My wife and I have a beautiful 16 month old daughter. She loves to play around and she really loves to read. Given my profession, the fact that she loves books brings joy to my heart! Although she loves books, probably more than any other form of entertainment, her mother and I still have theContinue reading “(Review) The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch”
Category Archives: Ministry
(Review) Embodied Hope by Kelly Kapic
The problem of evil has been solved. Well, at least the logical problem of evil has been, which for the lived experience of most human beings is radically insufficient. Pain and suffering present a radically real problem for many people. People die, get sick, and deal with chronic pain. For some, these realities pose aContinue reading “(Review) Embodied Hope by Kelly Kapic”
Same-Sex Attraction and the Church
Its actually a plausibility problem… What the bible teaches about same sex relationships sounds implausible to most people nowadays. It sounds totally implausible to ask people to turn their backs on same sex relationships and live a lonely life as a perpetually single person. Not only does it sound implausible, it sounds unhealthy. Listen toContinue reading “Same-Sex Attraction and the Church”
Practicing Scripture, Christ, and the Church: John Calvin’s Agenda for the Eucharist
What is “practical” theology? Often, practical theology is thought to consist of the explicit practices of the church, such as church discipline, preaching, leadership, types of worship, etc. Is this the sort of practical theology Calvin is engaged with in his Eucharistic theology? Although a good portion of Calvin’s practical theology of the Eucharist surelyContinue reading “Practicing Scripture, Christ, and the Church: John Calvin’s Agenda for the Eucharist”
Books Read in 2016
At the end of each the year I put out the list of books I have read that year. Usually they consist of a lot of theology books, followed up by a good chunk of philosophy books, and a few fiction books thrown in. In 2013 I read 106 books. In 2014 I read 87 books.Continue reading “Books Read in 2016”
The Vulnerable Pastor
Vulnerable. Not the first word that comes to mind when you think about strong leaders. Yet, this word, “Vulnerable,” is what Mandy Smith, lead pastor of University Christian Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, suggests should characterize strong Christian leaders. In The Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry Smith attempts to debunk current leadership wisdomContinue reading “The Vulnerable Pastor”
A Little Handbook for Preachers: Ten Practical Ways to a Better Sermon by Sunday
Preaching books are a dime a dozen. Its really hard to find a preaching book that either says something unique or says something important in a unique way. So I don’t have much confidence in preaching books – especially books that give you X number of ways to be a better preacher or books thatContinue reading “A Little Handbook for Preachers: Ten Practical Ways to a Better Sermon by Sunday”
Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life
Over the years I’ve read a lot of Henri Nouwen books. The reading of nearly everyone of these books is associated, in my mind, with some really important even or series of events in my life. To say that Henri Nouwen was there for some of these life changing/ministry changing moments of my life isContinue reading “Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life”
How I Got into Analytic Theology (The Long Version)
A while ago I posted a link about how I got into Analytic Theology. That was a shortened version of my story (due to word count limits). Here is the original “long” version. When I first set foot onto UCLA’s campus, with its Romanesque Revival style architecture and green rolling hills, I was in awe.Continue reading “How I Got into Analytic Theology (The Long Version)”
Analytic Theology in Pastoral Ministry
Last week a group of pastors from across denominations gathered at Fuller Seminary to explore the prospects of analytic theology for pastoral ministry. For many of the pastors there, this was their first exposure to analytic theology; so there was a lot of discussion on what exactly analytic theology is. The colloquium on analytic theologyContinue reading “Analytic Theology in Pastoral Ministry”
