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UHJ on Priority for Elimination of Racial Prejudice
2011-05-18 02:13:00 A recent letter from the Universal House of Justice (via the Secretariat) responding to a question from an individual Baha’i addresses the question of racial prejudice and the priority that the Baha’i community should place upon its elimination in the US. We don’t have the actual question but from the reply we can infer that ...
The Mistress of Theology
2010-10-16 12:43:00 Blessed Angela of Foligno This week on Wednesday past Pope Benedict XVI continued his catechesis on women medieval mystics with a talk on the life and works of the Blessed Angela of Foligno (1248 - 1309) Of Blessed Angela, Bollandus quoted Maximilian Sandaeus, of the Society of Jesus, who called her the "Mistress of Theologians", whose whole doctrine has been drawn out of the Book of Life, Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Her body lies within the Church of St Francis in Foligno and on 20th June 1993 Pope John Paul II visited Foligno and prayed before the urn which contains her remains. (see below) Pope John Paul II on 20 June 1993 before the Urn containing the remains of Blessed Angela of Foligno at the Basilica of San Francesco in Foligno In his homily on 20th June 1993, Pope John Paul II said that she deserved the title "Mistress of Theology" The homily which is an extended meditation on Blessed Angela is only in Italian on the Vatican website. One does wonder when they will finally get ...
The Theology of St Gertrude of Helfta ("St Gertrude the Great")
2010-10-10 13:58:00 Franz Ludwig Hermann 1723 -1791St Gertrude the Great 1746-1755SculptureKlosterkirche-, Zwiefalten (South Germany) A most invaluable resource for the study of St Gertrude the Great and her works is a Ph. D thesis by Laura Marie Grimes It can be accessed as a .pdf file here: THEOLOGY AS CONVERSATION: GERTRUD OF HELFTA AND HER SISTERS AS READERS OF AUGUSTINE In particular she discusses the similarities between the works of St Gertrude and St Augustine`s Confessions: "Gertrud?s Memoriale, which became Book II of Legatus,[is similar to] to Augustine?s Confessions. Beyond the similarity of style, Gertrud?s work uses key images, themes, and phrases found in Augustine?s. Like him, she tells her story of ongoing conversion to praise God and form a community that praises God by attention to the work of grace in their own hearts as well as those of the writer. Both Gertrud and Augustine see the incarnate Word of God as piercing the human heart with a transforming assurance of God?s mercy, ...
Does ?Forgiveness? Mean Letting Offenders Ride Rough Shod Over Us?
2010-07-08 00:11:00 If I had to make a list of systemically misleading topics that of 'forgiveness' would have to rank near the top. Wooly notions about it all too readily allow perpetrators to go free and without challenge. They can remain perpetrators, and their victims left in abject circumstance. Those who advocate passive types of forgiveness too often invite themselves to be trodden upon
Theology for kids
2010-06-25 23:48:00 I love it when my children ask questions which indicate something is going on upstairs other than concern over what I’m serving for dinner. I just wish they’d wait until after I get off the phone before hitting me with the really important issues. “Is God Christian?” Youngest asked. I looked around the kitchen, empty ...
Earthquakes and bad theology
2010-01-17 11:57:00 Jonathan Campbell, a Northern Irish minister, attributes the earthquake in Haiti to the practice of Voodoo. I've just come out of a discussion with him on BBC Radio Ulster. read more
By: Ekklesia
Is Claimed Indian ?Avatar? Sathya Sai Baba God? Or Good? Vital Links
2010-01-06 21:57:00 Some web and blog links related to the exposure of Sathya Sai Baba and his highly authoritarian and unaccountable global cult
Hearts Yearning
2009-12-23 22:24:00 Hearts Yearning Hearts yearning, hearts burning Three wise men searched for one more wise Who opens hearts, who purifies Hearts yearing, hearts burning In sleep no peace, just this tossing-turning On earth no peace, just relentless burning
Confessionism: Abusing 1 John 1:9
2009-12-10 16:14:00 I want to encourage my readers to take some time and read Jim Elliff’s recent blog post on a practice he calls “confessionism”. As a former independent fundamental Baptist, I still tend toward a legalism of sorts that stresses performance and action to a fault. And while I never reached the level of zeal and ...
