Eighty years ago, Walter Bauer promulgated a bold and provocative thesis about early Christianity. He argued that many forms of Christianity started the race, but one competitor pushed aside the others, until this powerful ”orthodox” version won the day. The victors re-wrote history, marginalizing all other perspectives and silencing their voices, even though the alternatives... Continue Reading

We all, atheist and religious alike, long for stories of love and sacrifice, victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. Stories where all evil is banned and justice prevails. It is a longing at the center of every human heart, revealing both a recognition of our limited abilities to make things right and desire for... Continue Reading

“FCS has no plans to ditch “brick and mortar” stores for an online-only presence. “Some could say that ‘brick and mortar’ retail is not relevant, but our new management believes differently,” states its FAQ. “Our plan is make the necessary investments to our stores, diversify our product lines and craft a strong retail strategy that... Continue Reading

Yes, we need an historical Adam. But we need more than an Adam who was historical. We, like Warfield before us, need to affirm the authority of Scripture by taking our stand on what it says about the unity of the human race in Adam that we might also take seriously what it says about... Continue Reading

“Did God speak to Katy Perry? Does he tell the televangelist to raise money? Did a little boy have a transcendent experience of heaven? If so, we’re compelled to listen. I, however, am compelled by biblical conviction to say, “Absolutely not!” But to my evangelical friends who may not agree with me, I would simply... Continue Reading

Christians shouldn’t try to “redeem” 50 Shades of Grey. We should not get cutesy and advertize a new sermon series on “50 Shades of Grace.” We should not give both art and holiness a bad name by thinking that somehow something as dark as 50 Shades is worth viewing or worth reviewing. According to Paul’s... Continue Reading

We should also resist the temptation to blame present day Muslim extremism on the Crusades.  This is not to say that the Crusades don’t loom large in the Islamic consciousness.  It is to say that this was not always the case.  The Crusades were always a big deal in the Christian West, but for Muslims,... Continue Reading

“Scott Swain and Michael Allen’s Reformed Catholicity: The Promise of Retrieval for Theology and Biblical Interpretation argues, however, that it isn’t necessary to choose between a Reformation identity and a catholic heritage. Indeed, in their account, “to be reformed means to go deeper into true catholicity, not to move away from catholicity.”   Is it... Continue Reading

“When advised to launch a preemptive nuclear attack on the Soviet Union, Secretary of State Dulles, the son of a Presbyterian minister, icily responded that “he had long felt that no men should arrogate the power to decide that the future of mankind would benefit by an action entailing the killing of tens of millions... Continue Reading

I especially enjoyed the first chapter, where Westerholm argued (contra the New Perspectives) from several of Paul’s epistles that the Apostle’s main emphasis wasn’t first and foremost ecclesiological (how Gentiles might get into the “messianic community”); rather it was soteriological (“how can sinners find a gracious God?”).  Here’s Westerholm – and I appreciate how he... Continue Reading