Mark E. Biddle
@markebiddle.bsky.social
I am the founding dean of Sophia Theological Seminary located in Dinwiddie, VA. Before Sophia, I taught Hebrew Bible at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (VA) for nearly a quarter century.
I have co-written a novel with an old friend and fellow OT professor from Texas. We have known each other for fifty years and decided on a lark to co-write a novel. Turns out the Religion Department is full of crooks and murderers. Check out Amazon's preview. 😉
www.amazon.com/Murder-Tidwe...
www.amazon.com/Murder-Tidwe...
Murder in the Tidwell Building
Murder in the Tidwell Building - Kindle edition by Nogalski, James D., Biddle, Mark E.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Murder in the Tidwell Building.
www.amazon.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:08 PM
I have co-written a novel with an old friend and fellow OT professor from Texas. We have known each other for fifty years and decided on a lark to co-write a novel. Turns out the Religion Department is full of crooks and murderers. Check out Amazon's preview. 😉
www.amazon.com/Murder-Tidwe...
www.amazon.com/Murder-Tidwe...
Thank you Rev. William Barber: The Rev. Dr. William Barber was arrested at the Capitol for praying and challenging the budget bill -- let's support his prophetic witness act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/thank-y...
Thank you Rev. William Barber
The Rev. Dr. William Barber was arrested at the Capitol for praying and challenging the budget bill -- let's support his prophetic witness
act.faithfulamerica.org
May 2, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Thank you Rev. William Barber: The Rev. Dr. William Barber was arrested at the Capitol for praying and challenging the budget bill -- let's support his prophetic witness act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/thank-y...
The seventh and final installment concerning the authority of scripture offers an extended case study of Genesis 1-2 to demonstrate how biblical interpretation benefits from careful attention to all three of the contexts involved in reading Scripture.
It is now available at markebiddle.com
It is now available at markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
April 9, 2025 at 6:19 PM
The seventh and final installment concerning the authority of scripture offers an extended case study of Genesis 1-2 to demonstrate how biblical interpretation benefits from careful attention to all three of the contexts involved in reading Scripture.
It is now available at markebiddle.com
It is now available at markebiddle.com
SIGN NOW: Mahmoud Khalil is a legal resident currently being held in captivity by the Trump administration for exercising his right to free speech. Christians must stand in solidarity with Khalil before more people are targeted. Tell Democratic leadership: act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/release...
SIGN NOW: Christians stand with Mahmoud Khalil
Mahmoud Khalil is a legal resident who is currently being held in captivity by the Trump administration for exercising his right to free speech. Christians must stand in solidarity with Khalil before more people are targeted. Tell Democratic leadership to demand Khalil's release now:
act.faithfulamerica.org
March 16, 2025 at 5:59 PM
SIGN NOW: Mahmoud Khalil is a legal resident currently being held in captivity by the Trump administration for exercising his right to free speech. Christians must stand in solidarity with Khalil before more people are targeted. Tell Democratic leadership: act.faithfulamerica.org/sign/release...
The sixth installment of my response to a former student deals with the third context in which one must set Scripture in order to hear God’s Word in the words. Besides the cultural context and literary context, one must also attend to the contemporary context of readers.
More at markebiddle.com
More at markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
March 16, 2025 at 4:11 PM
The sixth installment of my response to a former student deals with the third context in which one must set Scripture in order to hear God’s Word in the words. Besides the cultural context and literary context, one must also attend to the contemporary context of readers.
More at markebiddle.com
More at markebiddle.com
The fifth installment in my response to a former student discusses the fact that a given passage of scripture must be understood in terms of is literary context beginning with its immediate surroundings and extending to the entirety of Scripture. Read more at markebiddle.com
March 9, 2025 at 5:34 PM
The fifth installment in my response to a former student discusses the fact that a given passage of scripture must be understood in terms of is literary context beginning with its immediate surroundings and extending to the entirety of Scripture. Read more at markebiddle.com
The fourth installment in my response to a former student turns careful attention to one of the three contexts against which any biblical passage should be read: the cultural context it reflects. Scripture is culturally and historically rooted.
Read more at markebiddle.com
Read more at markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
March 2, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The fourth installment in my response to a former student turns careful attention to one of the three contexts against which any biblical passage should be read: the cultural context it reflects. Scripture is culturally and historically rooted.
Read more at markebiddle.com
Read more at markebiddle.com
The third instalment in my response to a former student turns attention to a few considerations to keep in mind as guardrails against mishandling Scripture by reading into Scripture one’s preferences rather than reading out of Scripture the message it intends to convey.
Read more at markebiddle.com
Read more at markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle - Mostly on the Bible
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
February 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The third instalment in my response to a former student turns attention to a few considerations to keep in mind as guardrails against mishandling Scripture by reading into Scripture one’s preferences rather than reading out of Scripture the message it intends to convey.
Read more at markebiddle.com
Read more at markebiddle.com
The second instalment of my response to a former student concerning the authority of scripture deals with reading the Bible in accordance with its inherent character. It is important to listen to the Bible regarding its nature instead of applying a priori definitions. Read further markebiddle.com
The Literary Character of the Bible - Mark Biddle
The Bible can become God’s word for the reader who engages with it profoundly, for a prolonged period, and with wise hearts, and open ears.
markebiddle.com
February 15, 2025 at 3:48 PM
The second instalment of my response to a former student concerning the authority of scripture deals with reading the Bible in accordance with its inherent character. It is important to listen to the Bible regarding its nature instead of applying a priori definitions. Read further markebiddle.com
Over the next several weeks I will publish on my blog a detailed explanation of the principles or axioms that guide me as I read Scripture.
