• Christianity,  News

    “Gender in the 21st Century” Conference

    If you are anywhere near Louisville tomorrow, you should make plans to attend the “Gender in the 21st Century” conference hosted by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. The conference begins at 9am, August 22 in Heritage Hall on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The speakers include Albert Mohler, Ligon Duncan, Jim Hamilton, Russell Moore, and Randy Stinson. Also, I just read that there’s going to be an iPad giveaway to some lucky conference-goer. iPad or no iPad, I hope to see you there.

  • Christianity,  Theology/Bible

    NPR Covers Evangelical Debate about Adam and Eve

    NPR covers the ongoing debate among evangelicals over evolution and the existence of Adam and Eve. The Biologos crew is represented here, and Albert Mohler is interviewed as well. Listen below or download here. [audio:http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2011/08/20110809_me_14.mp3] What’s at stake in this debate? The heart of the gospel, the authority of the Bible, and more. As far as theological debates go, this is not a question of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It’s a question of whether or not Christianity has any coherence at all. (HT: Tim Challies)

  • Christianity,  Music

    I Heart CCM

    From some of the feedback I have gotten to yesterday’s post, I suspect that I may have given the impression that I am utterly cynical about contemporary Christian music (CCM). Nothing could be further from the truth. While CCM has its fair share of musical pablum to offer, so does secular music. And while there is some brilliant secular music, so there is also in CCM. If I tried to list every CCM artist or song that I have enjoyed over the years, the list would be too long. But there have been some that have had some staying power for me personally—meaning, there was something about the music or…

  • Christianity,  Theology/Bible

    Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace to Debate at SMU

    I just heard about an event coming up in October that promises to be really interesting. The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM) has announced a debate between two noted New Testament scholars, Dr. Bart D. Ehrman and Dr. Daniel B. Wallace. The debate will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 7 PM in the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium at Southern Methodist University.

  • Christianity,  Culture

    The Girl Who Lost Her Faith Listening to CCM

    I just read one of the most fascinating and sad articles that I have read in a long time. The article is by Meghan O’Gieblyn, and it’s a brief narrative of her childhood transition from being a fan of contemporary Christian music (CCM) to being a fan of secular music. As an avid consumer of CCM through the 80?s and 90?s, I relate to a great deal of what is in this article. She talks about how CCM changed from the 80?s to the 90?s and became more and more adept at producing material that could compete with its secular counterparts. She loved CCM and was the ultimate fan until…

  • Christianity,  Politics,  Theology/Bible

    Theological Interrogations and the 2012 Race

    It’s been fascinating to watch news coverage of the Presidential race over the last week. Two of the candidates in particular have turned the attention of the pundit class to religious topics. From Rick Perry’s prayer rally last weekend to Michele Bachmann’s interpretation of Ephesians 5:22 in Thursday’s GOP debate, reporters have become focused on the candidates’ theological views and how those views might inform their presidency.

  • Christianity,  Politics

    Was it fair to ask Bachmann about wifely submission?

    Conservative columnist Byron York put a tough question to Michele Bachmann in last Thursday’s Presidential debate. Here’s how it went: In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'” As president, would you be submissive to your husband?

  • Christianity,  Culture

    Will Bert and Ernie be Wed on “Seasame Street”?

    The Washington Post reported yesterday that a gay rights group called “Change.org” recently started a petition requesting PBS to marry Bert and Ernie on the long-running children’s program “Seasame Street.” As of this writing, there are 5,625 signatures. Here’s the text of the petition letter: In this horrific age of LGBT kids taking their own lives, they need to know that they ARE BEAUTIFUL and their lives are worth living.

  • Christianity,  Culture

    Pregnancy Reduction, An Everyday Horror in the Culture of Death

    The New York Times Magazine has a heartbreaking article on yet another monument to the culture of death—pregnancy reduction. In case you have never heard the term, here’s what pregnancy reduction is in a nutshell. When a pregnant mother is carrying two or more babies in her womb, she can choose to kill one or more of those babies while allowing others to live. According to pro-choicers, pregnancy reduction is a practice that began years ago to reduce health risks for women carrying multiples. Pro-choicers have also reasoned that pregnancy reduction increases chances for surviving multiples to make it to term.