On:
In: John, Theology

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

On:
In: Faith and 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

On:
In: Bible, Hermeneutics

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

On:
In: Ethics, Philosophy, Reviews, Spiritual Formation

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

On:
In: Church History, Culture, Reviews

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

On:
In: Church, Church History, Culture, Mutualist • Egalitarian, Reviews

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

On:
In: Apologetics, Culture

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

On:
In: Mutualist • Egalitarian

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

On:
In: Anthropology, Theology

Augustine, Confessions, Book 1, Chapter 1Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee. Pascal, Pensées (425)“What is it, then, that this desire and this inability proclaim to us, but that there was once inRead More

On:
In: Bible, Theology

In Matthew 22:36-39 Jesus tells us love is the highest duty of humankind. Love is human activity at its finest.

The command is the same in both cases: to love; but the recipients are different: “God” and “neighbor” (see Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; and likely Luke 10:29-37 where “neighbor” extends to anyone in need). Since God is the greater of the two recipients (greater in every way morally, metaphysically, and conceptually), then it follows that he must receive more of our love. In fact, God must receive all of our love. Neighbors, however, are to receive at least as much as …Read More

On:
In: Reviews, Spiritual Formation, Theology

Tish Harrison Warren offers important insight into what appears to be an inescapable predicament. Here’s the issue: In the throes of real pain and genuine suffering, we struggle to make sense out of the goodness of God (assuming there is some sense to be made under such pressure). This predicament favors no one and applies to everyone, whether …Read More