What Did You Plan to be Hated For?
Christians are no longer hated for grace, but for nature.
We live in a world that is not scandalised by the claim that Christ is Saviour or Lord. We don’t even get that far. Rather, the world is scandalised by the claim that Christ is the Creator. And this means that our conversations (or attempts at them) increasingly stop far short of discussions about the... Continue Reading
Christian Nationalism in a Managerial Nation
Preserving a Christian way of life within a bureaucratic system.
With the Christian faith pushed off the main stage, technical managerialism has played a dual role as both a kind of religion and, at the same time, a substitute for the metaphysical superstructure that the Christian hierarchy of being used to provide. The managerial system, whether in its governmental form or, as we find it... Continue Reading
Confessionalism Promotes Academic Integrity
Confessionalism, properly defined and winsomely practiced, provides a better and more productive academic environment than the “free-thinking” alternatives.
The path forward academically in a post-postmodern context requires being transparent about ones beliefs, values, and even to some extent our personal experiences. Some of that is built into confessionalism. The confessional academic isn’t pretending she is unbiased; on the contrary, she is transparent about the place from which she is analyzing and assessing the... Continue Reading
Nationalism Isn’t American
We need a revival that remains in keeping with our history and symbols.
A big problem we face today is that we have not made use of these authentically American ways to refresh our institutions. Our leaders have essentially doubled down on patching up the existing model that was created out of the Depression and postwar era, even as their limits and lack of suitability to today’s world... Continue Reading
Why We have a 37 Page Doctrinal Statement
Doctrine Matters
The doctrinal grounding of non-denominationalism is typically at the mercy of the Senior Pastor. The good news is that the median tenure of pastors has risen to six years in a recent study.[i] But even a change in pastoral leadership every six years means that a congregation will be setting a new doctrinal course at... Continue Reading
3 Good Things to Do When You Need to Make a Decision
How are God’s will and making decisions related to each other?
When we don’t know what to do, when we fail to do the right thing, when we freeze in fear over making a decision, we can be at peace because Christ has already interceded for us through his perfectly obedient life lived for us and perfect sacrificial death on our behalf. He also gave us... Continue Reading
Bouncing around the Bible
Bouncing around the Bible in a sermon is not necessarily helpful and can make what the Bible presents as a clear teaching point seem confusing and difficult to grasp.
Why do I really struggle when preachers bounce around the Bible when preaching? Because doing so can often miss the point of what the Bible author is communicating, what the original audience would have understood and how it fits in with the overarching story of the Bible. I was walking and talking with my... Continue Reading
Public Witness Post-Woke
After all the hubbub about wokeness, the word is seemingly past its expiration date for evangelical thought leaders.
Now “public witness” means using the right words when most favorable and discarding them when they become too unpopular (or talked about by the wrong people). Public witness is no longer about being martyred but being welcomed in the most prestigious institutions. Which, to be frank, is all well and good, though it’s been said... Continue Reading
Sharing Your Faith – Whose Model Should We Use?
Jesus and the disciples had pretty useful ways to share the gospel.
There is more than one way to evangelise, and if you can develop good relationships with non-believers, that is great. But the point is, if Jesus, the disciples, and the church for so many centuries concentrated on actually proclaiming truth to anyone and everyone, then we should not be dismissive of it – even in... Continue Reading
Providence and Empire
An Augustinian Case: The Fact of Empire
So why does God give Rome its empire? As I mentioned earlier, Augustine thinks part of the answer is that Rome was the best option on offer. But he goes further. He argues that Roman leaders and society had a love for their city and empire that was noble if flawed. As opposed to rulers... Continue Reading
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