Hello! My name is Joe Alum and I am a believer in Christ with an inquiring mind. I would characterize myself as a Christian collectivist with mystical leanings, but firmly anchored in the Bible. Although my current beliefs lie squarely within what’s considered “Protestant”, my quintessential goal is to understand, promote, and celebrate the collective Christian experience across all forms of Christian traditions – be it Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Protestant, across the various ages.
Another purpose of this blog is to conduct an open discourse with the broader Christian community. It is a way for me to opine, postulate about various topics of the Bible, posit new and accepted theological lines of inquiry and other relevant matters. While doing so, I hope to engage and fellowship with a broader community of like-minded believers and Christian thinkers.
My Beliefs
I consider myself to be an “orthodox” Christian with mystical leanings, one who firmly embraces those pillars of truths that underpin the Nicene creed. I was raised in an Oriental Orthodox tradition, but did not know Christ until I was a young adult at which point I experienced a truly dynamic salvation, as one who became “inebriated with the Blood of Christ” in the words of Catherine of Siena. I like to think of myself as one of those Bereans, those first century Christians with inquiring minds who did not simply accept Apostle Paul’s ministry at its face value, but delved deeper into what he taught to understand if those things were truly so and ultimately reached their own conclusions (Acts 17:10-11)
I also consider myself to be a “Christian collectivist”, one who highly regards the collective Christian experience throughout the New Testament age beginning with the gospels until the coming of our Lord Jesus. This collective, layered experience is inherently a rich tapestry of many dimensions knitted and woven through the lives of faithful believers throughout the ages. The more we learn to treasure and admire this rich tapestry, the better off we are. It is at our peril that we disdain or trivialize the experiences of those Christians who earnestly sought the Lord as best as they knew how in ages past, such as those who lived in the so-called “dark ages”. For instance, I treasure the experiences sought and gained by the hermits, those who wandered about in the wilderness and dwelt in caves as true sojourners, like Anthony the desert monk of the 4th century. His story is indeed inspiring to me. Similarly, most Christians are familiar with Augustine of Hippo who was a monumental Christian leader who lived in the late 4th and early 5th centuries. But how many are familiar with his mother, Monica who poured out her soul before the Lord for her son’s salvation? She was a 4th century equivalent of Hannah who pleaded with God to give her a son named Samuel, the great prophet who ultimately paved the way for the reign of David. There were many other seekers who broke new ground in pursuit of the Lord such as Bernard of Clairvaux of the 11th century, whose evocative homilies on Song of Songs were radical for his time. It is well worth remembering that Christian revival did not begin with Luther. It began much earlier with the likes of Bernard of Clairvaux. In fact, Christian revival had always been cyclical in nature, occurring and re-occurring throughout various epochs. These themes will be emblematic of this blog as we celebrate the experiences and consider the teachings of the “cloud of witnesses” before us. To me, this cumulative, inclusive spiritual quest is the essence of an “orthodox Christian”.
About This Blog
This blog as suggested above arose out of an earnest desire to conduct an open discourse on various topics of the Christian faith with the broader Christian community. Much of it will be centered on the Bible and theology. We will also venture into Biblical history, as well as explore matters at the intersection of theology, history, and the Bible. The reader may notice many topics to be open ended, decidedly to welcome their thoughts and insights. Occasionally I will postulate with conjectures and hypothesis in the interest of promoting collective inquiry on certain topics.
Where direct Scriptural quotations are used, they will be from a range of translations such as Recovery Version, American Standard Version, and the King James Version, among others.
Although primarily intended for the Christian community, this blog will also be inviting to those who are not yet of the faith. For such ones, there will be a dedicated section on the way to salvation.
It is my sincere hope that this blog, as its name implies, will be a source of mystical dispensing from above unto righteousness (Isa 45:8). Finally, I dedicate this blog to our Lord Jesus to whom be the glory. Let us do all things in Him unto His glory (Col 3:17)