James (Reformed Expository Commentary) by Daniel Doriani ? A Review
2009-12-08 13:00:00 Author: Daniel Doriani Publisher: P & R Publishing Format: hardcover Publication Date: 2007 Pages: 220 ISBN: 9780875527857 Stars: 5 of 5 It’s hard to keep up with all of the new commentary series available these days. Critical, expository, application, practical, scholar’s, layman’s, preacher’s, everyman’s ? commentaries come in all shapes and sizes. They also run the whole gamut of theological ...
Robert Priddy?s Views on Key Human Values in Relation To Sathya Sai Baba
2009-12-06 00:04:00 In the brief article - Human Values ? Sai Baba?s truncated ideas - Robert Priddy, an academic philosopher at the University of Oslo for many years, and a former head of the Sathya Sai Organization in Norway, states his view of what human values are, in contradistinction to "divinely-instated values for humans" as proclaimed by Sathya Sai Baba. Priddy writes: "The values according to [or against which] we act are unavoidable and essential links that tie together personal perceptions and judgements, motives and actions into the sphere of common cultural values. They are central to grasping the motivations of our social and political life. Sai Baba promotes his own brand of ?five human values?, which is a simple and often all too vague recipe. His biographer Kasturi writes that Sai Baba scribbled the 5 values down on the back of an envelope when Kasturi asked him to define them. Grabbed as if out of thin air without any deeper thought, it is quite evident how shallow, rigid and inco...
Ridiculous Scrooges
2009-11-30 04:51:00 It happens every year: All over the United States, scrooges take schools and other public institutions to court to challenge Christmas celebrations. Stores remove Christmas displays in favor of more generic displays of “season’s greetings.” Public spaces are cleared of manger scenes. The list goes on and on. It’s already started this year. Anyone who ...
The Theology of Abuse (Part One)
2009-09-10 23:29:00 Hugo, via Facebook, pointed me to today's Washington Post story about a new study on clergy sexual abuse from Baylor University's School of Social Work: One in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, a survey released Wednesday says.The study, by Baylor University researchers, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations, religious traditions and leaders."It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Diana Garland, dean of Baylor's School of Social Work, who co-authored the study.It found that more than two-thirds of the offenders were married to someone else at the time of the advance.... For its study, Baylor used the 2008 General Social Survey, a nationally representative sample of 3,559 respondents, to estimate the prevalence of clergy sexual misconduct. Wo...
By: Reiter's Block
Darkcloud wrote a new blog post: a manual on mystical theology
2009-09-08 15:43:00 Darkcloud wrote a new blog post: a manual on mystical theology It is 10:24 AM Tuesday morning in the flow of existence. I got up this morning a little past 6 o’clock AM. I got up to a dark morning. We are coming to the end of another summer season. I made a pot of coffee and messed with our main computer while drinking a cup ...
The [Expanded] Bible
2009-09-05 08:31:00 Hope you’ll bear with me for another review. I recently got a copy of The [Expanded] Bible, a hardback study Bible, through the Thomas Nelson?s Book Review Blogger program. The tagline for the product is “Study the Bible While You Read, ” but I don’t think you can really do that with this Bible. The notes ...
Goodbye TNIV, Hello 2011 Updated NIV
2009-09-02 19:44:00 Yesterday, Zondervan Publishing House and Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society) announced plans to revise the NIV in 2011 and discontinue the controversial TNIV. Many conservative evangelicals, and groups like the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) openly opposed the gender neutral translation choices of the TNIV. So to hear this coming from Zondervan ...
Those Five New Points of Calvinism
2009-08-26 18:23:00 Almost everyone reading my blog is familiar with the acrostic TULIP as standing for the five points of Calvinism. Probably most of you know what each point stands for: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints. Then the number goes down as to who knows what each point means. I ...
Marriage, Family Foundations, and De-Constructionism Exchange.
