Frank Viola (author)

Last updated

Frank Viola
BornOctober 12, 1964
Occupation(s)Author, speaker, blogger

Frank Viola (born October 12, 1964) is an American author, speaker, and blogger on Christian topics. His work focuses on Jesus studies and biblical narrative, with a strong emphasis on helping the poor and the oppressed. He is most noted for his emphasis on the gospel of the kingdom, [1] the centrality and supremacy of Jesus Christ, [2] and the idea that Jesus indwells all Christians and they can learn to live by his life. [3]

Contents

Viola's early work was focused on organic church and missional church themes. [4] His older books advocated church life based on the spiritual principles of the New Testament, [5] the headship of Christ, face-to-face community, and the priesthood of all believers. [6]

Since 2009, Viola's work has been focused on Jesus studies, [7] living by the indwelling life of Christ, [8] God's eternal purpose, [9] the present-day ministry of Christ, [10] and biblical narrative. [11] Viola has authored over 20 books, over 1,000 blog articles, and over 200 podcast episodes. [12] His podcast, Christ is All, has been ranked #1 in Canada and #2 in the USA (respectively) in the "Christianity" section of iTunes. [13]

His blog, Beyond Evangelical, is regularly ranked in the top 10 of Christian blogs on the Web. [14]

Viola and professor Leonard Sweet have written three books together, each focusing on Christology: Jesus Speaks, [15] Jesus: A Theography [16] and Jesus Manifesto. [17]

Since 2012, Viola has been strongly focused on helping the poor and the oppressed. [18] Concerning the poor, Viola has said that helping those who are in need is part of "the Magna Carta of the Church of Jesus Christ as she continues the ministry of Jesus on earth (Luke 4:18–19). Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament, make clear that this is very much on God's heart." [19]

Aside from being an author and speaker on Christian topics, Viola consults authors, bloggers, and writers in their craft. [20] He lectures throughout the USA and around the world, having spoken in various locations including Canada, Ireland, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Bibliography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapture</span> Eschatological concept of certain Christians

The Rapture is an eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Christians who are still alive, together will rise "in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." The origin of the term extends from the First Epistle to the Thessalonians in the Bible, which uses the Greek word harpazo, meaning "to snatch away" or "to seize". This view of eschatology is referred to as dispensational premillennialism, a form of futurism that considers various prophecies in the Bible as remaining unfulfilled and occurring in the future.

Christian anarchism is a Christian movement in political theology that claims anarchism is inherent in Christianity and the Gospels. It is grounded in the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable—the authority of God as embodied in the teachings of Jesus. It therefore rejects the idea that human governments have ultimate authority over human societies. Christian anarchists denounce the state, believing it is violent, deceitful and idolatrous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian communism</span> Form of religious communism based on Christianity

Christian communism is a theological view that the teachings of Jesus compel Christians to support religious communism. Although there is no universal agreement on the exact dates when communistic ideas and practices in Christianity began, many Christian communists argue that evidence from the Bible suggests that the first Christians, including the Apostles in the New Testament, established their own small communist society in the years following Jesus' death and resurrection. Many advocates of Christian communism and other communists, including Karl Kautsky, argue that it was taught by Jesus and practised by the apostles themselves. This is generally confirmed by historians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Piper (theologian)</span> American pastor and writer (born 1946)

John Stephen Piper is an American New Testament scholar, Baptist theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Piper taught biblical studies at Bethel University for six years (1974–1980), before serving as pastor for preaching and vision of Bethlehem Baptist Church (Converge) in Minneapolis for 33 years (1980–2013).

The emerging church, sometimes wrongly equated with the "emergent movement" or "emergent conversation", is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century. Emerging churches can be found around the globe, predominantly in North America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. Members come from a number of Christian traditions. Some attend local independent churches or house churches while others worship in traditional Christian denominations. The emerging church favors the use of simple story and narrative. Members of the movement often place a high value on good works or social activism, including missional living. Proponents of the movement believe it transcends labels such as "conservative" and "liberal"; it is sometimes called a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature, its range of standpoints, and commitment to dialogue. Participants seek to live their faith in what they believe to be a "postmodern" society. Disillusionment with the organized and institutional church has led participants to support the deconstruction of modern Christian worship and evangelism, and the nature of modern Christian community.

A house church or home church is a label used to describe a group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes. The group may be part of a larger Christian body, such as a parish, but some have been independent groups that see the house church as the primary form of Christian community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Laurie</span> American author and pastor (born 1952)

Greg Laurie is an American evangelical author, pastor and evangelist who serves as the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, based in Riverside, California. He also is the founder of Harvest Crusades. Laurie is also the subject of the 2023 film Jesus Revolution, which tells the story of how he converted to Christianity and got his start in ministry in the midst of the Jesus movement.

