Category Archives: Robert Farrar Capon

“No one is bound to God because they have a series of chips that can be traded to God”

But the most outrageous of all parables is the Pharisee and the Publican. The Pharisee says, “I thank God I am not as other men . . .” He tells God that he is a good man. And he is. There’s no … Continue reading

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The Caponian Vision of (Almost) Apokatastasis

Having completed my series on the parables of Jesus as interpreted by Robert Farrar Capon, I’d like to bring into the discussion his soteriological reflections as presented in his books The Mystery of Christ, published in 1993, and Between Noon … Continue reading

Posted in Grace, Justification & Theosis, Robert Farrar Capon, Universalism and Eschatology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Last Judgment, Hell, and the Spear Wound of Christ

The Parable of the Last (Final, Great) Judgment—“No one who has heard this parable even once,” Robert Capon remarks, “ever forgets it” (Kingdom, Grace, Judgment, p. 504). It also poses the greatest challenge to Capon’s position on justification by faith … Continue reading

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Final Judgment and the Business of Faith

The Parable of the Talents—finally, an “easy” parable to write about. I preached on it many times during my parochial ministry, and I’m happy to say that my own interpretation through those years approximates Robert Capon’s, even though it antedates … Continue reading

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The Krisis of the Bridegroom

As we draw near to Lent, it seems appropriate to transition to the stories told by our Lord in the final days of his earthly life—the parables of judgment. I will be focusing on the three parables of Matthew 25—the … Continue reading

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On the Parables of Judgment

by Robert Farrar Capon At the beginning of my study of Jesus’ parables I divided them into three groups: the parables of the kingdom, which run from the start of his ministry to the feeding of the five thousand; the … Continue reading

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The Unjust Judge–Justifier of the All and Sundry

Only Jesus, I’m thinking, would tell a parable about an impious, merciless judge and make him an exemplar of Deity. “Here is a jurist, a practitioner of the law,” comments Robert Capon, “whom Jesus will portray as a barefaced agent … Continue reading

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The Elder Son and His Refusal to Die

The music is playing. Singing and riotous laughter can be heard for miles. Gaiety abounds. The aroma of roast veal fills the house. Finally (dum, dum, dum, dum-da dum, dum-da dum) the elder son arrives. But his older son was … Continue reading

Posted in Bible, Robert Farrar Capon | Tagged , , | 11 Comments