Introduction: I have decided, after mulling over it for some years now, to discontinue identifying myself with what has come to be called the federal vision. It used to be that when I was asked if I held to the federal vision, I would say something like “yes, if by that you mean . . …
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 …
The Divine Glory, Welterweight Division
“This is not a [book] to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.” Attributed to Dorothy Parker I believe I mentioned in passing that I recently picked up Greg Boyd’s God at War. I was pursuing more information on the divine council, having read Michael Heiser’s fine books on that topic, …
Dialogue on The End of Protestantism
Earlier today, New St. Andrews hosted (and videotaped) a discussion/interaction between Peter Leithart and me on the theme of his latest book, The End of Protestantism. These are my opening remarks. I will let you know when NSA has the video posted. The question before us is: “Does the gospel require us to pursue and …
God as Carpet Bomber
So this is how it happened. I recently read and reviewed The Unseen Realm by Michael Heiser. It was a fantastic book, with the exception of a quite unnecessary chapter addressing the issues that usually go by the nickname of Calvinism. That book was so good that I started reading his more popular-level book on …
499 Years and Counting: Reformation 500
499 years ago, a monk hammered a list on a church’s door which is widely considered as firing the starting gun of the Reformation. And at our next Grace Agenda Conference, in the spring of the coming year 2017, you are invited to join us on the next lap for Reformation 500. Reformation 500 is …
A Rejoinder to Peter Leithart
Introduction: In a recent First Things article, Peter Leithart has continued to develop his recent emphasis on the “end of Protestantism.” He has a book coming out on the subject, and so this is not the first précis he has offered on the topic. The topic is on his mind, and that is why it …
Risking the Plug-Uglies
“Think of the countless human acts, acts of copulation, spread over millennia, that led to the birth of Plato, Attila, or Napoleon. Yet it is on these unpredictables that human history largely depends” (C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, p. 39). We look around ourselves and we think we see solid things. We look at them …
A Fifty Gallon Drum of Lame Sauce
So here would be a brief series of snapshots showing what happens to a denomination after you kick Machen out of it. Now by sharing this video I do not want to indicate that I have watched this entire thing, for there are some duties that we tend to shrink away from, like Aragorn contemplating …
Triune Botherations
Introduction: I feel like the guy right before Pickett’s charge who thought he could make peace by walking between the armies in a gray coat and blue trousers. So wish me luck everybody. As many of you know, a controversy with two layers erupted within the last month, having to do with Trinitarian theology and …