Longfield and Presbyterianism
Thoughts on Bradley Longfield's book, Presbyterians and American Culture
As a friendly outside observer of the P.C.A., it seems to me that she is so numerically large, so geographically diffuse, and has so many ministries and sub-organisations. Given the managerial complexity of such an organisation, one has to ask whether such a church can sustain a clear theological identity long term. Or is it... Continue Reading
Thomas Jefferson Would Be Proud: Using Human Criteria to Decide the Bible’s Authority
Continued review of A.E. Harvey’s book, Is Scripture Still Holy? Coming of Age with the New Testament
It never seems to dawn on him (and probably doesn’t dawn on most readers) that setting up man-made criteria about what we will accept as God’s authoritative word simply gives you a book that is man-made Thus, regardless of what divine revelation Harvey ends up with, it will not be divine. It will simply be a human creation. ... Continue Reading
Farewell, NIV
The NIV Bible is no more. Alas.
I liked the NIV, and I wish I got to have a funeral of some kind for it. In the eulogy I would wax eloquently (new NIV: “discuss”) about how it brought Scripture into the modern era, and freed translations from the grip of the Anglicans and the Victorians. I would shed a tear for... Continue Reading
Is Scripture Still Holy?
A critique of, Is Scripture Still Holy? Coming of Age with the New Testament, by A.E. Harvey
While the title of this volume implies that the author may still be presenting this as an open question, the first chapter makes it quite clear that the answer in this volume will be “no”—are at least “no” in regard to any historical, traditional sense in which Christians have regarded the Bible as God’s holy... Continue Reading
Book Review: “Life in God” by Matthew Myer Boulton
For Calvin, Christian doctrine is properly conceived and articulated for the sake of Christian formation
Boutlon’s stated goal for the book is to present “a critical, constructive retrieval of Calvin’s reforming project, always with a view to how that project may be inherited and developed by Christian communities today.” He does exactly this, in my estimation, in a way that is both engaging and thought-provoking. Life in God: John... Continue Reading
What ‘The Butler’ Gets Wrong About Ronald Reagan and Race
Historians of the 40th president are troubled by the movie’s portrayal of Reagan’s attitudes toward race.
Films like “The Butler” can be good opportunities for a healthy consideration of our troubled racial history, but not if they persist with inaccurate portrayals. Rather than advancing a flawed portrait of Reagan on race, perhaps “The Butler” can start the process of getting Reagan right on race. One cold evening in Dixon, Ill.,... Continue Reading
Blacks as Mascots of Progressivism
Did Harriet Tubman risk her life to free slaves so that Myley Cyrus could use black women as props?
If the Jezebel stereotype on display on MTV isn’t enough to make a case for cultural regression, all over America, a group of progressive elites seem to have successfully convinced mainly black and Latino workers that they should be able to sustain a life and career working as adults in low-skilled jobs at fast-food restaurants... Continue Reading
Understanding the Puritans
Republicanism was at the center of Puritan thought, both for the church and political government
But, as Michael Winship argues in this deeply researched book, “historiographical excesses” should not be held against the puritans. They had strong ideas about church polity, and the settlers of New England did envision their congregations functioning as “little republics.” That belief also shaped their view of the political order. The scholarly study of the Puritans has been... Continue Reading
The Presbyterian (PCUSA) Hymnal Controversy Around the Doctrine of the Atonement
Part 2: Irony and Lunacy
Instead of taking this reasonable approach, nine members of the committee decided to remove a song because they discovered that the single line reading “the love of God was magnified” originally read the very Reformed (and Biblical) notion that “the wrath of God was satisfied.” As the chair of the committee herself tells it, it was... Continue Reading
Mrs. Reformation: The Life of Katharine Luther
A review of Mother of the Reformation: The Amazing Life and Story of Katharine Luther
The Mother of the Reformation is an honest history of a 16th century woman: Kroker pieces together facts, outlines differing views where there are conflicting records, offers deductions where he can, debunks some urban Luther legends and admits a lack of reliable sources when he cannot tell his readers what he would like to. ... Continue Reading
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