2009-08-21 06:37:00 Short facebook exchange. Thought I’d put it up here for future personal reference. If it may have the additional benefit of helping you with the important question of what is marriage, then I will consider it an additional blessing. Short discussion regarding the De-Construction of Marriage by militant feminist and homosexual ideologies. Leonard Goenaga just got out ...
More on Helping Your Kids with Salvation
2009-08-17 16:30:00 A few days ago, I posted on this question: How do we know our children are saved? After that post, I found a few more resources about this issue. Justin Taylor highlighted a free series of sermons on how children come to Christ. The 6 part sermon series is available for free download. My friend Jamsco of ...
The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John by Larry Helyer ? A Review
2009-08-06 07:28:00 Author: Larry Helyer Publisher: IVP Format: Hardcover Pages: 432 ISBN: 9780830828883 Stars: 4 of 5 My thanks go out to IVP Academic for supplying me with a review copy of this book. When I received The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John: An Exploration in Biblical Theology by Larry Helyer, I noticed the book looked like a college or seminary ...
?The More I Read the Bible the Less Dispensational I Become?
2009-07-29 19:29:00 These words were posted in an article written by John Davis (B.A. , M.Div., Th.M., D.Min.) for Sharper Iron, describing his journey out of dispensationalism. His description of becoming less and less dispensational, fits my story. I’ve taken a similar journey out of dispensationalism. His article is a good read, and the discussion to follow may ...
Problematic Polemic Puritanism
2009-07-29 15:30:00 You know I was stretching to come up with that title! Seriously though, I wanted to highlight D.A. Carson’s recent editorial on polemical theology, in the online (and free) theological journal Themelios (connected with The Gospel Coalition). Carson explains the inevitability of polemics: anyone “contending for a particular theological understanding” is practicing polemical theology. He then ...
Quotes to Note 11: Once Saved, Always Saved?
2009-07-24 21:03:00 I am working on my review of Larry Helyer’s excellent book, The Witness of Jesus, Paul and John: An Exploration in Biblical Theology. I came across a quote that is really good, but doesn’t quite fit into my review. I’ve explained my take on the well-known phrase “Once Saved, Always Saved”, in one of my most ...
Jesus? Radical View of Divorce
2009-07-17 19:10:00 Next to homosexuality the issue that seems to be most contentious for the Christian church is that of divorce. I?ve heard people say, when arguing for Christian tolerance of gays, that in the Bible Jesus never spoke out against homosexuality but he did specifically condemn divorce, a practice widely accepted within (if not a prime ...
By: Sharp Iron
Remembering Calvin on His 500th Birthday
2009-07-10 17:08:00 Today marks 500 years since the birth of John Calvin. Although Luther nailed his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenburg when Calvin was just 8 years old, it is John Calvin who is arguably the most famous (some might say, infamous) of the Reformers. His work in Geneva has an abiding ...
Tired of Waiting for the Beginning of the End Times?
2009-07-01 23:13:00 If you ever get one of these letters then..uh-oh? Dear Floyd; This message has been sent to you by a friend or a relative who has recently disappeared along with millions and millions of people around the world. The reason they chose to send you this letter is because they cared about you and would like ...
By: Sharp Iron
New Testament Text and Translation Commentary by Philip Comfort ? A Review
2009-06-12 00:36:00 Author: Philip W. Comfort Format: Hardcover Page Count: 899 Publisher: Tyndale House Publication Date: 2008 ISBN: 9781414310343 Rating: 5 of 5 stars My thanks go out to Christy Wong at Tyndale House Publishers for supplying me with a review copy of Philip Comfort’s New Testament Text and Translation Commentary. I have always been intrigued by textual criticism and the study of how we ...
Does the Doctrine of Penal Substitutionary Atonement Promote Torture?
2009-05-26 18:33:00 Not for the first time have I been perplexed by the Church’s long affair with torture. Is this just a case in which flawed and sinful men, having taken control of the Church, used brutal and violent means to achieve their own ends? Or is there some warped thread woven into the very fabric of ...
