-2005). Gutenberg tutor Jack Crabtree distills a lifetime of study in this, the most important of Paul's letters. (This series was presented in Fall 2004 and Winter 2005 as an evening class of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College.) (Also on iTunes)
Romans (2009-). Talks by John A. "Jack" Crabtree on Paul's letter to the Romans, given at various times from April 2009 to June 2011 at Reformation Fellowship. In the series, Dr. Crabtree refers to his translation of Romans; a PDF of this translation accompanies the series. Appended to this PDF are also other notes Dr. Crabtree produced for the Romans study. (Also on iTunes)
Soren Kierkegaard (Summer Institute 2007). Often called the first existentialist philosopher, Kierkegaard has influenced both Christian and non-Christian thinkers. Talks given at Gutenberg College's 2007 Summer Institute explore the relevance of Kierkegaard's project to the Christian believer. The play "Son of Abraham" by Tim McIntosh was also presented. (Also on iTunes)
The False Gospel. Jack Crabtree and Larry Barber seek a better understanding of the false gospel that Paul is responding to in Galatians. Talks given at Reformation Fellowship. (Also on iTunes)
The Problem of Evil. Can a good God create evil? Jack Crabtree speaks on the problem of evil at Reformation Fellowship, a church in Eugene, OR. (Also on iTunes)
Understanding and Living with the Dynamics of Sex. McKenzie Study Center staff explore the question of how a Christian deals with the dynamics created by the fact that we are sexual beings. The 9th class, an open discussion, was not recorded. (This series was presented in Fall 2007 as an evening class of McKenzie Study Center, an institute of Gutenberg College.) (Also on iTunes)