Just hot off the press is the most recent issue of Philosophia Christi 7.1 (2005). It includes four articles, and four responses, that originally were presented as papers in a debate on same-sex marriage held in November 2004 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion. J. Budziszewski and I take the position that the traditional understanding of marriage as a one-flesh communion should not be abandoned. Our opponents, Marvin M. Ellison and Ronald E. Long, offer a contrary point of view. An adobe file of all the published articles (as they appear in the latest issue of Philosophia Christi) can be found on my website here. If you are just interested in reading my contributions, just click the name of each: "Legal Neutrality and Same-Sex Marriage," Philosophia Christi 7.1 (2005): 19-25; and "Marriage, Sex, and Jurisprudence of Skepticism: A Response to Ronald E. Long," Philosophia Christi 7.1 (2005): 41-44.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Same-Sex Marriage Debate
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Anthony Bradley
Anthony B. Bradley, Adjunct Professor of Systematic Theology. B.S. Clemson University; M.Div., Covenant Theological Seminary; Ph.D. studies, Westminister Theological Seminary.
Professor Bradley joins the seminary faculty from the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, where he continues to serve as a Research Fellow. He has also taught high school Bible at and served as Dean of Students for Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy. His additional research interests are the Scottish Reformation, the "emergent church," Biblical manhood, Latin America, poverty, education, and modern international forms of slavery. Prof. Bradley brings a wide range of ministry experience to his teaching, including leadership in youth ministry and Christian high school education and administration.
World Mag Blog: Reloaded
Joe is now the editor of World Magazine's Blog. You can read his introduction here.
Here are the new blogs. I expect these blogs to quickly become a one-stop shop for some of the best Christian thinking and writing in the blogosphere:
- World Views (main page)
- zeitgeist (coming Aug. 15th)
- BlogWatch
- Ex Libris
- Cinema Veritas
- Pensees
- Sub Cultured (coming Aug. 15)
David Wells
- No Place for Truth: or, Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?
- God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams
- Losing Our Virtue: Why the Church Must Recover Its Moral Vision
This month Eerdmans will publish the fourth and final volume in the series:
Above All Earthly Pow'rs: Christ In A Postmodern World
In anticipation of this publication, Ligon Duncan at the Reformation 21 blog is providing an overview and a chapter-by-chapter synpopsis of the earlier volumes by Wells.
Rick Warren and the MSM
Some of the nation's leading journalists gathered in Key West, Florida, in May 2005 for the Pew Forum's biannual Faith Angle conference on religion, politics and public life. Conference speaker Rick Warren, pastor of the largest church in America, addressed misconceptions many Americans have about mega-churches. He also discussed his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, as well as current trends in the evangelical movement, the work his church is doing for AIDS and poverty relief in Africa, and some of his views on hot-button political and cultural issues.
Other conference speakers were John DiIulio (University of Pennsylvania), who spoke on faith-based initiatives, and Reuel Marc Gerecht (American Enterprise Institute), who spoke on Islam and democracy."
Speaker:
Rick Warren, Senior Pastor and Founder, Saddleback Church, Orange County, California
Respondent:
David Brooks, Columnist, The New York Times
Moderator:
Michael Cromartie, Vice President, Ethics & Public Policy Center; Senior Advisor, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
The piece is quite long (about 50 pages in MS Word), but it's well worth the read.
A few random observations, for what they are worth:
1) First, hats off to David Brooks. He is a very shrewd cultural observer, and a man who models civility and decency. It seems to me that Mr. Brooks is one of the few major players in the MSM who comes close to "getting" evangelicals. (Many MSMers don't know any evangelicals, and therefore view them as some strange minority in the US.) But Brooks even knows who Switchfoot is!
2) Hats off to Rick Warren for being unembarrassed to explain that salvation is found exclusively in Christ, and that eternal hell awaits those who reject God's plan for salvation. (Or to explain why he is pro-life, supports the death penalty, and rejects gay marriage.) Remember that Warren is in an audience comprised of the top journalists writing today, some of whom are openly hostile to evangelicalism. The temptation must have been great to skirt the issues, pulling an Osteen.