By: Sharp Iron
What I Mean by Preaching :: Desiring God
2009-05-14 08:17:00 Preaching is Expository Exultation. This clip is a good illustration of the importance of preaching. It was from Saturday night’s message. We saw Piper live at the north campus Sunday morning, and the video from that would have been even more passionate! I trust you’ll all enjoy this clip and rejoice ...
Theology - christiansquoting.org.uk
2009-03-31 17:17:00 All my theology is reduced to this narrow compass-- Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.--Archibald Alexander (1772-1851)In the Church of Jesus Christ there can and should be no non-theologians -- Karl BarthThe theologian who has no joy in his work is not a theologian at all. Sulky faces, morose thoughts and boring ways of speaking are intolerable in this science. --Karl Barth (1886-1968) (Quoted in his obituary, _New York Times_ [December 11, 1968])Theology is but our ideas of truth classified and arranged.-- Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) In "Correct Quotes for DOS," WordStar International, 1991.Wherefore all theology, when separated from Christ, is not only vain and confused, but is also mad, deceitful, and spurious; for, though the philosophers sometimes utter excellent sayings, yet they have nothing but what is short-lived, and even mixed up with wicked and erroneous sentiments. JOHN CALVINA man may be theologically knowing and spiritually ignorant. - STEPHEN CHARN...
By: Christian Quoter
Quotes to Note 7: The Church Spiritually Fulfills OT Penal Execution Laws
2009-02-28 16:43:00 I’ve been enjoying the book Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ from All the Scriptures by Dennis Johnson (P&R), lately. I hope to finish the book and have a review up by next week. This morning I came across a section that I’ll share in a quote below. I had never thought of the connection ...
Three books on global theology
2009-02-18 03:59:00 William A. Dyrness and Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, eds. Global Dictionary of Theology (IVP 2008), 996 pp.Vinoth Ramachandra, Subverting Global Myths: Theology and the Public Issues Shaping Our World (IVP 2008), 296 pp.Douglas A. Hicks and Mark Valeri, eds. Global Neighbors: Christian Faith and Moral Obligation in Today’s Economy (Eerdmans 2008), 276 pp.For several years now, IVP has been raising the bar for theological and biblical reference works – most notably with their remarkable series of black dictionaries. Their latest offering, the Global Dictionary of Theology, is another exemplary reference work and a first-rate resource for students and teachers of theology. The book provides an up-to-date picture of how theology is being practised today on every continent and in numerous different national and ethnic contexts.Generally speaking, the editors have avoided smaller entries, and have devoted the volume to extended, substantive articles on major themes. In many cases, there a...
What is systematic theology?
2009-01-30 02:25:00 The latest issues of the International Journal of Systematic Theology and Irish Theological Quarterly contain a great pile of essays exploring the nature of systematic theology from Catholic and Protestant perspectives. Interestingly, a couple of the articles refer to Lewis Ayres’ polemical call for “a wider critique of the culture of systematic theology as such, an uncovering of the conditions that make it possible, and a sketch of the sort of theological culture that would enable a deeper and more attentive engagement [with historical sources]” – but none of the articles really attempts to respond to this remarkable challenge. Anyway, here’s a list of the articles, with a few remarks about each one:Nicholas M. Healy, “What Is Systematic Theology?”This is one of the most interesting and stimulating of all the essays. Healy distinguishes between “official theology” (the production of church institutions), “ordinary theology” (the reflection of virtually all bel...
John Updike, 1932-2009: a glance at his theology
2009-01-28 00:53:00 I was very sad to hear that one of my favourite contemporary novelists, John Updike, has died. Updike was deeply influenced by Kierkegaard and Karl Barth; he is the most theological novelist you’ll ever come across. In an early essay, he remarks that, at one time, Barth’s theology was the only thing supporting his life; he used to keep Barth’s Romans commentary beside his bed, to read a few pages at a time. Much of his fiction could be read as an extended reflection on Barth’s dictum: “There is no way from us to God…. The god who stood at the end of some human way would not be God.”Pastors and theologians today could still learn a great deal from Updike’s fiction. Just think of the Lutheran pastor Fritz Kruppenbach in Rabbit, Run (1960), a deeply Barthian minister who utters this thunderous denouncement of pastoral work – in conversation with another minister, he asks: “Do you think this is your job, to meddle in these people’s lives? I know what they teach you...
