The other day I read Robert Capon complaining about a kitchen knife that was as dull as dialectical materialism. Marx got his version of that from Hegel, modified it so as to make the commies responsible for the deaths of tens of millions, thus making the consequences of dialectical materialism anything but dull. Hegel — …
Even Postmillennialists Get the Blues
Before I became postmillennial, I noticed something odd, and since then, some of the oddities seem even more so. Some of the most cogent cultural criticism I have ever read has come from postmillennialists, who described in excruciating and exact detail how and why our culture is falling apart. And yet, back in the day, …
Trueman, Toilets, and Transformation
Carl Trueman writes with verve and sass, which is of course a good thing, so it is a pity when he whiffs one. Don’t get me wrong — the swing was picture perfect, but the ball somehow still wound up in the catcher’s mitt. The occasion was a jab that D.G. Hart was taking at …
Preliminary Thoughts on Envy and the Jews
As many of you know, I am currently engaged in preaching through the book of Romans. After an Advent hiatus, I will resume my place in chapter 11, and so I am coming up on the Pauline doctrine of the conversion of the Jews. The driving engine of that conversion — jealousy — has been …
To Inundate the World
As Scripture instructs, we must be adult in our understanding. But we must also cultivate what Luke records in the books of Acts when he says that the early Christians ate their bread with gladness and simplicity of heart. We may be refreshed with both when we come to understand how much of the water …
Imagination in the UK
I believe I have mentioned before that someone — Napoleon I think — said that imagination rules the world. Discounting what we need to discount here — Napoleon not being a font of spiritual wisdom, and adjusting for different meanings of the word imagination, this remains quite true, profoundly true. The imagination that I refer …
Bright Orange Paint on the Deep Green Carpet
We have been having a wonderful time here in the UK, seeing the sights and fellowshiping with the British saints. One of the points that has come up in various discussions is related to one of the more admirable traits of British evangelicalism — which is a great zeal and concern for evangelism, coupled with …
The Christian Future of Great Britain
It is no secret to readers of this blog that I am postmill in my eschatological convictions. It is also no secret that I am something of a cultural critic — things all around us, at least according to me, seem to be falling apart. This apparent dichotomy used to bug me too — back …
Veggie-Tale Eschatology
I tried to post a comment over at Pyromaniacs, but my google password is one I hardly ever use, and it is down at the office anyway, I think, Perhaps. Anyhow, I am driven to comment here. Under the heading of “The Plain Sense Meaning ‘World’ in John 3:16,” my friend Phil Johnson said: “I …
Jesus Is Lord
As we continue our study of historical optimism, a good thing to keep in mind is the need to constantly turn to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. When we think through these issues carefully, we must recognize that the basic issue is really the view we have of …