Entries Categorized as 'Main Page'

Book Review: Passing the Plate by Christian Smith and Michael Emerson

Date January 20, 2009Posted by Roger Overton

In the wake of global tragedies, citizens of the United States typically step up and donate more money than any other nation. However, it seems that in relation to the amount of money we take in, we don’t have as much to be proud about. This is especially remarkable since America is, more than most [...]

Calvin The Friendly Reformer

Date January 20, 2009Posted by David N

Casper the Friendly Ghost.  The title seems a bit like an oxymoron.  Ghosts, after all, are not friendly.  The same is often said of John Calvin.  He was the “tyrant of Geneva.”  He was the father of the “frozen chosen.”  However, according to Dr. Robert Godfrey, President of Westminster Seminary California, Calvin was a lot [...]

"Calvin's Legacy" Conference at WSC (Jan 16-17): Live Blog

Date January 16, 2009Posted by David N

In honor of John Calvin's 500th birthday, Westminster Seminary California's 2008 Conference is on the lasting legacy of John Calvin's life and work for the contemporary church.  The conference is tonight from 6 – 9pm and tomorrow from 8am – 2:45pm.  Unfortunately it is sold out, but for those of you interested in following the [...]

An Anselmian Defense of Hell

Date January 16, 2009Posted by David N

My friend and fellow grad student Nathaniel Taylor has written an argument for the existence of Hell using Anselmian “Perfect Being” philosophy.  It is interesting (and sure to be controversial) and worth a read for anyone interested in a defense of the traditional Evangelical doctrine of Hell. You can read his argument at the blog [...]

Mark Driscoll And The Paradoxes Of Calvinism

Date January 10, 2009Posted by David N

Molly Worthen has written an interesting article for The New York Times Magazine on Mark Driscoll and his “hip” Mars Hill Church entitled Who Would Jesus Smack Down?  The point of her article seems to be to highlight the “paradoxes” that surround Mars Hill.  Not only is it an Evangelical church where the pastor swears [...]

Software Review: ESV Study Bible by OliveTree (Blackberry)

Date January 7, 2009Posted by Roger Overton

I’ve been a fan of the English Standard Version for many years. I currently own 7 print editions for various purposes, one of them being the Study Bible. Our regular readers know that I’m not typically a fan of doing innovative things with the Bible, such as producing “green” or “emerging” versions. However, taking the [...]

ETS 2008 – Jim Congdon “Believers’ Relation to the Law: Not Obligation, but Fulfillment”

Date December 19, 2008Posted by Roger Overton

Jim Congdon is concerned about recent messianic Jewish leaders who have been imposing Torah-centered living as normative on their congregations. He argues that Christ is the culmination of the Law of Moses based on Matthew 5:17-48 and Romans 10:4. Whether from the Reformed or from the Jewish Torah-observer, attempting to use Matthew 5:17-20 to argue [...]

Gay Marriage And The Bible

Date December 15, 2008Posted by David N

Newsweek's cover story last week read “The Religious Case For Gay Marriage.”  Inside, Lisa Miller's article “Our Mutual Joy” attempted to argue that the Bible actually supports gay marriage.  Read her article here. Two very insightful responses have already gone up from Al Mohler and John Mark Reynolds.  Rather than responding myself, I will simply [...]

"Updating" History

Date December 10, 2008Posted by David N

Oxford's latest version of their Junior Dictionary has undergone a major revision.  In order to reflect the changing times, many words having to do with religion (specifically Christianity), and with a rural setting (such as certain kinds of flowers and trees) are being omitted and replaced with words like “blog” and “MP3 player.”  OUP says:  [...]

ETS 2008 – William Henard “Sinners in the Hands of the Emergent Church”

Date December 9, 2008Posted by Roger Overton

Some people have argued that historical theology has little relevance to postmoderns, therefore the church must reflect the current culture to reach them. William Henard contends that historical theology is still relevant, using Jonathan Edwards as an example. For one, though Edwards did not face every manifestation of sin present today, he did encounter the [...]