Why ?Limited Atonement? (part 2)
2009-01-16 16:02:00 I apologize for not picking up my limited atonement series sooner. The holidays plus a couple bouts of illness intervened. I’m not optimistic enough to think in the next few posts I’ll answer all of everyone’s questions on this topic. I’ll still have more research to do and questions of my own, I’m sure. What I ...
Why ?Limited Atonement? (Part 1)
2008-12-16 15:59:00 Recently, a dear brother in Christ posted a lengthy rebuke of limited atonement as a comment on my blog. I promised him a response and thought I’d share the exchange here for the benefit of my readers. Feel free to read his original comment. This is the first part of my response to his concerns. A ...
New Zealand conference: trinitarian theology after Barth
2008-12-05 20:22:00 Next year’s conference on Trinitarian Theology after Barth is now open for registration. The conference will take place in the lovely city of Auckland, 14-15 May 2009. Speakers will include Bruce McCormack, Paul Molnar, John McDowell, Ivor Davidson, Murray Rae, and several others (including myself).You can get a registration form by contacting Myk Habets.
Sai Baba 83. Has Said He Will Rule World
2008-11-22 01:44:00 Incredible (literally) golden opulence abounds - flashily and gaudily - at Sathya Sai Baba's 83rd birthday celebrations in Puttaparthy, Andhra Pradesh, South India. This guru - whom many believe to be the most powerful and wealthy in India's long history of gurus - proclaims that he will first rule India and then the rest of the world - all in his own lifetime.
William Stringfellow: theology at the circus
2008-11-21 14:25:00 Some time ago, a reader here at F&T recommended the work of William Stringfellow – a writer I had never really come across till then. And when Kim Fabricius came to visit recently, he told me that he had also started reading Stringfellow. So this week I finally started reading him too, beginning with the excellent Eerdmans anthology. This is astonishing stuff – Stringfellow’s analysis of the principalities is especially good. I’m also intrigued by his love for the circus (he and his partner Anthony Towne once spent the summer traveling with a circus!). Here’s an excerpt of Stringfellow’s theological reflection on the circus:“The circus is among the few coherent images of the eschatological realm to which people still have ready access and ... the circus thereby affords some elementary insights into the idea of society as a consummate event. This principality, this art, this veritable liturgy, this common enterprise of multifarious creatures called the circus enacts a h...
The Israel of God by O. Palmer Robertson ? A Review
2008-11-10 19:21:00 Author: O. Palmer Robertson Format: Softcover Page Count: 196 Publisher: Presbyterian & Reformed Publication Date: 2000 ISBN: 0875523989 Rating: 5 of 5 stars Like most any American evangelical, how the Bible views the modern state of Israel is a topic that interests me. I’ve grown in my understanding of this issue, even as I’ve evaluated competing theological systems such as dispensationalism ...
Ex-NASA Scientist and Wife Test Sathya Sai Baba?s ?Grace?
2008-11-09 01:48:00 Referring in their talks to Jaani Drucker's rape in an official Sathya Sai Center, they both held that Jaani is not her body. She is only in a dream. Not being her body, but the eternal Atma, Jaani was never raped. All is the Lord's Grace
Rejoicing in God?s Sovereignty
2008-11-06 15:52:00 Last night, John Piper presented the vision and educational philosophy for our church’s new college and seminary. Bethlehem College and Seminary wll remain tethered to the original ideals which have grown strong and proved frutiful over 10 years as The Bethlehem Institute (of Bethlehem Baptist Church). Piper had some interesting things to say contrasting education/persuasion and ...
