Our family moved from Tacoma Park, Maryland to Annapolis in 1958. I have some fragmentary memories of kindergarten in Tacoma Park, and more solid recollections of first grade in Annapolis, up to and including the name of my first grade teacher, a very pleasant woman named Miss Robinson. I grew up in Annapolis, and have …
Knowing the Father
Here is N.T. Wright on the impact of the gospel. “On this basis, Paul argues in Romans 5-8 that all who believe this gospel are the true, sin-forgiven, people of God, who are thus assured of their future salvation, which will consist in their resurrection as one aspect of the renewal of all of God’s …
Troublemakers
“Girls cause a lot of trouble. If it weren’t for girls, we would have no moms, and if there were no moms, we would have no boys — and boys cause a lot of trouble” (Future Men, p. 135).
God Promises Us Our Children
A few days ago, I wrote about how I became a paedobaptist. I attributed that change to a connection that was shown to me between the promises of God for our children and the practice of infant baptism. That connection stirred up a reasonable question out there, which I would like to try to answer …
Different Kinds of Snakes
The fundamental problem with boasting is only connected to the direct object in one sense. The one who boasts must boast in the Lord. A man who boasts in the Lord is guiltless because the object is right (2 Cor. 10:17). But if someone boasts in anything on this side of the Creator/creature divide, the …
Scripture and Sports
“We must never forget that the Bible alone determines the boundaries of sin. Not once in Scripture is there a hint that athletic competition should be considered as immoral or sinful. The Bible, and not the traditions of men, determines the definition of sin. We have no more ground for saying that athletics [are] sinful …
Relativism and the Mistreatment of Women
Dear visionaries, Susannah’s questions presuppose a foundational solidarity and allegiance between all men, based on gender alone, and a solidarity of all women, based on gender alone. But there are other factors affecting what she lists, things like suspect statistics, Hinduism, famine, wars, etc. But when it comes to those things that really are done …
Comparisons
Dear visionaries, This all-male school board thingy is turning into the Energizer Bunny of topics. Oh, well. William asked why, given my theology, I would seek a woman’s input or opinion on this or any other matter. Given the rhetorical distance between our camps, this kind of assumption is certainly a natural one, but I …
Selfishness and Self-Interest
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16 11) Growing Dominion, Part 41 No one needs to teach us the arts of selfishness, and the related arts of rationalization. No one has to have special classes for the toddlers in the nursery in order to teach them how to grab for toys, …
Faith As A Badge
N.T. Wright has some trouble seeing that old scoundrel Pelagius in places where I think we should be able to see him quite plainly. For example, Wright says, “Once we release Paul’s justification-language from the burden of having to describe ‘how someone becomes a Christian’, however, this is simply no longer a problem. There is …