Is Faith in Christ Enough?
Short answer: Yes. However, and this may seem obvious and come as no surprise, it seems to me that for those who affirm and embrace Christianity, there is some measure of obligation to grow or mature in the faith. Consider how the image of “infant” or “children” is used inRead More
The Practice of the Absence of God: A Meditation for Renewal
“I turn the cake that is frying on the pan for love of him, and that done, if there is nothing else to call me, I prostrate myself in worship before him, who has given me grace to work; afterwards I rise happier than a king.” On several occasions IRead More
Thinking about God
How do you think about God? If you had to describe God to someone, how would you go about it? What attributes would a divine being possess? Typically God’s being is communicated in relational terms but do we know what God is like? Rather than turn to the Bible, couldRead More
Election and Salvation in John’s Gospel
God is sovereign over salvation. Humans are responsible in salvation. These two truths are the hallmarks of the doctrine of election in the Gospel according to John. It is admitted that there is a certain evasiveness to sovereignty and responsibility when both are held to be true. Nevertheless, for John,Read More
Faith and/or Reason
What is the role of faith and reason in belief formation? Is there a difference between a preference, an opinion, and a belief? Is faith opposed to reason or does faith complement and work together with reason? First, faith is not fideism (a blind leap into the unknown; uncritical acceptanceRead More
The ESV Bible, the Gideons, Slaves, and Anti-Semitism
For those culture warriors (think, “Wayne Grudem”) who argue against PC-versions of the Bible and insist ‘essentially literal’ is always a superior translation, check out “When evangelical snowflakes censor the Bible: The English Standard Version goes PC: How a Bible edition aimed at right-wing evangelicals has quietly scrubbed references to slaveryRead More
The Virtues
Craig A. Boyd & Kevin Timpe have provided an outstanding introduction to The Virtues in Oxford’s “Very Short Introductions” series. As with the other volumes, The Virtues is an excellent offering. It is clear and uncomplicated, thorough and inclusive in approach, and helpfully outlined and organized throughout. Chapter 1 sets theRead More
Jesus and John Wayne: A Few Remarks
History scholar Kristin Kobes Du Mez rehearses the ingredients of a distinctly American evangelical culture. Like it or not, these ingredients promote or facilitate nationalism, racism, sexism, white maleness, authority, and political power. She argues (convincingly) that a “militant white evangelicalism thrives on a sense of embattlement” (p xviii). ForRead More
The Structure of Biblical Revolutions: A Look at Beth Barr’s The Making of Biblical Womanhood
Thomas Kuhn’s now classic The Structure of Scientific Revolutions opened my eyes to the importance of having my eyes open. It helped me appreciate that before science can advance or be changed for the better, the same data must be viewed from a different perspective. Tracing the history of science, KuhnRead More
Three Limitations on Freedom of Conscience
One of the subscriptions I pay attention to from my inbox is The Worldview Bulletin Newsletter. The offerings are always thoughtful and stimulate me to see my faith from new and important angles as I seek to engage my world. The following article by Angus J. L. Menuge quickly gainedRead More
Now Read This!
Practically every lady who has ever done a bible study has heard of Beth Moore. With the recent fallout on the departure from her Southern Baptist roots (check out her tweets from 4/7/2021), I’ve decided to read three books around this ongoing hot topic of gender roles in the home,Read More