I just posted the first instalment of my response at markebiddle.com
I just posted the first instalment of my response at markebiddle.com
February 7, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Over the next several weeks I will publish on my blog a detailed explanation of the principles or axioms that guide me as I read Scripture.
I just posted the first instalment of my response at markebiddle.com
I just posted the first instalment of my response at markebiddle.com
The Good News in the metaphor of God’s sovereignty is not that God determines every step, every decision, every outcome. The Good News is that God does not abandon God’s original intention. God’s sovereignty is not despotic control or dominating coercion, but love in relationship.
January 31, 2025 at 7:24 PM
The Good News in the metaphor of God’s sovereignty is not that God determines every step, every decision, every outcome. The Good News is that God does not abandon God’s original intention. God’s sovereignty is not despotic control or dominating coercion, but love in relationship.
In his earthly ministry, Jesus commonly issued the call, not to confess belief in him, but to follow him, to go where he went, to do what he did, to learn of him. - MEB
January 24, 2025 at 6:16 PM
In his earthly ministry, Jesus commonly issued the call, not to confess belief in him, but to follow him, to go where he went, to do what he did, to learn of him. - MEB
“Power” is tricky. It can mean “control” or “coercion.” The Gospel of the Crucified, however, knows "power" as the energy and dynamism that effects change through love. Rather than concentrating on wielding coercive power, can we reconnect with the power to change lives, families, and communities?
January 19, 2025 at 3:02 PM
“Power” is tricky. It can mean “control” or “coercion.” The Gospel of the Crucified, however, knows "power" as the energy and dynamism that effects change through love. Rather than concentrating on wielding coercive power, can we reconnect with the power to change lives, families, and communities?
Christians face challenges that call for adjustments in their tradition, but not for abandoning it. The responsibility is not to transmit the tradition mechanically. It emphasizes not only truth, but the search for it. It seeks not only to appreciate beauty, but also to create it. It lives.
January 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Christians face challenges that call for adjustments in their tradition, but not for abandoning it. The responsibility is not to transmit the tradition mechanically. It emphasizes not only truth, but the search for it. It seeks not only to appreciate beauty, but also to create it. It lives.
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I reflect on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
See the last now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
There are many members, yet one body...1 Corinthians 12:20
See the last now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
There are many members, yet one body...1 Corinthians 12:20
Mark Biddle - Mostly on the Bible
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
January 11, 2025 at 6:53 PM
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I reflect on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
See the last now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
There are many members, yet one body...1 Corinthians 12:20
See the last now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
There are many members, yet one body...1 Corinthians 12:20
The Christian tradition calls upon each generation to embrace its core principles and to give these principles a new voice, a new incarnation appropriate for a new day. Have structures and programs stifled the flame? Can we find the ember in the ash-heap?
Check out markebiddle.com
sophiasem.org
Check out markebiddle.com
sophiasem.org
Mark Biddle - Mostly on the Bible
Mostly on the Bible
www.markebiddle.com
January 9, 2025 at 7:32 PM
The Christian tradition calls upon each generation to embrace its core principles and to give these principles a new voice, a new incarnation appropriate for a new day. Have structures and programs stifled the flame? Can we find the ember in the ash-heap?
Check out markebiddle.com
sophiasem.org
Check out markebiddle.com
sophiasem.org
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
See the second now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
See the second now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle - Mostly on the Bible
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
January 5, 2025 at 3:50 PM
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
See the second now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
See the second now on my blog here: markebiddle.com
January 5, 2025 at 3:48 PM
This New Year will be a time of testing for the church and for individual believers. It will not be a test primarily of our ability to mobilize successfully to influence the political apparatus. It will be a test of whether we identify ourselves first, and if need be only, as disciples of Jesus.
January 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This New Year will be a time of testing for the church and for individual believers. It will not be a test primarily of our ability to mobilize successfully to influence the political apparatus. It will be a test of whether we identify ourselves first, and if need be only, as disciples of Jesus.
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty colleague, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
The second, "For freedom Christ has set us free," is now on my blog at markebiddle.com
The second, "For freedom Christ has set us free," is now on my blog at markebiddle.com
Mark Biddle - Mostly on the Bible
Mostly on the Bible
markebiddle.com
December 28, 2024 at 4:38 PM
This Advent and Christmas season my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty colleague, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community.
The second, "For freedom Christ has set us free," is now on my blog at markebiddle.com
The second, "For freedom Christ has set us free," is now on my blog at markebiddle.com
This Advent and Christmas season, my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community. See the first now on my blog at markebiddle.com/2024/12/20/a...
All Means All - Mark Biddle
At Sophia, precisely because it takes all of humankind throughout the ages to approach imaging forth the personhood of God, we do not put bounds on inclusion.
markebiddle.com
December 25, 2024 at 5:29 PM
This Advent and Christmas season, my colleague on the Sophia Theological Seminary faculty, Dr. Melissa A. Jackson, and I will offer reflections on principles that guide and form the Sophia community. See the first now on my blog at markebiddle.com/2024/12/20/a...