“O you who dislike certain portions of the Holy Writ, rest assured that your taste is corrupt and God will not stay for your little opinion.” “How depraved you are if you can perceive no heavenly luster about the Book of God!” Charles Spurgeon really thinks you should treat the Bible a bit more seriously. Spurgeon was a 19th century Baptist preacher. That description does not even begin to capture the force of nature he was. There is a 63 volume set of sermons he preached at a couple of … [Read more...] about The Power of Scripture
Christianity
Follow Me
I have decided to follow Jesus.I have decided to follow JesusI have decided to follow JesusNo turning back, no turning back.That hymn (originally written by an Indian missionary) was a staple of the Billy Graham Crusades. Come forward, accept Jesus, no turning back. Then what? While nobody ever quite articulated it thus, there was a time in American evangelicalism when the entire gospel message seemed to be reduced to “Say the magic prayer and receive your Get Out of Hell Free … [Read more...] about Follow Me
Does God Want Religious Liberty?
Religious liberty is under assault. There was probably never a time when that statement was not true. But these days there is a new front in the war over religious liberty coming from unexpected quarters. The rise of what we can call the neointegralists has been rapid. To take the most well-known example, look at Patrick Deneen in Why Liberalism Failed, the title of which tips off the agenda. The Liberalism that failed is not the policies of the modern Democratic Party, but the entire … [Read more...] about Does God Want Religious Liberty?
Understanding God through Faith and Science
“This most elegant system of the sun, planets, and comets could not have arisen without the design and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being….He rules all things, not as the world soul but as the lord of all. And because of his dominion he is called Lord God Pantokrator [“universal ruler”]….to treat of God from phenomena is certainly a part of ‘natural’ philosophy.” The thing that surprises people the most about that quotation is its source. If you don’t recognize it, you … [Read more...] about Understanding God through Faith and Science
Church Scandals and Elmer Gantry
As you might have heard, there was a recent scandal in the church when it was discovered that a prominent Christian figure was exposed as being a fraud, engaged in all sorts of terrible behavior behind the scenes. The most important thing about the preceding sentence is that it could have been written at any point in the last two thousand years. And yet, there are still people who are surprised every time it happens. Perhaps it would be good if more people read Elmer Gantry. Sinclair Lewis’ … [Read more...] about Church Scandals and Elmer Gantry
Glory be to God for Dappled Things
Do Christians need Austen, Dostoevsky, and John Updike; Bach, John Coltrane, and Bob Dylan; Caravaggio, Fujimura, and Picasso; The Passion of the Christ, Chariots of Fire, and The Godfather? According to Terry Glaspey, the answer in every case is an emphatic “Yes!” Discovering God Through the Arts: How We can Grow Closer to God by Appreciating Beauty & Creativity is an argument that Christians sell themselves short, they limit the possibilities of their faith, they cripple their … [Read more...] about Glory be to God for Dappled Things