“American exceptionalism is the idea that America is more of a creed than a nation. This kind of American exceptionalism makes a certain kind of civic religion possible, a quasi-sacramental approach which all consistent Christians reject as, in equal turns, blasphemous and silly” (Empires of Dirt, p. 10).
A Simple Binary
“I would say the same thing about Jesus. If He is Lord, we should do what He says. If He is not, then we needn’t bother” (Empires of Dirt, p. 10).
The Fear of Woman Bringeth Two or Three Snares
Introduction: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe” (Prov. 29:25). This is of course true—being Scripture as it is. But it also needs to be pointed out that in another sense the fear of woman bringeth two or three snares. I am writing on …
Pauline, Not Paula
A few days ago, Michael Horton wrote a piece for The Washington Post headlined as “Evangelicals should be deeply troubled by Donald Trump’s attempt to mainstream heresy.” This is certainly true, and I am troubled by it. On top of that, I appreciated the historical sketch of the Word of Faith movement that Horton laid …
This Happens in Theological Libraries Also
Gratitude: The Sauce
“My point is that a man cannot sin by bowing his head over it, saying grace with true gratitude in his heart, and then tucking in—and this truth is not affected by whether what he is about to eat is a chocolate pudding cup from a fast food joint or lots of spinach, rich in …
The Basics
“By mere Christendom I mean a network of nations bound together by a formal, public, civic acknowledgement of the lordship of Jesus Christ and the fundamental truth of the Apostles’ Creed” (Empires of Dirt, p. 9).
He Just Changes His Clothes
“When the Church crosses the border between ‘outside and persecuted’ to ‘inside and influential,’ that border crossing does not mean that the devil has gone into retirement” (Empires of Dirt, p. 7).
A Fortiori
“If bacon is now clean, then how could it be possible for processed cheese not to be?” (Food Catholic, p. 3).
Let Us Be Called Jerubbubbles
Cultural shifts are accomplished, or prevented, by various policing actions. I am not here referring to the cops, although they are sometimes part of it. But I am referring to the rigorous imposition of sanctions. Those sanctions could involve fines, denial of tenure, loss of vocation, restriction of liberty, etc. Whenever old gods are being …