Jerry Bruce Jenkins is an American writer. He is best known for the Left Behind series, written with Tim LaHaye. Jenkins has written more than 200 books, in multiple genres, such as biography, self-help, romance, mystery, and young adult fiction. Nineteen of his 130+ novels have explored eschatological themes and settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Mohler</span> American evangelical theologian (born 1959)

Richard Albert Mohler Jr. is an American evangelical theologian, the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and host of the podcast The Briefing, where he daily analyzes the news and recent events from an evangelical perspective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Lucado</span> American Christian author and minister

Max Lucado is an American author and minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas.

Donald Arthur Carson is an evangelical biblical scholar. He is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and president and co-founder of the Gospel Coalition. He has written or edited about sixty books and served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2022.

Norman Leo Geisler was an American Christian systematic theologian, philosopher, and apologist. He was the co-founder of two non-denominational evangelical seminaries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian McLaren</span> American pastor and author

Brian D. McLaren is an American pastor, author, speaker, and leading figure in the emerging church movement. McLaren is also associated with postmodern Christianity.

Darrell L. Bock is an American evangelical New Testament scholar. He is executive director of Cultural Engagement at The Hendricks Center and Senior Research Professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) in Dallas, Texas, United States. Bock received his PhD from Scotland's University of Aberdeen. His supervisor was I. Howard Marshall. Harold Hoehner was an influence in his NT development, as were Martin Hengel and Otto Betz as he was a Humboldt scholar at Tübingen University multiple years.

Leonard I. Sweet is an American theologian, semiotician, church historian, pastor, and author. Sweet currently serves as the E. Stanley Jones Professor Emeritus at Drew Theological School at Drew University, in Madison, New Jersey; Charles Wesley Distinguished Professor of Doctoral Studies at Evangelical Seminary; Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tabor College; and Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon. Sweet is ordained in the United Methodist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert M. Price</span> American biblical scholar (born 1954)

Robert McNair Price is an American New Testament scholar who argues in favor of the Christ myth theory – the claim that a historical Jesus did not exist. Price is the author of a number of books on biblical studies and the historicity of Jesus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Perichoresis</span> Father, Son, and Holy Spirit relationships

Perichoresis is a term referring to the relationship of the three persons of the triune God to one another. Circumincession is a Latin-derived term for the same concept. It was first used as a term in Christian theology, by the Church Fathers. The noun first appears in the writings of Maximus Confessor but the related verb perichoreo is found earlier in Gregory of Nazianzus. Gregory used it to describe the relationship between the divine and human natures of Christ as did John of Damascus, who also extended it to the "interpenetration" of the three persons of the Trinity, and it became a technical term for the latter. It has been given recent currency by such contemporary writers as Jürgen Moltmann, Miroslav Volf, John Zizioulas, Richard Rohr, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scot McKnight</span> American New Testament scholar, historian, theologian and author

Scot McKnight is an American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, theologian, and author who has written widely on the historical Jesus, early Christianity and Christian living. He is currently Professor of New Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lisle, IL. McKnight is an ordained Anglican with anabaptist leanings, and has also written frequently on issues in modern anabaptism.

John Dickson is an Australian author, clergyman and historian of the ancient world, largely focusing on early Christianity and Judaism. He currently teaches at the graduate school of Wheaton College (Illinois).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Bray</span>

Gerald Lewis Bray is a British theologian, ecclesiastical historian and priest in the Church of England.

References

  1. Petersen, Jonathan (June 21, 2018). "The Meaning of the Kingdom of God: An Interview with Frank Viola". Bible Gateway Blog. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  2. Viola, Frank (September 10, 2012). "Epic Jesus with Frank Viola (Part 1)". Seedbed. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  3. Kwon, Lillian; Reporter, Christian Post (June 22, 2010). "Interview: Viola on Jesus Manifesto, Restoring Primacy of Christ". The Christian Post. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  4. Viola, Frank. "Why Organic Church Is Not Exactly a Movement". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  5. Viola, F. and Barna, G., (2008) Pagan Christianity, Tyndale (p.xx)
  6. "Why Home Churches are Filling Up". Time. January 14, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  7. "JESUS MANIFESTO". frankviola.org. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  8. "Are You Eating from the Right Tree?". Patheos. July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  9. "An Excerpt of "From Eternity to Here" CBN.com". CBN.com. 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  10. "What has Jesus been doing since his ascension? An interview with Frank Viola". Religion News Service. May 6, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  11. "The Day I Met Jesus | Baker Publishing Group". bakerpublishinggroup.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  12. "Books by Frank Viola". frankviola.org. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  13. "Frank Viola's Podcasts". frankviola.org. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  14. Blogrank's Top 50 Christianity Blogs
  15. "Jesus Speaks" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
  16. Thomas Nelson, "Jesus: A Theography" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
  17. Thomas Nelson, "Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola
  18. "Blessed Are the Undesirable". frankviola.org. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  19. "Q&A with Frank Viola: Does the Church care about the poor?". RELEVANT. August 1, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  20. "SCRIBE TRAINING". attendscribe.com. Retrieved July 12, 2022.