I just finished reading this interview at The Stone, where Gary Cutting talks with philosopher Dr. Michael Ruse about atheism, evolution, and religious belief. I must admit, I found Ruse’s comments to be surprisingly refreshing. Even though he’s a committed atheist, he exhibits none of the scorn or sarcasm of the Richard Dawkins-types (in fact, he expresses […]
Continue readingThe “Evangelicals” Who Are Not Evangelicals
July 9, 2014 
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Over at The Anxious Bench, Thomas Kidd has written this post discussing four groups of people who are commonly—and erroneously—labeled “evangelical.” Theological liberals. Often these folks come out of mainline Protestant denominations, but many are now associated with the emergent church movement. Reformed/confessionalist Christians (like myself). It might surprise some readers to learn that this […]
Continue readingNot Rich Toward God, by Abraham Kuyper
July 9, 2014 0 Comments
3. Not Rich Toward God Jesus understood the seriousness of the conflict between God and money, which constantly presses itself upon us; and one may safely say, that in our Western lands this conflict is more fierce than it ever was in the Eastern regions where Jesus ministered. and where the ordinary wants of life […]
Continue readingMore Archaeological Support for the Bible?
July 8, 2014 0 Comments
For the better part of the past thirty years, being a conservative biblical archaeologist wasn’t very popular. The prevailing wisdom was that the further back in time the biblical narrative goes, the more fictional it becomes. Most scholars questioned whether there ever was a united Israelite monarchy, and whether David and Solomon were anything more than the ancient Jewish […]
Continue readingThe Souls Which I Have Made, by Abraham Kuyper
July 8, 2014 0 Comments
2. The Souls Which I Have Made There is subtle charm about the thing that we have made, and this is by no means always because of its intrinsic value, but rather because we have made it ourselves. He who has studied portrait painting and for the sake of perfecting himself in his art copies […]
Continue readingThe Labor of Love
July 7, 2014 0 Comments
At Spiritual Friendship, Chris Damian has posted this piece on the true meaning of love. He pushes back on the idea of “love at first sight,” which is really a selfish love. It is based on how the other makes one feel rather than on true knowledge of the other. Here is the meat of his […]
Continue readingTo Be Near Unto God, by Abraham Kuyper
July 7, 2014 0 Comments
1. To Be Near Unto God When in holy ecstasy the Psalmist sings: “I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplication,” he pours out his whole soul in this song, but no one can analyze that love. To have love for God is something altogether different and something far weaker […]
Continue readingOn “Courage” in the (Christian) Academy
July 7, 2014 0 Comments
Another post worth sharing by James K.A. Smith. This time he reflects on claims of “courage” made by scholars (both progressive and conservative) when they risk the derision and scorn of people whose opinion they never really cared about in the first place. Are such scholars really risking anything? But Smith closes with an observation on […]
Continue readingSteadfast Principles in a Changing World
July 6, 2014 1 Comment
A few days ago, the New York Times opinion page included a short piece called “Steadfast Principles in a Changing World” by James K.A. Smith, professor of philosophy at Calvin College, on the subject of Christianity and capitalism. Smith differentiates between the concept of free markets—which is not incompatible with Christianity—and modern-day capitalism. Insofar as capitalism today […]
Continue readingThou Shalt Not Forsake Thy Celibate Christian LGBTQ Brethren
July 5, 2014 0 Comments
Today Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart of Slate Magazine wrote an article about “Side B” Christians. These are followers of Christ who, though fully committed to biblical teachings on marriage and sexuality, nevertheless identify openly as LGBTQ. Most of these Christians choose the difficult—but also potentially very fulfilling—life of celibacy. Others of them choose to enter complementary-sex marriages, in full recognition that […]
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