Anyone who has read even a little bit of N.T Wright’s stuff knows that he regularly takes a swing at the whole idea of “timeless truths.” Now I think I know what he is getting at, but I really think the whole subject needs to be nuanced far more than I think Wright does. All …
Textual Shoulder Rub
Some people have trouble understanding what actually happened at the Second Council of Nicea, a key point in church history, at which time a new ecclesiastical office was created. It became apparent to our fathers in the faith that Deuteronomy 5:8-10 was far too tight, and rather than try to correct the problem in the …
All Over the Map
One of the problems that Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox share is the problem of ignorance of patristic literature. Because of this ignorance, the subject (which is theologically and theoretically important to RCs and EOs) can be used to cudgel (of course in a friendly way) those Protestants for whom the subject does not rise to …
Charges and Specifications
It is about time that somebody realized the source of all the trouble. High time we brought old Jean Calvin of St. Peter’s Reformed Church in Geneva up on charges. Somebody had to do it. HT: Peter Leithart
On The Last Word
I just had the pleasure of finishing a new book from N.T. Wright on the authority of Scripture. In many important ways, it was fantastic, and far better than his earlier article on the same subject. The book is called The Last Word, and is subtitled “Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of …
Still A Deadly Mistake
In September of 2004, N.T. Wright gave an address for a symposium on “Men, Women and the Church.” That talk can be found here. The conference was apparently sponsored by an organization (CBE) dedicated to the egalitarian position on women ministering in the Church, and Wright (who supports the ordination of women) was there to …
Paul and James
Not that I want to beat a dead horse or anything, but I would be interested in feedback from any critics of Auburn Avenue stuff on the following statement. Would you all be comfortable with this expression of the relationship of faith and works, Paul and James? What are we to do with James’ apparent …
Corporate Testimony
Tim Enloe has raised a very good point about the care that Protestant apologists should take in representing the Catholic faith to others. In short, we ought never to maintain that official Roman Catholic teaching affirms what it plainly denies, or vice versa. In other words, apologetics ought never be a battle with a straw …
Theology With the Chambermaid
I am not sure I can do full justice to the questions about Roman Catholicism (from Tim and Kurt), but I will have a whack at it. The distinction between the magisterial doctrine of sola Sciptura and the modern, individualistic solo Scriptura is, in my thinking, straightforward. Solo Scriptura maintains that the Bible is the …
Heavenly Prayer Requests
This is the beginning of an answer to Kurt’s question about Mary. And, as is the case with many doctrinal issues, the real issue is found at the level of the presuppositions. The question really is not whether the Roman church has a nuanced position on Mary that acknowledges that Christ is a “unique” mediator. …