As Good as It Gets is both a homiletical and a devotional commentary on the Song of Songs. Not only is Clark’s work grounded in the best traditions of theology and exegesis, it is brimming with brilliant insights that only an experienced pastor and a luminous scholar could provide. As Good as It Gets: Love,... Continue Reading

I am of my own generation, not my father’s. I do not share his burning faith in fallible things such as synods or nations or companies. But I wonder if I am the less for it. My father’s attachments disappointed him, embittered him, but also enlivened him. His passions moved him to love and to... Continue Reading

…we’ve won no friends on the Arab street for supporting the likes of Egypt’s’s Mubarak, or for propping up one of the most corrupt regimes on earth in Afghanistan. And our fear that the only alternative to secular dictatorships may be radical, Islamist fascists may have actually helped the Islamist cause. Thomas Friedman of The... Continue Reading

There are things worth dying for. The gospel is at the top. Regardless of what others may say or what seems most culturally acceptable, the gospel remains the power of God to deal with the penalty, power, and eventually presence of sin and is therefore worth giving your life to and for. This is super... Continue Reading

For the past several weeks, evangelical Christians have spent a lot of time talking about Rob Bell’s new book, Love Wins, in which he seeks to redefine the Christian doctrine of hell. As others have noted, Bell’s argument is not new at all. But Bell’s central point is always relevant. One of his questions weighs... Continue Reading

Like all WWII enlistees, Jimmy Stewart would have been greeted by a Gideon and given a small book containing the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs that he could put inside his uniform’s front shirt pocket. On March 22, 1941, Jimmy Stewart became a private in the U.S. Army. When his draft number had been called... Continue Reading

Even if Japan avoids a catastrophic meltdown, the dramatic failures at some of its nuclear reactors deal a radioactive blow to public perceptions of the nuclear power industry. The Japanese reactor problems “will cement reality” in the United States, said Roger Gale, a nuclear-energy consultant in Washington and former U.S. energy official. “[Already] we weren’t... Continue Reading

How do strong confessional churches that seem to be doing all the right things drift inexorably from the truth. What is clear from Ian Hamilton’s fascinating study is that it doesn’t happen overnight but it is a gradual erosion of theological and doctrinal standards . Nineteenth century Scotland was seen as a Christian nation composed... Continue Reading

Something strange has happened in evangelical churches over the past generation. Not in every congregation, but in the main, sermons devoted to the grim prospect of hell have become rare, and even talk of heaven is muted. Many have noted this development without making much impact. Along comes Rob Bell, founding pastor of Mars Hill... Continue Reading

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, goes the old saying. And, in the evangelical world, one might add that it’s paved with parachurch organizations which started well and then, at some point, went disastrously off the rails. Why is this the case? WHY DO PARACHURCH MINISTRIES GO OFF THE RAILS? The first... Continue Reading