Spirituality of the Church & the Arts

In the Reformed world, transformationalism is the most prevalent view of Church-culture relations. This view espouses that because Jesus rules over all things, even culture is a part of Jesus’ kingdom. A general tagline for transformationalism is, “Christ transforms culture”. Practically, this view means that when a person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, their…

A Short Critique of Liberation Theology

Liberation theology gets one truth correct about the gospel, which is that Jesus identifies with the oppressed. But there are two major issues with liberation theology’s understanding of this concept. First, though Jesus does “identify” with the oppressed in a sense, yet the cross is emptied of its power when it is seen merely as…

Book Review: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō My rating: 3 of 5 stars The natural and insightful side of this book is unfortunately (pun-intended) obscured by the rather Shinto-Buddhist-New-Age elements. But, if you remove the unnecessary elements of the book, it really does have some insightful…

Book Review: The Marrow of Modern Divinity

The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book, besides the Bible itself, may be my favorite book. It is a wonderful explanation of the gospel, the free offer of that gospel, and of the issues of legalism and antinomianism. This edition also contains an explanation of the…

Deus: A Parody of Invictus

I’ve been unsettled by the poem Invictus ever since I had to memorize it in High School.  It is lauded and celebrated by so many as an example of the resolve of will required to persist in this harsh world.  But I actually believe it is an arrogant poem.  So, randomly, and recently, I wrote…

The Kingdom of God

What is the Kingdom of God? In Protestant thought there are several different current-day views. First, I will overview some of the current views about God’s Kingdom.  Second, I will go through Scripture that speaks about God’s Kingdom.  Last, I will advocate a position, and urge you to agree. Current Views There are at least…

Book Review: In Defense of the Descent

In Defense Of The Descent by Daniel R. Hyde My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a decent and interesting overview of the clause, “He descended into hell.” Whether or not you agree with his conclusion (which I do), this will prove to be a quick and enlightening read on a rather confusing subject.…

Book Review: Philosophy of Revelation

Philosophy of Revelation by Herman Bavinck My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, and surprisingly applicable. While it is aimed at answering many of the demands of modern critical philosophy, it even applies to postmodern critical philosophy. View all my reviews

Saturday Summary (9/9/17)

Religion History Dordt Assurance: The 400th Anniversary of the Synod of Dordt – The Aquila Report This Day in Presbyterian History September 5: Dr. D. James Kennedy First Person: Did the Kingdoms of Saul, David and Solomon Actually Exist? – Biblical Archaeology Society Did Jesus Exist? Searching for Evidence Beyond the Bible – Biblical Archaeology…

Saturday Summary (9/2/17)

This Week Religion Nashville Statement | CBMW Rosaria Butterfield: Why I Signed the Nashville Statement | CBMW Sunday Worship Begins on Saturday | Desiring God Very Superstitious – Reformation21 Blog Conservative Presbyterian Seminary in St. Louis to Hold Conference Featuring Leftist Teachings on Race | Tennessee Star BiblePlaces Blog: Weekend Roundup, Part 1 BiblePlaces Blog:…