Art and theology with Edward Knippers
2008-11-06 05:46:00 The series on the paintings of Edward Knippers is now underway over at Theology Forum (including my own post), with plenty of nice pictures to look at. Here are the links so far, with a brief excerpt from each post:First, Edward Knippers discusses his own work in relation to a theology of incarnation and embodiment: “I hope that my cubist-type language suggests a multi-dimensional world quite different from our own as it keeps the eyes in constant motion through transparent overlappings. I have tried to use this visual metaphor to hint at the movement behind the veil – to uphold the truth that for those in Christ there is glory beyond the edges of our comprehension.”Next, Fred Sanders discusses the visual language of Knippers’ work: “Up close, a Knippers painting is a revelation: in your space, in your face, confrontational and aggressive. His pinkish giants don’t stay in a polite middle distance in his images, but crowd the foreground. A room with three or four of them ...
Art and incarnation: the art and theology of Edward Knippers
2008-10-30 22:56:00 Next week, Theology Forum will be hosting a “blog exhibition” showcasing the art of Edward Knippers. Starting Monday, they’ll be posting several pieces of Knippers’ work each day, accompanied by short essays which engage theologically with these paintings.My own essay on “Knippers and the Resurrection of the Body” will be posted on Wednesday. I’m very excited to be contributing to this excellent series – so make sure you stop by next week at Theology Forum, and join the discussion about God, paint, and bodies.
Breaking News: The Bethlehem Institute to Become a College and Seminary
2008-10-30 15:56:00 This is a surprising but encouraging development. For 10 years now, Bethlehem Baptist Church (pastored by John Piper) has offered one of the finest church-based Bible institutes around. The Bethlehem Institute teaches a variety of courses designed for everyone from the average Joe (or Jane) in the church pew to the pre-seminary young person preparing ...
On political theology, Jacob Taubes, and Picasso
2008-10-17 20:21:00 Thanks to Danny for pointing us to the latest issue of the New German Critique, a special issue on political theology. There’s some great stuff here – loads of Schmitt, Benjamin, Agamben, and Taubes. I especially liked Nitzan Lebovic’s excellent article, “The Jerusalem School: The Theopolitical Hour,” which explores “the strange reappearance of Carl Schmitt in the context of German Jewish thought after 1940.” Lebovic focuses on the relationships between Buber, Bergman, Taubes, and the right-wing former terrorist Geulah Cohen: “Political theology was where antinormative critics from the radical Left and the radical Right met, cooperated, and learned from each other before going their separate ways.” The relations between the work of Schmitt and these Jewish thinkers constitutes the necessary background for understanding Agamben’s project.Speaking of Jacob Taubes, I’m very intrigued by this strange character (and his even stranger thought). Right now I’m readin...
Quotes to Note 4: The Bible is Truth
2008-10-14 18:35:00 I subscribe to Table Talk, a monthly devotional published by R.C. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries. Each month the magazine focuses on a theme, and this month that theme is “The Canonicity of Scripture”. In the openeing column, Burk Parsons, the editor, captures the gist of the issue. The Bible is the Word of God, and canonization ...
Calvinism by Fives
2008-10-10 23:23:00 Calvinism seems to spread by fives: five points, five solas, and I bet we could think of other groups of five. Five Reformation countries (Germany, France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, England). Five key Reformers (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Huss, Wycliffe). Okay, I know Huss and Wycliffe came earlier…. As most good Calvinists, I know my ...
Beginning with Moses
2008-10-06 16:12:00 I just added a new blog to my blogroll. Beginning with Moses is an excellent resource for all things Biblical Theology, with an emphasis on redemptive historical hermeneutics. The beginningwithmoses.org website houses lots of articles on various topics, majoring on Biblical Theology, primarily. And the blog provides updates re: new articles on the site, and ...
?World Hindu? by 2030. VHP?s Singhal Reports Sathya Sai Baba Told Him
2008-09-09 01:59:00 One of India’s most powerful Hindu nationalist leaders, Ashok Singhal, who has an international profile in the Hindu world, has just told an assembly of political and religious luminaries in Delhi of a prophecy he says Sathya Sai Baba shared with him. The Organiser, September 14, 2008, reports: “… Shri Singhal also threw light on how ... |
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