Scattered Thoughts on Theology and Ministry…
Missiologist and church historian Andrew Walls begins his classic essay, “The Gospel as Prisoner and Liberator of Culture,” with a fascinating thought experiment. An extraterrestrial who is a “Professor of Comparative Inter-Planetary Religion” has come to earth to study the Christian religion. The alien visits Christian gatherings across various times and places. He finds thatContinue reading “The Gospel as Prisoner and Liberator of Culture”
“A survey of 2,000 American Evangelical Christians released Monday found generational differences among participants in positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with older evangelicals offering more unconditional support of Israel than those under 35. According to the survey, American evangelicals under 35 are less likely than their older counterparts to offer unquestionable support for Israel, and are moreContinue reading “The New Christian Zionism”
The emperors use of this but bears some resemblance to modern politicians’ identification with American symbols…as a way to gain the trust and respect of its citizens. For much of its existence, the United States has had an informal mixture of Protestant Christianity and patriotism, a so-called civil religion, that has some of the feelContinue reading “America and the Imperial Cult”
To say that America is at the crossroads is one heck of an understatement. But yeah I guess you can think of it that way. This election cycle has shown us that perhaps more than ever this country is divided, and that division shows up in the competing visions of where America ought to beContinue reading “America at the Crossroads”
HT: First Things Magazine As the dust settles and the role that conscientious dissenters will have in our New Society is made clearer, we who pray “Thy kingdom come” need not be afraid. What is new is the unfortunate decision of five Supreme Court justices. What isn’t new is the call for Christians to liveContinue reading “Ave Christus Rex!!!”
The title of this post seems ridiculous – especially in this post-Christian world. But its true. The Government’s Mission is to Serve Christ. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor, prophet, martyr, spy – gives the rationale behind this idea: The mission of government to serve Christ is at the same time its inescapable destiny. Government serves Christ noContinue reading “The Government’s Mission is to Serve Christ”
George Marsden delivers the Current Read lecture at Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando, FL) in November of 2014, based on his book, The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the Crisis of Liberal Belief (Basic Books, 2014). (HT: Justin Taylor)
In 2012 a group of scholars gathered at Princeton Theological Seminary for a conference titled, “Calvinism and Democracy.” The purpose of this conference was to reflect upon the neo-Calvinist legacy, to explore its theological roots, and to assess in what ways this tradition might provide resources for democratic criticism and renewal. The Kuyper Center ReviewContinue reading “The Kuyper Center Review – Calvinism and Democracy”
I held off on blogging about Ferguson, it was a matter too weighty to deal with merely a blog post. Aside from shaking my head at the entire situation, I didn’t have any words to express my feelings, so I didn’t even try. But enough is enough, now that the Eric Garner case has madeContinue reading “Enough is Enough – Thoughts on Justice, Compassion, and Eric Garner”
In Kingdom Conspiracy Scot Mcknight makes an argument that the church in American has bought into the temptation of Constantinianism. This is especially evident in the form of civil religion that has emerged as Roman Catholics, Jews, Mormons, and Evangelicals have become more and more involved in furthering a particular political agenda. Here is whatContinue reading “There is no Judeo-Christian Ethic…”
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 