3) Rick Warren does way to much back-patting. I detect a certain appropriate humility with regard to himself as an individual and in how to think of the Christian faith. Warren is the first to tell you that he's an extremely ordinary guy. And at the same time, he is constantly reminding this audience about how much education he has, how much he reads, how much he gives, how successful his church is, etc. I lost track of how many times he reminded the reporters that his book has sold millions of copies.
4) Hats off to Warren for his passionate engagement with poverty and with the global AIDS crisis. And to his desire to involve the church, not government. (Though I'm not sure that's consistent with what I've read about his support of the Live 8 concert and the pressure on governments to relieve African debt.) More churches and pastors should be following Warren's lead here. Many evangelicals have been critical of Bruce Wilkinson and Rick Warren. They have both published phenomenal bestsellers with theological deficiencies. But both of these men are putting their money where their mouth is with regard to AIDS and the spread of the gospel in the third world. We should commend the commendable.
5) Warren is well-read on current trends. With his big Hawaiian shirts and his aw-shucks personality, it would be easy to dismiss him as a guy who only operates at the surface level. But he is indeed quite thoughtful on a number of issues, and invests a lot of energy into "reading the times."
6) One of the more disturbing quotes from Warren:
You know, 500 years ago, the first Reformation with Luther and then Calvin, was about beliefs. I think a new reformation is going to be about behavior. The first Reformation was about creeds; I think this one will be about deeds. I think the first one was about what the church believes; I think this one will be about what the church does.
And this exchange:
ELSA WALSH, THE NEW YORKER: So are you saying doctrine won't be important or is not important if you bring together all these –
MR. WARREN: No, no. I think, though, it's what Augustine said: "In the essentials, unity; in the non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity." And I think that's how evangelicals and Catholics can get together.
This, to me, is sort of akin to Brian McLaren writing in A Generous Orthodoxy that "sound doctrine is very, very, very important." But the words and the practice don't match up.
The clear implication from Warren's exchange is that the two hallmarks of evangelicalism--the inerrancy and authority of Scripture, along with the doctrine of justification by grace along through faith alone--are not part of the "essentials." That's certainly disturbing, to say the least. I have no problem working with Catholics on issues like abortion and gay marriage. But it's another thing altogether to imply that we are in creedal, theological agreement.
Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do a detailed analysis of the whole transcript. As I said, these are just some random observations based on a quick read. But if you're interested in these sorts of things, then--as they say--read the whole thing.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Bush Bashing by Blacks
For a different perspective on the world, check out Black and Right: The Bold New Voice of Black Conservatives in America, edited by Stan Faryna, Brad Stetson, and Joseph Conti.
"It Takes a Family"
Al Mohler regards Senator Rick Santorum's new book, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good, as "one of the most important books written by a political figure in recent American history."
Friday, July 29, 2005
Gone Fishing
Meanwhile, it looks like the guys at the Reformation 21 Blog are starting to figure out the whole blogging thing, so give them a look if you're interested.
Congratulations
Pastors John and Tom:
When I first came to Bethlehem in 1998, I did not yet know either of you. But I certainly knew of you. I knew that you were both godly men who trembled at the Word, passionately pursuing God and helping others to do the same. This has only been confirmed in all of my interactions with you over the past seven years. What has surprised and impressed me the most since that time, however, is your deep humility. You have different personalities and temperaments. But because you both are passionate about seeing the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and being conformed to his image, your eye is ultimately always upon Another. You have followed the motto of John the Baptist: Christ must increase, I must decrease. For as long as I live I will remain eternally grateful for the gifts that both of you are in my life—and for the fact that you humbly and confidently point all us to Jesus Christ, our great Lord, Savior, and Treasure.
Justin Taylor
And here are some more words of encouragement and honor for these two servants of the Lord.
* * *
Dear John and Tom,
The following verse from sacred Scripture seems particularly appropriate for those who have the joy of honoring you on this special occasion:
"We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work." 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
You two men are most worthy of the "high esteem" described in this passage. And because of your example you make it easy to obey this command from God. So thanks for serving one local church for 25 years and thanks for serving this church together for 25 years. What a compelling example of friendship and servanthood you have provided for pastors across the country and around the world. I esteem you both highly because of your example and for your labor on behalf of Bethlehem and the body of Christ. I am honored to communicate publicly the high esteem in my heart for you both.
