I have always enjoyed recommending books, and for the final “Beyond the Wicket Gate” column of 2010, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the significant books that have been published so far this year, books that you may not have heard about but should consider reading. This list is not exhaustive.... Continue Reading

“The whole Narnian story is about Christ,” Lewis once wrote. He said he “pictured him becoming a lion” because it’s the king of beasts and because Christ is called “The Lion of Judah” in the Bible. The studios behind the new “Narnia” movie are walking a tightrope in their quest to promote the third film... Continue Reading

Reformed Christians are, of course, familiar with the civil use of the law to restrain evil. But as Augustine put it, “[C]ertain laws are established which are called civil laws, not because they bring men to make a good use of their wealth, but because those who made a bad use of it become thereby... Continue Reading

The nominees were announced Wednesday night. The 53rd Grammy Awards will be broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Feb. 13, 2011. The categories include: Best Gospel Performance, Best Gospel Song, Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album, Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel, Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album, Best Traditional Gospel Album, and Best Contemporary... Continue Reading

Most Christians are familiar with the story of Naomi, and her famous daughter in law, Ruth. Naomi is one of the few women whose story is told at some length in the pages of the Christian Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible. But as with so many other stories, many a reader has often wondered what... Continue Reading

The cancer underneath, according to the NSYR, is not that our kids have become detached from the faith of their parents and elders, but rather they are swallowing it whole. Dean goes a long way to clarify this assertion. Kenda Creasy Dean’s ‘Almost Christian’ is a response to a longitudinal study by Christian Smith and... Continue Reading

Every church and its employees want to feel confident that their compensation plan is reasonable and fair. Now you can know for sure by comparing your plan with those of thousands of other church workers nationwide. Based on a national survey of nearly 5,000 churches, the 2010-2011 version of the well known and highly respected... Continue Reading

A Review of Justified: Modern Reformation Essays on the Doctrine of Justification, Michael Horton, Editor This past Thursday I got to spend the day with my friend Mike Horton and others at Westminster Seminary in Escondido. Mike Horton asked if I would come and speak in chapel, meet with the faculty, and have a time... Continue Reading

White Horse Inn has published this blockbuster review on the web for downloading in a PDF formatting. Read the conclusions in this article and then download the entire document for further reading. Conclusion Reared in a pietistic evangelical environment, I recall the revolution in my own faith when the eschatology of the prophets and apostles... Continue Reading

The New Testament warns about trying to serve two masters. But Hollywood moviemakers would prefer to have it both ways. And so multiplexes have been crowded with films that wrestle with spiritual questions even while battling for box-office attention. These aren’t tiny indies, like the evangelical films that sprang up after “The Passion of the... Continue Reading