Mainstream media outlets erupted in confusion and indignation Thursday over a surprise Oscar nomination for Best Song. “Alone Yet Not Alone,” the theme song for an independent Christian film of the same name, edged out a long list of songs by mainstream artists and will face off against the likes of U2 and Pharrell Williams, as well... Continue Reading

And so, even now I find myself needing to be prepared to give an answer when someone tells me about this great, new book they read, Jesus Calling. (I’m not reviewing Jesus Calling here, but here are some good reviews by Todd Pruitt, Michael Horton, Kathy Keller, and Tim Challies if you are interested.) This book was published in 2004, but now there... Continue Reading

Turretin tackles a question first broached by the medieval Scholastics: is theology theoretical or practical? From our vantage point, the answer seems obvious. Theology must be practical. It must result in faith and obedience. It must bear fruit. The great problem in our day, we think, is that so much of our theological discourse has... Continue Reading

Polygamy didn’t turn out well in the Bible (just ask Jacob and Solomon), and it wouldn’t turn out well today. It fails because it’s not what we were designed for. Why on earth would we want to go back to it?   In an attempt to combat polygamy in their state, Utah’s bigamy law not only criminalized multiple marriage... Continue Reading

 (Warnock) wants to hold together what he calls “the memory of Jesus” with the “distinctive resonance [that occurs] when the church is one built by slaves and formed, from its beginning, at the center of an oppressed community’s fight for personhood and freedom.” He’s not writing abstractly or without regard for context. He’s attempting to... Continue Reading

Spurgeon was adamant that the door to the church be well-guarded, and had a carefully-developed system whereby converts applying for membership were graciously but robustly assessed by elders, himself, and the whole congregation.   I hope that I will be able at some point to provide a review of Tom Nettles’ excellent volume, Living for Revealed... Continue Reading

Joel Osteen, Break Out! 5 Keys to Go Beyond Your Barriers and Live an Extraordinary Life. FaithWords, 2013. 243 pages. $26.00 Detroit’s freeways are framed by dozens of billboards featuring happy, young, successful people enjoying a night of games and entertainment at one of the city’s casinos. The sleek, enticing images preach an alluring message: “Greatness awaits... Continue Reading

I find it hard to imagine the ancient Israelites admiring the artwork on the Asherah poles they were called to tear down. I find it hard to picture the early church fathers attending the games at the Roman coliseum, praising the artistic merits of the arena even as they provide caveats against violence. Yet now... Continue Reading

The following top 12 Christian books for 2103 as posted by Monergism Books. 1) Who’s Your Father?: Returning to the Love of the Biblical God By Robert Bernecker 2) From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective From Crossway/Good News Publishers 3) Systematic Theology: An Introduction to... Continue Reading

“What appears to be the most seminal moment in a young person’s decision to leave Facebook was surely that dreaded day your mum sends you a friend request,” wrote Miller.   Facebook is ‘dead and buried’ to older teenagers, an extensive European study has found, as the key age group moves on to Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and... Continue Reading