As we continue our discussion of politics (and economics) in the name of Jesus, I want to pick up on at least a few things that have arisen in the comments. When it comes to reasoning from Scripture, applying the word of God to our lives, there are two ways of reasoning — inductive and …
Politics in the Name of Jesus, Part Two
The comments here are pursuing the question of what it means to declare something in the name of Jesus, particularly when it comes to convoluted political questions. Here are some additional thoughts on that thorny question. First, the job of a minister is to declare “thus saith the Lord,” and not “it seems to me.” …
Politics in the Name of Jesus
One of the advantages of things like Google Alerts is that you can hear people discussing, amongst themselves of course, how the present writer, as the Victorians would put it, got to be so silly. There is a lot of crowd noise on the interwebs, but nobody’s exactly whispering, and isolated conversations in a far …
Lord Acton, Anthony Bradley, and Me
Important Update: For a limited time, Canon is offering a free download of Black & Tan here, and it is available here on Kindle for 99 cents. For those who really care what I think on these subjects, it is all in this book. And yes, Canon emailed a copy to Dr. Bradley. Important Update …
Not Even Sure How to Spell Kleagle
In his engaging and admirable book, Bad Religion, Ross Douthat mentions me in an aside,[1] and in that particular citation, he touches on a few things that need to be addressed at the very outset of any argument for a “mere Christendom.” They can be grouped under the heading of proposals that no one should …
That Seamy Chain of Syllogisms
Marriage is a political act, and not an individual choice. How you marry is a way of testifying to what city you belong to. Who defines marriage? The difficulty we are having in our generation in answering this question shows how theology shapes and drives everything. If God created the world, and put one man …
You Don’t Use the Whole Horse
“Transcendent politics can sometimes be a very dangerous politics, but is the only kind of politics for human beings” (Glenn Moots, Politics Reformed, p. xii). One of the reasons I like this quote — besides the fact that it is so gloriously true — is the fact that it collides so spectacularly with the actual …
Solid Joys and Lasting Pleasure
The world is charged with the grandeur of God, as the poet put it, and it will flame out like shook foil. The world is only a set of blinders for the blind. In all other respects, the world is front-loaded with God’s glory. And in order for us to see that glory, really see …
Honest As White Paint
I have said kind things about Ron Paul in the past, and I will continue say them in the future. He continues to be one of the people I could vote for when Ringling Bros. finally brings the gaudy parade to my state. But he whiffed it last night in the debate when asked how …
Four Kinds of Puritan
I just recently finished a magnificent book, The Puritan Origins of American Patriotism, and a taxonomical breakdown occurred to me. I thought I’d share. There are four kinds of Puritan, stretching across the centuruies. Since the sixteenth century, the story has mostly been one of devolution, although there have been some delightful throwbacks here and …