“It has long been a given among historians of religion in the South that Calvinism had little, if any, purchase among the enslaved or their descendants, that the doctrines of predestination were invariably arms of the status quo, and that a sin-obsessed Calvinism was simply inimical to the emancipationist energies coursing through black America in... Continue Reading

“Click on the orange title of each Top 10 list and it will take you to brief descriptions of each book and other good books just outside the Top 10.”   If you’re thinking about giving books for gifts, here are my Top 10 books in 21 categories. Click on the orange title of each... Continue Reading

We believe, teach, and confess what our righteousness before God is this: God forgives our sins out of pure grace, without any work, merit, or worthiness of ours preceding, present, or following. He presents and credits to us the righteousness of Christ’s obedience [Rom. 5:17-19]. Because of this righteousness, we are received into grace by... Continue Reading

“As the book’s title implies, the idea of faithful presence in particular undergoes serious critique. The authors here largely accept Hunter’s framework for how cultural change actually occurs, but most of them strongly dispute the adequacy of “faithful presence” (Hunter’s definition of it, at least) as a response to the cultural moment in which we... Continue Reading

“One of the most dramatic episodes Mark Tooley captures is the news of the earlier than expected arrival of the President-elect in the Willard Hotel. The news is brought in a message to one of Virginia’s leading delegates, James Seddon. Seddon will soon find service in Richmond as the Confederacy’s Secretary of War.”   Thucydides... Continue Reading

I’m not recommending that these songs replace any of the songs in your favorite psalter hymnal. However, I’m in awe as I reflect on what God did in Bethlehem — when an army of angels interrupted the silent night to announce Christ’s birth to the shepherds. And I’m amazed at what our Heavenly Father continues to do to glorify His... Continue Reading

God governs the universe absolutely, and creates in accord with his own sovereign plan and purpose. For that reason, the world that he has made–again, this world–reflects that purpose. The Incarnation is part of that purpose, and therefore the world as we know it reflects the Incarnation. “To such a God,” says Warfield, “there belongs... Continue Reading

C.H. Spurgeon’s Autobiography: The Early Years (audiobook read by Robert Whitfield) – Spurgeon is my favorite dead theologian, and I loved hearing about his conversion and struggles to come to faith. My favorite line is “My mother said to me, one day, “Ah, Charles! I often prayed the Lord to make you a Christian, but I... Continue Reading

What strikes me about these and other films from Hollywood’s Golden Age are two things: First, Hollywood once made lots and lots of major films with major stars celebrating Christmas. Second, in each case, no matter how different the plot, there was always a common end-goal: marriage. From the outset, marriage is the assumed, unquestioned... Continue Reading

In other words, a Christian continues in holiness not by trusting in his own righteousness, performance, or good deeds. That is the way to unholiness! The Christian continues in holiness by renouncing his own righteousness, receiving Christ’s righteousness by faith, and seeking to live in obedience to him to show thankfulness for salvation. As Gurnall... Continue Reading