As you celebrate the kindness and faithfulness of God on this evening I pray you are deeply affected by the appreciation of many for your service to the Savior and for the church. And most important I pray you are aware of the pleasure of God in your service to the Savior and for the church he purchased “with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Your friend,
CJ Mahaney
* * *
As one who has known and applauded your ministry at Bethlehem almost from the time it began, I am delighted to send you my congratulations and to join with you and your colleague and your people in praising God for all that has been accomplished during the past 25 years. Long may the good work continue!
James Packer
* * *
I am honored to join with so many others in thanking God for the ministries of John Piper and Tom Steller at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Twenty-five years represents a signal hallmark of ministry, and John and Tom are rightly to be honored for giving themselves so completely to this great ministry for a quarter of a century. Yet, time is only a backdrop to eternity. Bethlehem Baptist Church has made an impact of eternal significance over these years, and from this local church a ministry of global dimensions has emerged -- all centered in the supremacy of Christ. Christ is glorified when His servants are rightly honored. I am privileged to honor Christ today by honoring John Piper and Tom Steller.
Soli Deo Gloria.
Albert Mohler
* * *
To: Pastors John Piper & Tom Steller
Congratulations for a ministry that has reached far beyond the local church, indeed into the whole world awakening people to the sweetness and excellence of God. I have great admiration for pastors who remain devoted to a particular congregation over a period of time as they obey Christ’s call on their lives. This is clearly the direction of your ministry. May you continue steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, knowing that your labor is not in vain.
In Christ,
R.C. Sproul
Thursday, July 28, 2005
A Jolly Good Read
McLaren and Carson
Although I had not attempted to contact Dr. Carson before the Cornerstone Festival, I have attempted to contact him since, and I'm glad to say that he responded promptly and has expressed willingness to converse further. I am hopeful that these conversations will remove misunderstandings and make points of agreement and disagreement more clear. . . .
In order to post this correction, I need to offer a rating. I've given the book 3 stars because, although I believe the book misinterprets my friends and me on some important points, it opens up important space for dialogue - and it offers some criticism which will be constructive and helpful. The book concludes with the hope that those of us in the emergent conversation will be open to correction, and I hope readers will be assured that we welcome critique, and will seek to learn from it all we can.
Saints and Soldiers
Despite winning 14 Best Picture Awards at film festivals, it lacked a major distributor and few have heard of it. By the way, one interesting fact about the film is that it was filmed in less than a month, in Utah, for under $1 million. Many of the actors in the opening sequence are reenactors who traveled to Utah at their own expense. But as Michael Medved has said, this is “a gritty independent film with more soul and substance and more thrilling combat scenes than big studio projects.”
Pilgrim's Progress
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Desiring God RSS Feeds
http://www.desiringgod.org/feeds/sermons/
http://www.desiringgod.org/feeds/freshwords/
http://www.desiringgod.org/feeds/radio/
Church Discipline and Legal Issues
Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God
These are the stories of five ordinary women—Sarah Edwards, Lilias Trotter, Gladys Aylward, Esther Ahn Kim, and Helen Roseveare—who trusted in their extraordinary God as he led them to do great things for his kingdom. Noël Piper holds up their lives and deeds as examples of what it means to be truly faithful. Learning about these women will challenge readers to make a difference for Christ in their families, in the church, and throughout the world.
The Black Family: 40 Years of Lies
Another helpful article is Kay Hymowitz's The Black Family: 40 Years of Lies, which examines the the 40-year legacy of Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s Department of Labor report--“The Negro Family: The Case for National Action”--which warned that the ghetto family was in serious disarray. As Hymowitz explains, this "prophetic report prompted civil rights leaders, academics, politicians, and pundits to make a momentous—and, as time has shown, tragically wrong—decision about how to frame the national discussion about poverty." She surveys four decades of unhelpful liberal response that only made matters worse.
But she then points to three thinkers that shook the establishement from "ideological paralysis": "Charles Murray, Lawrence Mead, and Thomas Sowell—though they did not always write directly about the black family, effectively changed the conversation about it."
