The perennial temptation for modern Reformed Protestants, especially after they get college degrees, is to float toward the sky in wisps of gnostic vapor. Doctrinalism is one kind of gnosticism, and pietism another. Literary structuralism is yet another one. Note that I did not say doctrine, of which the apostle Paul approved, and I did …
Floating Through the World Like a Ghost
As everyone should know by now, my very favorite subject is slavery, and I am always itching for opportunities to talk about it . . . The Baylys have been doing good work in challenging the limitations of the radical two kingdom take on things, and today Tim posted on the Southern Presbyterian doctrine of …
Splashed Around in the Village Pond for a Bit
In an earlier post, I wrote about American exceptionalism with something less than enthusiasm. But this kind of point, however simple it is at the center, still needs to be nuanced around the edges. Some of this is a summary of what I have written elsewhere, so bear with me and here goes anyway. American …
9.8m/s2
There are a number of things that are circulated on the foxnewsright that do to my soul what an Athens full of idols did to the apostle Paul. One of the central ones, as readers of this space well know, is that I think there is enough sadness in the world without Republicans going around …
Trouble Building a Taco Stand
Please bear with me a bit in this review of Scott Clark’s contribution to Tabletalk. So many different issues converge here that it will be necessary to spend a little bit of time deconfusing them. Clark’s article concerns what to do with the pilgrims from evangelicalism that may be making their way into confessional Reformed …
The Constitution As Frankenidol
The other day I was listening to one of those military commentators that Fox News brings on from time to time, and he was talking about the Ft. Hood massacre. Now, before going any further, I need to say that of course that shooting was terrorism, of course the military dropped the ball on preventing …
What Will the Harvest Be?
Uganda is apparently considering a law that could result in the execution of homosexuals. Some evangelicals who believe that the Christian faith should have some impact on public policy, some at First Things, have argued against the law. And Rick Warren’s response can be seen here. I know next to nothing about the proposed law, …
Ye Must Be What Again?
Unbelief fragments. Faith integrates. God created a world abounding in distinctions, but not abounding in shattered pieces. From the beginning there were glorious distinctions between heaven and earth, between male and female, between land and sea, between soul and body. Faith received these distinctions with integrated understanding, without trying to tear one away from the …
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 …