Review: Unholy Charade
Unholy Charade: Unmasking the Domestic Abuser in the Church does an excellent job in pulling down an abuser's facade and revealing the ugliness behind the mask.
I lent my copy of Unholy Charade to a friend recently. When she returned it she said, “This should be required reading for every pastor and women’s ministry leader.” And I agree with her 100%. In theory, we may hate the very idea of abuse, but unless we recognize what it is, we could just... Continue Reading
The 6 Risks of Reading Old Books
If we submerge ourselves in old books, we run some serious risks.
“When we promote books by and about one cultural group from one time period to the near exclusion of others, we are limiting our view of God’s image bearers: what about the Christians in our churches who look different from us?” I am a booklist professional. I read, save, research, create, and share booklists.... Continue Reading
The Young “Messiah”: Christians Delight in Really Bad Fanfiction
The Young Messiah is based on the novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt by on-again-off-again Catholic Anne Rice, which imagines Jesus at around age 7
The problem with fiction films that are said to be “some truth” based on something that isn’t even in the breathed-out Word of God is that you can’t mix light with darkness. Truth plus error still equals terror, and movie goers aren’t going to be able to unsee the imagery and the untruth about our... Continue Reading
Many Beautiful Things: The Gift of Sight
Lilias Trotter had a gift for seeing beauty and for capturing it in exquisite watercolors; her story is the focus of a new documentary called “Many Beautiful Things.”
Hinson’s new film is full of Trotter’s paintings, brought to life through the skillful addition of depth and animation, until it almost feels as if we’re walking through some of her landscapes. Experts on Trotter tell her story, and actors Michelle Dockery (of “Downton Abbey”) and John Rhys-Davies (of “The Lord of the Rings”) read... Continue Reading
John Newton, William Law, Justification, and Sanctification
God does not accept us based on what Christ is doing in us, but what he has done for us; justification and sanctification are distinct
It appears to me necessary for our comfort, when we know what [evil] is in our hearts, and necessary likewise to give the Redeemer the glory due His name, that we be sensible that our sanctification is not the cause, but the effect of our acceptance with God. …The precise reason why we are saved,... Continue Reading
James Durham on Ministerial Qualifications
Who is sufficient for these things? Thanks be to God that “our sufficiency is from God”
A further element of “aptness in teaching” lay in a message which was tailored to speak to various kinds of individuals. The minister had to avoid “strengthening the wicked” and also avoid “making the righteous sad.” As such the message preached had to aim on the one had at humbling proud impenitent sinners but also... Continue Reading
The Untold Origins of the Presbyterian Church in America
A review of “For A Continuing Church: The Roots of the Presbyterian Church in America,” by Sean Michael Lucas
The primary concern of the conservative leaders throughout the years, Lucas maintains, was what they saw as a progressive assault on both the traditional view of Scripture and the integrity of the Westminster Standards. Yet he’s quick to point out that tied to these core concerns were a host of other issues—the progressives’ emphasis on... Continue Reading
Triumphing Over Sinful Fear
Flavel distinguishes between “the fear of the Lord” and sinful fear that results from unbelief
Flavel’s book helps suffering Christians. At root, the author argued that ignorance of the provisions of the covenant of grace was the primary cause of sinful fear (31). The corollary to this is unbelief in God’s promises (35). As a result, “carnal fear is the very root of apostasy” (56). From this point on, Flavel... Continue Reading
Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife
Stories like Dr. Tucker’s are important insofar as they drive us back to God’s Word, to ask ourselves, have we got something wrong here?
Black and White Bible, Black and Blue Wife is a difficult read, and it is an essential read for every Christian who is grounded in these issues. Whatever conclusions one reaches about Tucker’s egalitarian theology of marriage, her story and her questions urge us to strive for greater understanding of Scripture, remembering the people at... Continue Reading
James Durham on Ministerial Qualifications (1)
An examination of Durham’s essay, "Concerning Ministerial Qualifications"
“A sincere honest minster may have very mean gifts, either considered in themselves, or as being compared with others; and yet may be more faithful in improving of them, be more accepted of Jesus Christ with his small measure, and have more fruits and greater success, that others of more shining gifts without tenderness in... Continue Reading
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