• Politics

    Will McCain Pick a Pro-Choice VP?

    Senator John McCain says that he will not rule out a pro-choice person as his vice-presidential candidate. The Politico reports: “McCain’s comments Wednesday to the Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes that former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge’s pro-abortion rights views wouldn’t necessarily rule him out quickly found their way into the in-boxes of Christian conservatives. For those who have been anxiously awaiting McCain’s pick as a signal of his ideological intentions, there was deep concern that their worst fears about the Arizona senator may be realized.” McCain’s chances are pretty slim as it is. If he were to pick a pro-choice nominee, it would be a disaster for his candidacy. He would…

  • Theology/Bible

    Blomberg Calls TNIV the Standard English Version

    Dr. Craig Blomberg has recently rotated on to the NIV/TNIV Committee on Bible Translation. At a blog hosted by Zondervan Academic, Blomberg comments on the TNIV and its place among other English translations of the Bible. His remarks deserve a response, so I will give a brief one here. He writes: ‘What about the big debate over gender-inclusive language for humanity at its peak in the late 1990s? After over a decade since the NIVI Britain’s first stab at an evangelical, inclusive language translation) was produced, I am convinced more than ever that it is the right way to go.

  • Theology/Bible

    Is Egalitarianism a Heresy?

    S. M. Hutchens is not known for pulling his punches when it comes to egalitarianism. He’s a strenuous opponent who charges egalitarianism with falling outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy. In a recent post on the Touchstone blog, he writes the following: ‘To the best of my judgment, egalitarianism is as significant and seductive an error as Arianism; it is an anthropological heresy that infects theology proper through the attack on Christology it necessarily entails. I claim no special authority to make this judgment, but simply join mine, whatever it might be worth, to that of greater men, and submit it to the Church.’

  • Christianity,  Music,  News

    Steven Curtis Chapman Speaks to Press about Grief

    Many of you will remember the tragic accident that took the life of Steven Curtis Chapman’s five year old little girl this past May (see here). Chapman and his wife are now talking publicly about their grief and will be doing two high-profile interviews this week. The first one will appear on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, August 6 at 7am. The second will be on CNN’s “Larry King Live” on Thursday, August 7 at 9pm Eastern Time. ABC has already posted an excerpt of their interview which you can watch here. Having only seen the excerpt, I was struck how Chapman spoke of his grief in the very…

  • Christianity

    Lambeth 2008: Talk is cheap, but the gospel isn’t.

    The proceedings of the 2008 Lambeth Conference were overshadowed by the growing schism in the Anglican Communion over homosexuality. The liberal wing of Anglican bishops (including the Episcopalians in America) overwhelmingly favors the ordination of gay bishops and the consecration of gay unions. The conservative minority does not. The basic issue is whether the Bible’s teaching on these matters is authoritative. Obviously, the conservatives think that it is, and the liberals think that it is not.

  • Christianity

    John Piper on the Death of Alexander Solzhenitsyn

    Don’t miss John Piper’s tribute to Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Piper writes: ‘Yesterday Alexander Solzhenitsyn died at the age of 89. I pause here on my vacation in the woods of Wisconsin to say, Thank you, heavenly Father, for the inspiration of this man’s life. ‘No one did more than Solzhenitsyn to expose the horrors of the failed communist experiment in Russia. Hitler’s purge would pale, if such things could pale, when compared to ten times the carnage in Stalin’s gulags. ‘Solzhenitsyn inspired me because of the suffering he endured and the effect it had on him. Here is the quote that I have not forgotten. It moves me deeply to this…

  • Christianity,  Personal

    One Hope for One Dollar

    Pastor Joe Blankenship had a formative gospel influence on me during my college and early seminary years, and I am privileged to let you know about a great work that he is leading in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The ministry is called One Hope, and it’s mission is simple: “The goal of One Hope is to use the hope-giving and life-changing message of Jesus Christ to combat the cycles of racism, prejudice, abuse, violence, and poverty that exist in the inner city of Tulsa, and to train college-aged men and women to replicate the One Hope model in other urban areas” (see press release). One Hope engages inner-city and under-privileged kids through…

  • Politics

    Ben Witherington on Obama Rumors

    Dr. Ben Witherington is unhappy about Christians who spread the rumor that Senator Barack Obama is a Muslim. Witherington writes: “It is hard for me to say what bothers me most about these fear and smear tactics by some Christians– whether its simply the untruth of the claim, or the fact that some Christians are prepared to use all sorts of unChristian tactics to prevent Obama from becoming President of the United States.” Well, he’s right. Senator Obama is not a Muslim. But that fact doesn’t mean that he’s fit to President. I myself am happy to be counted among those Christians who would like “to prevent Obama from becoming…

  • Christianity,  Politics

    Neuhaus Excoriates “An Evangelical Manifesto”

    In the most recent issue of First Things, Richard John Neuhaus has sharp criticism for “That Evangelical Manifesto.” Actually, sharp isn’t a strong enough word. The sting of Neuhaus’ essay is not so much his critique of the Manifesto’s substantive proposals, but his analysis of the motivations underlying it. Neuhaus thinks the Manifesto is an attempt by some evangelicals to gain acceptance with the broader culture. In one of the more scathing sections of the article, Neuhaus critiques Os Guinness’ Christianity Today essay “A Gentle Plea for Civility.” Guiness is largely responsible for the wording of the “Manifesto,” and “A Gentle Plea” was a part of the initial roll-out of…