These concerns are genuine, and Evangelicals who are conservative politically should resist the temptation to take Ryan's side just because he is a conservative Republican. One should always be suspicious of politicians when they claim theological authority for their actions. Nevertheless, I cannot help but think that it is a good thing that Ryan is highlighting principles like subsidiarity, and the preference for the poor, and introducing them to the national dialogue.

Editor's Note: On Friday morning (Aug 10) we published a blog article by Carl Trueman on Seminaries and Spiritual Formation. During the day the Ref21 blog lit up with response from Sean Lucas, a brief rejoinder from Carl, a restatement by Sean, and final thoughts(?) by Carl. Since it appears to have ended, we are combining the last four posts together for your convenience.

That Driscoll’s brand of robust Calvinism is thriving in Seattle, among other areas in the Pacific Northwest, seemingly defies claims by liberals in United Methodism and elsewhere that theological orthodoxy will not appeal in culturally liberal cities

A full-scale, newly published critique of Barton is coming from Professors Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter of Grove City College, a largely conservative Christian school in Pennsylvania. Their book Getting Jefferson Right: Fact Checking Claims about Our Third President (Salem Grove Press), argues that Barton “is guilty of taking statements and actions out of context and simplifying historical circumstances.”

"When students enter college, all of their social-based support for that internalized faith is gone, leaving them to test its structural integrity…That spiritual scaffolding is taken away. The question is, is it strong enough to stand on its own?"

The…report is notably missing some important information--the two-year old report contains no mention of the violence, murder and mayhem directed at Christians and other minorities in Muslim nations in Africa and the Middle East since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.

McGrath's strong emphasis is on sensitive, artful, and personalized discourse, built on careful listening for the deeper layers of concern in the hearts of those whose spirits are grieved by the brokenness of humanity. It's a strategy we might describe as "pastoral apologetics."

Calvin taught that there is comfort in knowing "that no task will be so sordid and base, provided you obey your calling in it, that it will not shine and be reckoned very precious in God's sight." The greater comfort, however, comes from the gospel, where Calvin says, "we are apprehended by God's goodness and sealed by his promises."

It’s a Friday night in Westminster, Colo., and moms and dads are dropping their kids off at church for an evening of science, snacks, skits, and games. Then the moms and dads head out for an evening together.

I do not think that seminaries need somebody doing 'spiritual formation' precisely because I think that seminary professors should all be doing it, with the key qualification that this is only to the extent that they can given things such as the restrictions of class size and seminary purpose.