“The book presents a standard Reformed view of the church. This is seen in two primary ways: first, in its references to the Scriptures as the basis for all principles regarding the church; and second, in its frequent reference to Reformed doctrinal confessions and catechisms.” A Well-Ordered Church, by William Boekestein and Daniel R. Hyde... Continue Reading

“If you are a pastor, almost certainly you have at least a few individuals in your congregation who fit this description. So as you prepare to shepherd your tenderhearted souls through their struggles with assurance, let me recommend a few resources.”   Call it “melancholy”, call it spiritual depression, call it excessively introspective, Bible-believing Christians... Continue Reading

“Meaty Christian biographies can be a feast.  The two volume biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the 20th century pastor-preacher by Iain Murray  was a spiritual treat.  The two volume biography of 18th century evangelist George Whitefield, by Arnold Dallimore, sparked revival in my life.”   It is counter cultural, anti-twitteral, and to many people simply a... Continue Reading

“In order to present Luther’s vision of the Christian life within its proper context, Trueman arranges the progression of chapters so that the reader gains an understanding of broad themes in Luther’s theology before turning to the particular topics traditionally associated with sanctified living.”   It is not immediately obvious to many Christians that Martin... Continue Reading

“Cancer creates opportunities for more profound intimacy with those around you,” Powlison knowingly observes. “People pay attention when a sufferer is being honest”. That last sentence reminds me that cancer provides Christians experiencing it an opportunity to teach the rich God-centered doctrine and lessons of faith we’ve previously learned and that have prepared us for processing suffering biblically. We’ve... Continue Reading

“Hymnals are intended to be a collective statement of faith for the denomination or group that adopts it. The theological content of our singing is certainly stronger when we have a primary resource that’s been examined, vetted, and solidified on that basis.”   A year ago yesterday I wrote a post about hymnals. A lot of people read... Continue Reading

Walton has provided an example of what happens when one gives extra-biblical texts magisterial authority over the text of Scripture. His basis for interpreting the text of Genesis comes from ancient people who were polytheistic, believed in the ultimate source of the power of magic, and wrote much of their history in the form of... Continue Reading

Grothaus’s life was in a rut…until he read War and Peace. Its 1500 pages took him two months to conquer and immediately became his favorite book because of how it changed him. “It’s  almost impossible to explain why,” he says “but after reading it I felt more confident in myself, less uncertain about my future…As weird as... Continue Reading

“Most 19th-century and early-20th-century Americans would have affirmed that the United States was a “Christian nation,” even if they would have disagreed bitterly about the meaning of that phrase. Nor were public displays of generic (or even Christian) religiosity new, though they took on new forms during the Eisenhower administration.”   Kevin Kruse’s One Nation... Continue Reading

Another implication is that liberal prescriptions tend to be incredibly single-minded as compared to those of conservatives. Haidt uses the metaphor of a bee hive to illustrate. A liberal, finding a bee in the hive suffering from injustice, is motivated more or less exclusively by the desire to get justice for the bee. A conservative,... Continue Reading