Doug Bond's "Crown and Covenant" Series
If you are looking for a great series of books to read to your children, Douglas Bond's Crown and Covenant series (Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing) is wonderful. The trilogy traces the story of the M'Kethe family in Scotland during the 17th century, when many Protestants experienced brutal oppression from the governing authorities. These stories are well-told, grounded in history, and wrestle with questions of citizenship, when to obey civil authority and when not to, when is force necessary, etc. The three books (in order) are: Duncan's War, King's Arrow, and Rebel's Keep. We are now eager to move on to Bond's "Faith and Freedom" series, which appears to pick up the M'Kethe family in the colonies. Recommended highly!
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 15 December 2009 15 December 2009
- Hits: 4125 4125
Tom Oden's "Agenda for Theology: After Modernity . . . What?"
For all of my students past and present, I would recommend Tom Oden's book, Agenda for Theology: After Modernity . . . What? (Zondervan, 1990). Tom Oden--in his own words--was for many years a "movement theologian." He embraced whatever fad was in vogue (feminism, marxism, freudianism, etc.). Then, over time he began to read Evangelical theology as well as the Church Fathers. Slowly Oden made the trek back to orthodoxy. In God's good providence I discovered this book while a student at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky (some 20 years ago). Reading Oden's Agenda for Theology was like drinking cold water during a drought. I knew I would never be the same. It was one of the most meaningfuly reads of my time in Louisville. I made it a goal to meet Tom Oden--and did. If you are or were my student, please read this book. If you are thinking of pursuing graduate work in theology, or are doing so: read this book.
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 14 December 2009 14 December 2009
- Hits: 3752 3752
How Should Man Relate to the Creation?
For virtually all of my adult life the culture and times in which I live have been concerned with the question of "the environment." Various trends come and go, and the latest is "global warming." It is essential that Christians think long and hard about who man is (particularly as revealed in Holy Scripture), and how man is related to, and should relate to, the rest of the created order. It is striking to me how otherwise sane and sober-minded persons can get rather odd when it comes to "the environment." I am appreciative of the work of the Cornwall Alliance, an organization which offers some good thinking--theologically, scientifically, and economically. Their web page is: www.cornwallalliance.org
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 06 December 2009 06 December 2009
- Hits: 4297 4297
The Manhattan Declaration
The world is sometimes filled with many official pronouncements and "declarations" on this or that. It is easy to get cynical. However, I am pleased to have signed "The Manhattan Declaration," an important and timely document dealing with some of the most pressing moral issues of the day.
It addressess the following issues:
- the sanctity of human life
- the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
- the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
I would encourage you to look at it: www.ManhattanDeclaration.org
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 02 December 2009 02 December 2009
- Hits: 4127 4127
Augustine and the Beauty of Perseverance
Augustine and the Beauty of Perseverance
It is worth noting that when Augustine speaks of the “peace that surpasses all understanding” (a peace that flows from the cross), he suggests that “we can only know it by coming to it.”[1]
Augustine through the course of his writings gives great emphasis to the grace of God in initiating our salvation, helping Christians to grow in grace, and in persevering His people. And Augustine quite consistently and repeatedly denies that human merit has anything to do with bringing about God’s grace. He writes: “the grace of God both for beginning and for persevering up to the end is not given according to our merits, but is given according to his most hidden and at the same time most just, most wise, and most beneficent will.”[2] . . .
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 30 November 2009 30 November 2009
- Hits: 4249 4249
Augustine and How to Speak About God
As I have been writing on this site for a bit, I have had a wonderful time reading Augustine, as more than one writing project has required doing so. What a blessing to spend hours reading this giant of the Christian church. I am always struck when reading Augustine how "relevant" he is for our day. He is very intent on counseling his readers to speak of God correctly, for we can get terribly confused by either (1) being too timid in speaking about God, or in (2) being too brash and arrogant in speaking about God. Here are some nuggets from Augustine (and readers aware of the "open theism" debate may find these interesting). Augustine is aware that one must be humble and careful when speaking about God. Indeed, as Augustine continues:
In any case, when we think about God the trinity we are aware that our thoughts are quite inadequate to their object, and incapable of grasping him as he is; even by men of the calibre of the apostle Paul he can only be seen, as it says, like a puzzling reflection in a mirror (1 Cor. 13:12) (The Trinity V.1)
Augustine wants to approach God correctly: "there is no effrontery in burning to know, out of faithful piety, the divine and inexpressible truth that is above us, provided the mind is fired by the grace of our creator and savior, and not inflated by arrogant confidence in its own powers" (The Trinity V.1). Language used at the human level cannot simply be simplistically applied to God:
God does not repent as a human being does, but as God. So too, he is not angry as a human being is or merciful as a human being is or jealous as a human being is, but does all things as God. God's repentance does not follow upon a mistake, and the wrath of God does not include the agitation of a mind in turmoil (Answer to an Enemy of the Law and the Prophets 40).
- Details
- Category: Recommended Reading Recommended Reading
- Published: 28 November 2009 28 November 2009
- Hits: 4143 4143