The Founders’ Go-To Text
Early Americans used the Bible both as an intellectual sourcebook and as a tool for moral instruction; “the Bible was the most authoritative, accessible, and familiar book in eighteenth-century America.”
The book has two main parts. In the first, Dreisbach shows the pervasive influence of the Bible on American public culture (chapter 1), the Founding Fathers (chapter 2), and political discourse at the time of the Founding (chapter 3). Part 2 explores specific Bible verses—Micah 6:8 (chapter 5), Proverbs 14:34 (chapter 7), Proverbs 29:2 (chapter... Continue Reading
The Rich Comfort of Justification by Faith Alone (Bavinck)
The biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone (apart from works) in Christ alone (and nothing else) has truly given me a rock on which to stand and comfortably rest.
“But the believer whose eye has been opened to the riches of this benefit, sees the matter differently. He has come to the humble acknowledgment that good works, whether these consist of emotional excitements, of soul experiences, or of external deeds, can never be the foundation but only the fruit of faith. His salvation is... Continue Reading
Is Wonder Woman a Good Example of Biblical Womanhood?
With the arrival of this new movie, I have seen Wonder Woman heralded as the anecdote to everything that is wrong with the film industry, a shining example of biblical womanhood, and a stand-in for Jesus Christ Himself.
Why must we look to a comic book film for a positive model of Christian womanhood? Why is this story resonating with so many Christian ladies? Could it be that we are so starved for strong female role models within our own subculture that we have to go seeking them in the broader culture? Could... Continue Reading
Luther’s Theology: The Will’s Bondage
The Bondage of the Will is one of Martin Luther’s most important and enduring works
“Luther rejects the idea that man stands in the middle and can choose between a good spirit or bad flesh, or that original sin has only partially hindered man’s ability to perform acts of righteousness. Instead, he looks to Christ’s words John 3:6 that what is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born... Continue Reading
How We May Strengthen Our Hope
God will surely hear the prayers of his children when they beg for more hope.
Exercise your hope much. Repeated acts strengthen habits. The promises of God are hope’s object to act upon. Meditate on the promises, set some apart for yourself, and drink in the refreshing truths of God’s promises. David did this when he remembered that with the Lord there is forgiveness (Ps. 130). He exercised his hope... Continue Reading
How Does Sanctification Work?
What Powlison wants and promotes is a well-balanced understanding of sanctification that accounts for the many and varied means God uses to make his people holy.
Sanctification is a topic that has received a lot of attention over the past few years. We have grown accustomed to hearing of the centrality of the gospel in sanctification. And, of course, it is exactly the case that the gospel goes far beyond our justification, and is, indeed, essential to our sanctification. Yet, as... Continue Reading
Woodrow Wilson’s troubling faith
Wilson adopted a brand of social Christianity that justified white supremacy and more.
Wilson emerges as a formidable but deeply flawed man, who “lived out half his religious heritage, while betraying the other half.” The relevant heritage in this case was southern Presbyterianism, which exerted considerable sway over Wilson’s early thinking but was gradually overtaken, in Hankins’s view, by a generic and theologically deficient liberal Protestant faith. ... Continue Reading
Luther’s Theology: Music as Servant of the Word
Using the gospel as his grid, Luther retained, replaced, or revamped various elements from the mass
Having ensconced the Bible at the pinnacle of worship, Luther sees an intimate connection between music and the Word: “Thus it was not without reason that the fathers and prophets wanted nothing else to be associated as closely with the Word of God as music. Therefore, we have so many hymns and Psalms where message... Continue Reading
Restless: On the Road with Augustine
Journeying with the perfect patron saint for our age.
The reason Augustine tells his story is because he thinks it is simply an example of the human story. We are all prodigals. And he wants us to ask ourselves a question: “What if I went home?” But what’s interesting is that it also traces his own geographical excursions from Africa to Italy, from the... Continue Reading
The Danger of Biblicism
By “biblicism” I mean an over-rigid adherence to certain Bible texts or teachings at the expense of context and other biblical teachings.
Yes, the Bible is the Christian’s highest authority in all of life, and yes, Scripture is sufficient for doctrine and life. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore general revelation. It doesn’t mean that there’s a Bible verse for everything. It doesn’t mean we can ignore context and flatten out the Bible. It doesn’t mean... Continue Reading
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