“What are the assumptions about faith made by the ”new atheists”? Some are empirically untenable, such as the idea that religion is the major cause of hatred and violence in the world (some of the most horrendous crimes in modern history were committed by regimes and movements with atheist ideologies). Or the idea that religion... Continue Reading

“Christian children’s books are legion but good children’s books that captivate as well as educate are rare. Getting a pastor-theologian to take up the challenge is encouraging and I’m eager to see what DeYoung and Clark have in store for us. This is a book that promises a biblical-theological approach, connecting the dots throughout Scripture... Continue Reading

“Many local churches are tempted to conduct themselves as if they didn’t know any other local evangelical churches existed around them. Or, if they acknowledge them, they are chasing “end-of-the-year bonuses” by competing with and beating out other churches in ministry. Add to this the fact that many pastors struggle with finding their identity in... Continue Reading

“My mother is the daughter of a Baptist pastor and the black sheep, theologically speaking, of her family. She wants to go to church, but she is not quite sure whether she wants God. The modern Unitarian Universalist Association’s statement of principles does not mention God at all.”   This Christmas our family will go... Continue Reading

“Most of us would benefit from a dividing of the very important question about subscription.  I also believe that in the process we will learn some valuable things both about ourselves and our parents in the faith.  What I suggest is that we first interpret what our forefathers intended, with as little eisegeting as possible.... Continue Reading

“Since the PCUSA General Assembly, the number of congregations voting to disaffiliate from the denomination has increased dramatically, accelerating the already major losses in membership numbers that the national church body has suffered over the past 10 to 15 years.”   The Rev. Dr. Paul Detterman is the national director of The Fellowship Community, formerly... Continue Reading

“John was leading in worship in the wilderness and a group of well-dressed Pharisees and Sadducees came to his service. They were interested in being baptized, hearing the spoken Word, and joining the doxological celebration. They reasoned they were notable men. They thought their ethnicity and ecclesiastical positions would provide for them a warm welcome, but they... Continue Reading

“Why is much Texas religion heartfelt and at the same time racist, hostile to difference, and at ease with violence? Why the affinity between corporate money and religion? Why does such a religious state have so much inequality? Why does this Texas version of Christendom—the intertwining of religion, politics, and culture—persist?”   Outside the large... Continue Reading

“From a Christian worldview perspective there are a couple of very crucial issues for us to consider. First is the issue of blasphemy. Islam considers blasphemy a capital crime and defines blasphemy as an insult to the Quran, to Islam, and most specifically and personally, to the prophet Mohammed. Christianity also has a concern about... Continue Reading

“Kuyper’s theory of ‘sphere sovereignty’ incorporated central tenets of the Calvinism he had inherited, but radically reconstructed its traditional political obligations. The Reformed tradition within which Kuyper operated had long assumed that the role of government was to uphold the moral claims of Scripture, and to effect a confessional culture in which societal norms paralleled... Continue Reading