Alternative Culture: The theology of the 2026 World Cup

 

AI art of Uzbekistan's Fayzullaev

Every four years, the world stops.

Billions watch matches played across continents. Streets fill with celebration and heartbreak. National anthems are sung with pride. Flags appear in windows. For a brief season, people who otherwise share little in common are united by a common hope -- that their team will lift the trophy.

As a global phenomenon, this event invites theological reflection.

A gathering of nations
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands -- Revelations 7:9

Scripture reveals at the end times, all nations and culture would unite to worship God. 

The World Cup (while being secular) offers a faint echo of this reality. People from vastly different cultures, languages, and histories gather around a common event. Rivalries remain, yet there is also a shared recognition of our common humanity.

When the sport is played rightly, the World Cup reflects aspects of God's design: discipline, creativity, teamwork, excellence, sacrifice, and perseverance. The World Cup showcases human beings exercising talents that ultimately come from their Creator.

AI art of Scotland's McGinn

The limits of earthly glory

but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. -- James 1:14-15

Yet the World Cup also reveals the human heart. Good things often become ultimate things.

National identity can become nationalism. Support can become obsession. Healthy enjoyment can become worship. Fans may find their mood, relationships, or sense of worth entirely determined by the success of a team.

Human achievement, however impressive, is temporary. This is not a reason to despise success. Rather, it places success in perspective.

The World Cup reminds us of both the greatness and the fragility of human glory. The celebrations are real, but they do not last. The victories matter, but not forever.

A better kingdom
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
    and faithful in all he does - Psalms 145:13

While the World Cup gives us a sense of unity, we must remind ourselves this unity at best is temporary. The final whistle eventually blows, and ordinary life resumes.

Christianity teaches that humanity's deepest hope is not found in international sport, political institutions, or cultural achievements. It is found in Jesus Christ.

One day people from every nation will gather, not around a football pitch, but around the throne of the Lamb. Their unity will not be temporary or symbolic. It will be eternal. The World Cup can be enjoyed as a wonderful celebration of human culture and competition. But it also points beyond itself.

Every earthly gathering of the nations is merely a shadow of the greater gathering still to come.

And unlike the World Cup, everyone invited to that kingdom will never go home disappointed.

Alternative Culture: The Theology of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

 

[The following post is dedicated to my wife, who loves Frieren: Beyond Journey's End]

One of the most popular anime nowadays is Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. I even see it traction among the Christian community who often regard it as the anime version of the Book of Acts.

In this post I want to explore the theology of this anime. I have watched the anime until season 2's end, so all my information is based on that. Furthermore, the creators of the series are probably not Christian, so any apparent relation to Christianity is accidental rather than intentional.

So what happens after the journey is completed?

Unlike most stories, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End takes place after the main quest have been resolved. The demon king is defeated by the human hero Himmel and his companions (one of whom is the elf Frieren). As a result, the story is focused on Frieren trying to find purpose after her quest is done (which includes finding and defeating the remnants of the demon king's followers)

This is similar to the Christian religion where Jesus had already defeated death and assured the salvation of mankind. All that is left with persuading humanity of the truth of the gospel. This immediate aftermath is covered in the book of the Bible called Acts.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. - Acts 5: 41-42

Similarly, Frieren continues to do good with the mantra "what would Himmel do?".

Maturing over time

After Himmel's death (due to old age), Frieren wept. She had spent a good ten years with Himmel but yet she hardly knew him as a person. She understood his battle strategy, his values and his behaviour, but she did not know his personality, his likes and his philosophy. She had kept him at an arm's length, and only at his death she regretted not treasuring him.

Instead of staying at the stage of grief, Frieren moves on and starts her own journey and begins to understand Himmel better.

Similarly in Acts, the disciples of Jesus who once not understood that he was Messiah became transformed by friendship with Jesus and each other. They grew in their knowledge of Christ and became brave even in the face of persecution.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all - Acts 4: 32-33

Beware false teachers

Another point that the series make is to beware of the lies from the demon mouth. In one instance, a demon loosely uses the word "mother" to appeal for mercy from humans. However, the demons were shown not to share the same morals -- they do not even have the concept of family.

This parallels the concept of false teachers in Acts. They appear to be fellow Christians, speak the same language or share the same values but seek to lead people astray.

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
-- Acts 20: 29-30

Conclusion

In short, Frieren feels like a fantasy "Acts" because it captures the spirit of continuing the mission after the great victory — traveling, forming community, doing good, confronting evil, and grappling with time, loss, and eternity. That's why it resonates so deeply with Christian audiences even without intending to. 

Just bear in mind that:

A) Frieren is not allegory or propaganda. It's a secular Japanese fantasy with Buddhist/Shinto influences mixed in, focused on melancholy, slice-of-life pacing, and appreciating the present.

B) Acts is explicitly evangelistic and theological, centered on the Holy Spirit, resurrection, and salvation through Christ.

C) Frieren is slower and more introspective; Acts is full of dramatic miracles, persecutions, and church growth.

