Vestigia Dei
Wycliffe College Blog

Vestigia Dei  – is a Latin term meaning “traces of God.” As a theological term it is associated with natural theology – that is, the view that there are vestiges of God within creation. We’ve chosen this term as the title of the Wycliffe College blog because our hope is that through these writings, readers might glimpse evidences for God as our writers interact with the wider world.

Home: The Family of Abraham

Stephen Chester

It is often emphasized how radical the apostle Paul was in proclaiming that, through faith in Christ, Gentiles can enter into the people of God without first becoming Jewish and taking on obedience to the Mosaic Law: “those who believe are the children of Abraham” (Gal 3:7). What is less often noticed is that Paul is here simultaneously at his most traditional. It simply never occurs to him to say that descent from Abraham is unnecessary.

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Dead to Sin? Romans 6 and New Life in Christ

Stephen Chester

We live in a time of repeated scandals in which prominent church leaders turn out to be hiding egregious sinful behaviour.

Jesus: A Missing Person?

Stephen Chester

I joined the faculty at Wycliffe in 2019 only a few months before the start of the pandemic. I was in Toronto first, and visited a number of churches in-person, but by the time my wife joined me the city was in lockdown.

The battle lines of justice run through the centre of our lives

Stephen Chester

The struggle for justice seems never to be won, and it is easy for those who fight for it to become weary.  

The Alphabet—Greatest Invention of All Time?

Glen Taylor

I believe our alphabet reflects one of the most significant inventions of all time. Without it, it would take years for me to learn the hundreds of pictographic signs that would be necessary to write this blog and for you to be able to read it. 

The Difference between Truth and Opinion

Stephen Chester

“One must not argue about opinions.

The Tyranny of Now

Stephen Chester

My first degree was in history. I was educated at the University of York in England by professors who were by and large resolutely unimpressed by notions of human progress.

Exploring the mysteries of the first two verses of the Bible

Glen Taylor

As a scholar of ancient Hebrew, I have spent decades puzzling about how best to translate the first two verses of the Bible into English. Finally, I have settled on the following:

Abba! Father!

Stephen Chester

In the last few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has introduced a new and deep anxiety and uncertainty into our lives. All kind of features of our daily lives that we formerly could rely upon have been radically altered and we have no idea about what the future holds.

What is the Best Bible Translation?

Glen Taylor

"What is the best Bible translation?"

As a biblical scholar, I am asked this question more than any other.

What is the Best Bible Translation?

Glen Taylor

"What is the best Bible translation?"

As a biblical scholar, I am asked this question more than any other.

Faithful Preaching of the New Testament Involves the Old Testament

Stephen Chester

A basic failing in much Christian preaching and teaching about the New Testament is not explaining to congregations the rich relationships between what the New Testament authors say and Old Testament texts.

Nine Steps from Biblical Text to Biblical Sermon

Glen Taylor

The process of developing a sermon by drawing meaning out of a biblical text (also known as exegesis) does not have to be complicated.

On Seeing Christ in the Psalms

Glen Taylor

My family and I live in a Victorian house in downtown Toronto. One of the things that drew us to buy this old home was the entrance, which consists of two nicely sculpted wooden doors with stained glass panels that make up the upper half of each door.

Have You Had an Epiphany Moment Yet This New Year?

Glen Taylor

Christians familiar with liturgical traditions will know that we are in the season of Epiphany, a period that focuses on Bible passages that disclose the fact that Jesus was divine.

The “missing link” in creation vs. evolution debates

Glen Taylor

By Glen Taylor

There is something vital missing in many debates about creation versus evolution, and that is the voice of the biblical scholar.