This post on chapter five of Franke’s book will be a little, short one. That is because this chapter was unexceptional in itself, and said many good, wholesome things. It was on “Jesus, Truth, and the Trinity,” and said many things familiar to every orthodox Christian — ultimate truth is a Person (p. 43), truth …
Lobbying for Vanilla Bleh
I recently received a good set of questions about Christian political activism from a gentlemen I met at the Desiring God conference, a man engaged in the noble work of Christian activism. Since the questions have broad relevance for many others, I thought it would be good to attempt to set forth my answers here, …
Gakkk
Soft despots love “the fact that the citizens enjoy themselves provided they dream solely of their own enjoyment. It works willingly for their happiness, but it wishes to be the only agent and sole arbiter of that happiness. It provides for their security, foresees and supplies their needs, guides them in their principal affairs, directs …
Like He Was David Copperfield
Like virtually all evangelicals trying to go with the zeitgeist flow, John Franke has to do some foot dragging here and there. He has to throw in a few sturdy absolutes from time to time, and this puts some believers at their ease. “The Spirit is guiding the community of faith into the truth, purposes, …
Tackle Gear Attached to Head and Neck
Just a few more comments about The Manhattan Declaration. I was asked to respond to John Stackhouse’s dismissal of the whole thing as just one more iteration of “been there, done that” Religious Rightism. There are two things to say about his reasoning. The first is that he maintains that he is on the side …
Getting Our White Little Buns Into Heaven
Okay, then, the Manhattan Declaration. Things have been busy, and I just now got around to reading it. I want to take the odd stance of applauding and supporting something that I could not sign. In order to make sense of this, I have to dump a few things out on the table first. I …
Sweet Defiance
Why sweet defiance? In Psalm 119:23, we are told, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” Now these are wonderful words in every believing ear. We could do some nice graphics work with it, no doubt — along with a picture of a beautiful sunset and beach, have …
Four Years to Go
I have recently posted on the revolutionary nature of industrialized education. The modern university system was born in the revolutionary era, and was a function of people abandoning the historic Christian forms of higher education, and trading them in for a style more in keeping with what they thought was promised by the Industrial Revolution. …
The Spirit’s Work
You have often been reminded that in this meal we partake of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. We do not do this because He is somehow locally present on this Table—for He is at the right hand of the Father, and not here. But Paul is very clear that we are made partakers …
An Edifying Use of Bandwidth?
We would be interested in some feedback, if you all wouldn’t mind. Not on the sermon itself, actually, but on the vehicle of delivery. We know that a number of you listen to Christ Church messages via audio download, or by having them mailed to you. The elders of Christ Church recently approved an experiment, …