A Pastor’s Review of “The Prince of Egypt”
Instead of exalting the sovereignty of God, the film resorts to liberation theology, the idea that all of this is happening to liberate the oppressed.
We often think of the Exodus story like we think of a western. Pharaoh is the bad guy in the black hat. Even many of the Egyptians suffer as a result of his badness (which the film does show). The Israelites are the oppressed good guys. Then Moses comes riding into Egypt wearing a white... Continue Reading
To Author Life in Others: A Book Review of “Authority” by Jonathan Leeman
Filled with real-life illustrations and personal testimony, and written with winsome wisdom, Authority is an outstanding theology on authority.
Leeman presents five principles on how good authority works. I was most motivated to read that authority is neither permissive nor authoritarian, but rather, it administers discipline. In other words, discipline is the power of authority. Applying this principle as a parent, I hope to show kindness through predictable outcomes, as well as provide an... Continue Reading
The Pixelated
Can a TV character save your soul?
Christianity is first a hearing religion. The unimpressive “foolishness” of the preaching medium is suited to the Gospel message as are the modest visual media of the sacraments. We know these media are suitable and profitable because God has ordained them. If the words of scripture prompt visual images in our mind, that is natural.... Continue Reading
The Tyranny of Seeing Only Power
Unquestionably, the economic world that Ahmari chronicles in Tyranny, Inc. is a world characterized by deep alienation at every level of hierarchy.
The book makes little pretense of being even-handed, offering instead a series of exposés of the various tricks of the trade that managers use to exploit workers and oppress consumers. There simply are no “good bosses” that populate this narrative. Nor, strikingly, are there any bad workers. It may well be true, as Ahmari charges,... Continue Reading
Naomi Wolf Wants Us to ‘Face the Beast’
It is time we wake from our slumber.
“We were not in a normal time of normal bad human politics and normal bad destructive material choices. I realized gradually that the degradation taking place on the material plane simply reflected or manifested a much larger battle—indeed a spiritual battle; one between Good and Evil themselves, and that God—whom till now I hesitated to... Continue Reading
Why I Changed My Mind about Deconstruction
Deconstruction isn’t about submitting to biblical authority; it’s about choosing to be your own authority.
I changed my mind about deconstruction. After researching this topic, I’ve come to see that deconstruction isn’t merely asking questions or a synonym for doubt. Rather, it’s a process with no correct destination, no ending, and no biblical authority. As a result, I don’t use words like “healthy deconstruction” or “good deconstruction” anymore. For me,... Continue Reading
John the Witness
As a witness he points to Jesus as the Christ who was to come, the Lamb provided by God for the salvation of the world.
We might wonder why John the Witness would find such a prominent place in the few verses of the prologue to John’s gospel. It’s because of his function as a witness. John stands as a representative of Old Testament prophecy and promise that point to Jesus Christ as the one in whom all is fulfilled. John... Continue Reading
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
This hymn traces the themes of Israel's exodus to the eschatological, or final, exodus that was to begin with the birth of the Messiah.
In the third verse of our hymn, given what appears in the first two verses, Christ’s redemption is cast in terms of the eschatological, or final, exodus. It is no longer the exodus from the tyranny of Pharaoh, nor is it the exodus from Babylon, that appears. Rather, Jesus brings an exodus from the oppressive... Continue Reading
Hark the Herald: Deep Truths Embedded in a Simple Carol
Alluding to John 1, Wesley teaches the incarnation: God became man and lived among humankind.
In these short stanzas, Wesley teaches rich truths about the person of Christ (Christology) and salvation (soteriology). The composition of this hymn follows the inspired guidelines of Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace... Continue Reading
Praise Him, All Creatures Here Below
The Story of Thomas Ken's Doxology
In 1674, Ken published A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College. In it, he gave instructions for the devotional use of a series of his new compositions of Morning and Evening Hymns, including “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun” and “Glory to Thee, My God, this Night.” What we now... Continue Reading
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