Category Archives: Church of God

Upstream Theology: Why Diagnosis Must Precede Exhortation

Posted on January 8, 2026 by nathanalbright

Religious communities rightly prize exhortation. Sermons, teachings, and pastoral counsel are designed to call people toward faithfulness, obedience, and trust in God. Exhortation forms identity, binds communities together, and reminds believers of enduring truths. Yet exhortation assumes something that is … Continue reading →

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The Moral Seductions of Perpetual Critique: Authority, Office, and the Illusion of Purity

Posted on January 7, 2026 by nathanalbright

One of the more paradoxical features of contemporary institutional life is the rise of figures who are intensely hostile to formal authority while simultaneously exercising a great deal of informal authority themselves. Nowhere is this more visible than in religious … Continue reading →

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Why Institutional Theology Matters Now

Posted on January 6, 2026 by nathanalbright

Much of contemporary religious discussion assumes that theology is primarily about beliefs, texts, or personal spirituality. Institutions are treated as secondary—neutral containers at best, unfortunate necessities at worst. When institutions are discussed, they are often framed in managerial or political … Continue reading →

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Theophilus: The Man Who Helped Give Us a Gospel and Acts

Posted on January 4, 2026 by nathanalbright

[Note:  This is the prepared text for a sermonette given to the Portland, Oregon congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, January 3, 2026.] When we open the New Testament, we tend to focus on the big names—Jesus … Continue reading →

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Second-Order Consulting: Why Some Problems Persist After the Right Solutions Are Applied: A Field-Defining White Paper

Posted on January 4, 2026 by nathanalbright

Abstract This paper defines second-order consulting as a distinct analytic posture concerned with failures that arise after correct solutions are identified and implemented. It argues that many persistent institutional and relational problems are not failures of knowledge, effort, or goodwill, … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Misused Biblical Self-Identification: A Typology for Discernment, Governance, and Formation

Posted on January 3, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Biblical self-identification—seeing oneself reflected in a scriptural figure—can be a legitimate tool for moral reflection and spiritual growth. However, Scripture itself warns that misapplied identification can become a mechanism for evading correction, reinterpreting authority, or sacralizing disorder. This … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Threshold-Formed Versus Authority-Formed Leadership: Formation Pathways, Responsibility Allocation, and Institutional Blind Spots

Posted on January 3, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Leadership formation is commonly discussed in terms of personality, charisma, training, or formal credentialing. Far less attention is paid to the formative conditions under which leaders learn to recognize responsibility in the first place. This paper proposes a … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Naming of Josiah: Parental Agency, Prophetic Foreknowledge, and the Nature of Named Deeds

Posted on January 1, 2026 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The naming of Josiah, king of Judah, occupies a unique place in biblical studies because his name appears in a prophecy approximately three centuries before his birth (1 Kings 13:2). This paper examines three closely related questions: Who … Continue reading →

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Innocence, Transgression, and Moral Knowledge: A Biblicist White Paper on Humanity’s State in Eden and the Biblical Meaning of Innocence

Posted on December 30, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary This white paper examines the biblical concept of innocence, focusing first on humanity’s original state in Eden and then expanding to a broader scriptural theology of innocence across redemptive history. From a biblicist perspective, innocence is neither moral … Continue reading →

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White Paper: A Biblicist Framework for Engaging the Political Nature of Contemporary Life Without Partisan Capture

Posted on December 29, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Contemporary life is unavoidably political. Questions of authority, justice, coercion, property, family, speech, education, war, and welfare permeate daily existence. Yet Scripture nowhere authorizes believers to subordinate moral reasoning to secular ideological systems—whether partisan, nationalist, revolutionary, technocratic, or … Continue reading →

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