First, they did not flinch from blunt language in describing the wreckage of the inner city, unafraid of the accusations of racism and victim blaming that came their way. Second, they pointed at the welfare policies of the 1960s, not racism or a lack of jobs or the legacy of slavery, as the cause of inner-city dysfunction, and in so doing they made the welfare mother the public symbol of the ghetto’s ills. (Murray in particular argued that welfare money provided a disincentive for marriage, and, while his theory may have overstated the role of economics, it’s worth noting that he was probably the first to grasp that the country was turning into a nation of separate and unequal families.) And third, they believed that the poor would have to change their behavior instead of waiting for Washington to end poverty, as liberals seemed to be saying."
I agree with much of what Ms. Hymowitz says in this helpful survey piece. The thing left unsaid--and the thing I would highlight--is the essential role of the gospel and the church in the restoration of the inner-city family. We must go beyond bemoaning fatherless families, but instead work with young men to show them that there is a better way. One of the things that we can do is to support programs like Campus Crusade's Here's Life Inner City and Moe Leveritt's Desire Street Ministries.
My wife and I once went with a single mom from our neighborhood to a seminar sponsored by a rural church. The seminar was a free, simple, non-intimidating introduction on how to make a budget and stick to it. The church also offered a program where members of the church would help you get your car fixed for very cheap labor. I wish that more churches would follow this sort of model: building relationships; meeting some very real, felt needs; and opening the door to talk about their deepest need: a Savior.
Modern Reformation, White Horse Inn, and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Desiring God National Conference
Tim Keller
Steve Chalke's "The Lost Message of Jesus"
Here is an excerpt:
Where there is a shallow doctrine of sin, we can expect a shallow doctrine of the atonement. The expectation is not disappointed. Chalke is weary of the Evangelical obsession with preaching "Christ crucified", regards the idea of penal substitution as immoral ("a form of cosmic child abuse") and sees the cross exclusively as a symbol of love. There, Jesus absorbed all the forces of hate, just as Carol, the victim of an unfaithful husband, saved her marriage by taking all the pain to herself and granting her husband full pardon. The cross is a demonstration of just how far God as Father and Jesus as His Son are prepared to go to prove their love.
It is astonishing how such a doctrine has survived from the days of Abelard till now despite all its flimsiness. How can the cross be a mere demonstration: a gesture? If death is the wages of sin (as it surely is) and if Christ died, then the cross is penal in its very nature. His penal suffering is not a theory, but a fact, and the resulting theory adds not a single iota to the horror of what he endured. The narrative is that he suffered what sin deserved.
We shall never understand the cross unless we see it first and foremost not as an action of Christ the Son, but as an action of God the father. How can the sacrificing of His only Son demonstrate the Father’s love? Suppose we, for no reason, did it to ours; would that demonstrate our love? The cross cannot be a demonstration of the divine love unless there is something in the relationship between God and man to which the death of His Son was the only answer. With all the power of his soul, Jesus prayed that the cup might pass from him. With all the ardour of his being, the Father wished he could grant that prayer. Both were constrained by a self-imposed necessity. The Son of Man must suffer. "Die he, or justice must."
The lost message of Jesus? More like the familiar message of the liberal establishment, garnished with half-forgotten heresies.
More Features at Reformation 21
- Phil Ryken offers some of his Windows on the World.
- Derek Thomas provides some counsel in Understanding the Times.
- And Carl Trueman--whom Melvin Tinker says "has the wit of a modern day evangelical Chesterton, the prophetic insight of a Francis Schaeffer and the accessibility of a John Stott"--offers his reflections on The Wages of Spin.
The Reformation 21 blog is now also up and running.
"Reclaiming the Center" Reviewed
Here is his conclusion:
So, to all who are looking for an even-handed, academically rigorous, evangelically committed, pastorally sensitive, culturally engaged treatment of the postconservative platform, you have found it. But more than that, you have found a proposal with an unchanging center, an immovable core, a place of genuine permanence. And for those of us who engage in a world without a center, that is a welcomed refuge indeed.
Reformation 21 Articles
First off, the main theme of the issue is the so-called New Perspective on Paul.
Ligon Duncan provides an overview, along with some recommended reading if you're new to the discussion.
Rick Phillips has a three-part series on the historical background and the NPP's teachings on justification and imputation.
Guy Waters reviews Carson/O'Brien/Seifrid's Justification and Variegated Nomism, vol. 2.
Jeremy Smith reviews Guy Waters' Justification and the New Perspective on Paul.
The Ref21 archives offer some sermons on justification by Bonar, Calvin, Spurgeon, and others.