Theology 1.0: Who is James Gilmour?

James Gilmour (1843–1891) was a Scottish Evangelical Christian missionary, best known for his dedicated (and often lonely) work among the Mongols in the late 19th century. 

Born on June 12, 1843, in Cathkin, near Glasgow, Scotland, to James and Elizabeth Gilmour, he studied at the University of Glasgow. Inspired by the Great Comission (Matthew 28:19-20), he offered himself to the London Mission Society (LMS) for Mongolia—a vast, nomadic region dominated by Lamaist (Tibetan) Buddhism. At that time, there was a notable lack of missions there.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. - Matthew 28:19-20

Ordained on February 10, 1870, he sailed shortly afterward, arriving in China (then based in Peking/Beijing) to prepare. Unlike earlier LMS pioneers (such as Edward Stallybrass and William Swan, who had worked in the north near Siberia earlier in the century), Gilmour operated from the southeast, using Peking as a base.

His work
Gilmour's approach was methodical. In the summer, he made long, arduous itinerating trips across the Mongolian plains, living among nomadic herders, sharing their tents, food, and hardships. He traveled on foot or horseback, often in harsh conditions.

During the winter he returned to Peking to work among Mongols who came to the city for trade or other reasons, while also continuing language study and medical work.

He learned Mongolian (and improved his Chinese), practiced simple medicine to gain access to people, preached, distributed tracts and books, and engaged in conversations about faith. 

In 1874, he married Emily Prankard (whom he had corresponded with from England) in Peking. They had a happy marriage and children, but it was marked by tragedy: Emily died in 1885, and their youngest son died in 1886. In 1883, he wrote Among the Mongols, a vivid, firsthand account of Mongol life, customs, superstitions, daily habits, and his travels. It remains a valuable window into 19th-century Mongolian culture from a missionary perspective.

The work was extremely difficult. Mongolia was deeply steeped in Buddhism, and many felt little need for Christianity. For the first four years, he saw no converts. It took 14 years before his first known Mongol baptism—a nomadic layman named Boyinto.

Death
In 1891, after a brief return to China, Gilmour attended a committee meeting but was suddenly struck by a severe case of typhus fever. He died on May 21, 1891, in Tianjin (Tientsin), China, at age 47, after about 21 years of missionary service.

Despite the slow results, Gilmour earned affection from many Mongols, who reportedly called him “Our Gilmour.”

Theology 1.0: Who is Karl Barth?

 

Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian widely regarded as one of the most influential Protestant thinkers of the 20th century. His work was a seen as a rejection to the liberal Protestantism of the 19th century (which blended faith with modern culture, philosophy, and human experience) and a return to the centrality of divine revelation in Jesus Christ.

Opposition to World War 1 and 2

During World War 1, Barth was horrified when many of his liberal professors signed a manifesto supporting Germany's war efforts, exposing what he saw as theology's dangerous captivity to culture and nationalism. In response, he wrote his explosive Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (1919) where he insisted that true knowledge of God comes only through God's self-revelation, not human reason or experience. This rebuked attempts to subordinate theology to culture and politics.

He further expounded his thoughts in his book Church Dogmatics (1932). 

Just before World War 2, he became the primary author of the Barmen Declaration (1934), a foundational confession for the anti-Nazi Confessing Church. It rejected any “German Christian” movement that subordinated the gospel to Hitler, the state, or race, declaring: “Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God.” This document reminded the church that its first loyalty is always to Christ, not to any earthly power, ideology, or “spirit of the age.”

Differences with Reformation

Although Barth was off the Reform tradition, he was definitely not a classical Protestant. (He is often called a neo-orthodox thinker.)

For instance, he did not accept the inerrancy of Scripture. The Reformers (Luther and Calvin) viewed the Bible itself as the inspired, authoritative Word of God—generally inerrant in its original sense.

Barth distinguished sharply: Jesus Christ is the one true Word of God; the Bible is a human witness that becomes the Word of God when God sovereignly speaks through it. This makes Scripture dynamic and event-based rather than statically infallible.

In another instance, Barth was absolutist about nature. He rejected any “point of contact” in fallen human nature or creation for knowing God—insisting on revelation alone can lead us to the knowledge of God. This is in contrast to the Reformers who felt that natural theology can lead us to some (albeit distorted) knowledge of God.

Legacy

Today, Barth is remembered for centering Christianity. Barth revitalized 20th-century theology by making it more biblically serious and Christ-centered at a time when liberalism had diluted the faith.

My Confession: My reflections of Job 16-17

I continue my reflections on Job.

Miserable comforters

Job again rejects what Eliphaz the Temanite said.

“I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters, all of you!
 Will your long-winded speeches never end?
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?" - Job 16: 2-3

Job maintains that God has targeted him.

"God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target;
     his archers surround me.
Without pity, he pierces my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground." - Job 16: 11-13

Job still says he is innocent

"My face is red with weeping,
   dark shadows ring my eyes;
yet my hands have been free of violence
    and my prayer is pure.
Earth, do not cover my blood;
    may my cry never be laid to rest!" - Job 16: 16-18

Job's reputation has been tarnished

Job reveals that his misfortune was known in the land, and that people lost their respect for him.

