D.A. Carson's latest book, Christ and Culture Revisited, will be released May 15. Tim Keller (an endorser) alluded to this book in a brief exchange awhile back. It should be very provocative and engaging. The publisher's description: Called to live in the world, but not to be of it, Christians must maintain a balancing act that becomes more precarious the further our culture departs from its Judeo-Christian roots. How should members of the church interact with such a culture, especially as deeply enmeshed as most of us have become? D. A. Carson applies his masterful touch to this problem. … [Read more...] about Christ and Culture Revisited – D.A. Carson
Theology
A Tale of Two Conferences
Bob Kauflin writes about his preparing to help facilitate worship at Together for the Gospel (April 15-17) and New Attitude (May 24-27). The conferences will feature similar speakers, but different musical styles. He notes: It struck me that these conferences demonstrate how we can celebrate the Gospel in different forms musically, but aim for the same goal - to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ in people’s hearts, minds, and wills. By God’s grace, the T4G conference isn’t going to be “stodgy and stifling,” and the New Attitude conference isn’t going to be “wild and shallow.” I … [Read more...] about A Tale of Two Conferences
Theological Liberalism Weakens Seminaries
Dr. Albert Mohler insightfully comments on a NYT article which chronicles the financial and numerical turmoil of seminaries that embrace theological liberalism. Weak seminaries are the result of weak denominations and weak denominations are the inevitable fruit of theological liberalism (United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church USA, The Episcopal Church USA, etc.). The upshot is fascinating:"The nation has 165 seminaries, but 39 percent of seminary students attend just 20 of them. The 20 large institutions, all but two evangelical Christian, raise substantial money, have big endowments … [Read more...] about Theological Liberalism Weakens Seminaries
Faith Comes By Hearing
In a new IVP Academic book entitled Faith Comes by Hearing: A Response to Inclusivism, editors Christopher W. Morgan (Associate Dean and Professor of theology at California Baptist University, and senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Barstow, CA) and Robert Peterson (Professor of systematic theology at Covenant Theological Seminary and a teaching elder in the PCA) offer a new spectrum for classifying responses to the important question, "Is there any basis for hope that those who do not hear of Christ in this life will be saved?" The traditional classification puts responses into three … [Read more...] about Faith Comes By Hearing
The Bible: One Meaning, Various Applications
Michael Patton initiates a discussion on the meaning(s?) of biblical texts by observing the dangers of subjective interpretation approaches: What does it mean to you? This, I believe, is the most destructive question that one can ask of the Scriptures. The implication is that the Scriptures can mean something to one person that it does not to another. “To me, it means that God is going to protect my children,” says one person. “Well, to me it means that God is going to help me get that new car,” says another. “Wonderful!” is the response to both. And so goes the conversation around the circle … [Read more...] about The Bible: One Meaning, Various Applications
Proclaiming Christ, Not Ourselves
This great quote from James Denny (an old Scottish minister) is a particularly good word for pastors, but it applies to all of us to some degree: "No man can bear witness to Christ and to himself at the same time. No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save." (Quoted in John Stott, Between Two Worlds, 325) (HT: John Piper) … [Read more...] about Proclaiming Christ, Not Ourselves