 “God has made me a byword to everyone,
    a man in whose face people spit.
 My eyes have grown dim with grief;
    my whole frame is but a shadow.
 The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused against the ungodly." - Job 17: 6-8

Job then says he is simply waiting for death.

“But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.
 My days have passed, my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart
 turn night into day;
    in the face of the darkness light is near.
 If the only home I hope for is the grave,
    if I spread out my bed in the realm of darkness," - Job 17: 10-13

Impressions

As Job rightly pointed out, none of whatever his friends said addressed the issue. What did Job do wrong to be a target of God's wrath? 

Despite this poignant rebuttal, tales of Job's misfortune had spread and a majority of people assumed that Job must have sinned.

With Due Respect: Is the Ethiopian Bible the oldest Bible?

 

No, the Ethiopian Bible is not the oldest Bible. This is a common online claim, mostly because people compare the Ethiopian Bible (which was adapted by Ethiopia during 1400s) with the King James Bible (which was complied during the 1600s). Neither translation is the earliest scripture.

The Ethiopian Bible

For the Ethiopian Bible (the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, written in Ge'ez):The translation of biblical texts into Ge'ez began in the 4th–6th centuries CE, soon after Christianity became the state religion in the Kingdom of Aksum (Ethiopia) in the 4th century.

The oldest surviving Ethiopian biblical manuscripts are the Garima Gospels (illuminated manuscripts of the four Gospels), radiocarbon dated to roughly 330–650 CE (with some samples as early as 390–570 CE). These are among the world's oldest illustrated Christian manuscripts and the earliest in Ge'ez.

However, a full Ethiopian Bible (with its broader canon of 81–88 books, including texts like Enoch and Jubilees not in most other Christian canons) as a complete, compiled collection appears in later manuscripts.

The oldest version

The oldest surviving nearly complete or complete Bibles (as full codices containing both Old and New Testaments in one set of manuscripts) date to the 4th century AD.

Codex Vaticanus (c. 300–325 AD or slightly later): One of the earliest and most complete Greek Bibles (Septuagint Old Testament + New Testament), housed in the Vatican Library. It is missing some parts but is among the oldest.

Codex Sinaiticus (c. 330–360 AD): Contains the oldest complete New Testament and large portions of the Old Testament in Greek. Discovered at St. Catherine's Monastery, it is widely regarded as one of the most important early biblical manuscripts.

Theology 1.0: What is the New Perspectives on Paul?

 

The "New Perspective on Paul" (often abbreviated as NPP) refers to a scholarly movement in biblical studies that reinterprets the theology of the Apostle Paul, particularly his views on justification, the law (Torah), and salvation. 

Popularised by theologian NT Wright in 1990s, NPP argues that Paul's critiques of "works of the law" (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16) were not primarily aimed at a legalistic, works-righteousness Judaism, but rather at ethnic boundary markers that excluded Gentiles from God's covenant people. This perspective emphasizes the historical and Jewish context of the first-century world, portraying Judaism as a grace-based covenant community rather than a religion of merit-earning.

In this post I will attempt to show the best arguments on of the sides supporting and opposing NPP.

Differences between traditional (old perspective) and NPP

I would like to highlight some of the key differences here:

A) View of Judaism
Traditionalists see Judaism as a legalistic system. In other words, you earn your salvation (in Judaism) via good works. 

NPP proponents see Judaism as a grace-based system where you obtain salvation via election.

B) Works of Law
Traditionalists see "works of law" as human efforts to obtain righteousness, while NPP proponents see it as describing Jewish practices such as observing Sabbath and circumcision.

C) Justification
Traditionalists see justification as forensic; God declares sinners righteous based on Christ's imputed merit, received by faith alone (sola fide). 

NPP proponents see justification as declarative; God's verdict on covenant membership; faith marks inclusion, works evidence it.

D) Paul's critique
Thus, traditionalists see Paul's writings as being against human inability to keep the law perfectly due to sin.

NPP proponents see Paul's writings as being against ethnic exclusivity; Torah's role is fulfilled in Christ for all.

My view
I think the NPP attempts to reading Paul in his Jewish context, avoiding anachronistic Protestant lenses. It highlights Gentile inclusion as central to Paul's gospel and reminds us that faith produces works.

NPP also recognises Paul’s positive view of the law (Romans 3:31) and his Jewish identity, while addressing the social realities of Jew-Gentile tensions in early Christianity.

However, NPP runs the risk of injection modern ideas (like social justice and inclusion) into the text, while downplaying Paul’s emphasis on human sinfulness and inability to keep the law, central to the traditional view. Paul’s critique of "works of the law" includes any effort to achieve righteousness apart from Christ, not just ethnic markers. Romans 7:14–25 portrays the law’s inability to overcome human weakness, pointing to universal need for grace.