Robert George has a fascinating account of how Fr. Richard John Neuhaus went from being a celebrated liberal to a despised conservative. George calls him “the scourge of the post-60s liberals.” It’s a brilliant little essay, and you need to read it. Here are the first two paragraphs: ‘In the early 1970s, Lutheran pastor Richard John Neuhaus was poised to become the nation’s next great liberal public intellectual—the Reinhold Niebuhr of his generation. He had going for him everything he needed to be not merely accepted but lionized by the liberal establishment.
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Brian McLaren Comes to Louisville
Pastor Brian McLaren came to Louisville this week, and his appearance at the Presbyterian Seminary has made the local paper. McLaren appeared with Diana Butler Bass and Marcus Borg at the seminary’s annual Festival of Theology. There’s not really anything new here that we didn’t already know about McLaren, but it’s worth taking a look at the reporter’s description of what he said.
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Calvinism Changing the World
According to TIME magazine, Calvinism is one of the top “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now,” ranking at number 3. Here’s the list.
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Southern Seminary Graduate Slain in Church
You have probably already seen the horrible news from Maryville, Illinois today about a hooded man who gunned down a pastor during church this morning. The details of the incident are not yet clear, but the pastor’s name was Dr. Fred Winter. He leaves behind a wife and two daughters and a congregation that he has led for 22 years. Dr. Winter was a graduate of Southern Seminary, and his doctor of ministry supervisors have made some comments about Dr. Winter here. Please pray for Dr. Winter’s family, for the two who were injured trying to subdue the gunman, for the church, and for the gunman himself.
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John Piper says “Over my dead bodyâ€
A female high school student in Minnesota is competing in wrestling competitions against male students, and John Piper has some counter-cultural advice to fathers about it. ‘Come on, dads, have some courage. Just say, “Over my dead body are you going to wrestle a girl.” Of course, they will call you prudish. But everything in you knows better. ‘Yes, I am talking to the boys’ fathers. If the girls’ fathers don’t care how boys manhandle their daughters, you will have to take the lead. Give your sons a bigger nobler vision of what it is to be a man. Men don’t fight against women. They fight for women. ‘They called…
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Dobson resigns as chairman of Focus
From the Associated Press: Conservative evangelical leader James Dobson has resigned as chairman of Focus on the Family but will continue to play a prominent role at the organization he founded more than three decades ago, The Associated Press has learned. Dobson notified the board of his decision Wednesday, and the 950 employees of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry were informed Friday morning at a monthly worship service, said Jim Daly, the group’s president and chief executive officer. Dobson, 72, will continue to host Focus on the Family’s flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues, Daly said.
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A Quibble with McKnight’s “Neo-Reformed†Essay
Last week, Scot McKnight wrote a two-part essay defining a derogatory moniker that he has coined: neo-reformed (part 1, part 2). McKnight describes the neo-reformed as those who believe in double-predestination and who want to exclude all other Christians who do not. McKnight says that the neo-reformed are actually neo-fundamentalists who are threatening the tranquility of the evangelical village green.
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Gospel Living in an Oscar Culture
The movie “Milk” is based on the true story of a homosexual activist from the late 1970’s named Harvey Milk. Among other things, the movie depicts Milk’s fight against Proposition 6 (a ballot measure aimed at keeping homosexuals from teaching in public schools), a measure which seems to parallel the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California. If you watched the Academy Awards last night, then perhaps you saw the two speeches from the two winners who were related to this movie. The first winner was Dustin Lance Black who won the award for Best Original Screenplay, and second was Sean Penn who won the Best Actor Award. In their…
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Dr. Harold Hoehner (1935-2009)
I just received word that one of my old professors from DTS has passed away, Dr. Harold Hoehner. The seminary has a tribute posted on their website that you should take a minute to read. Here are some random remembrances of what it was like to be his student. Dr. Hoehner was more than just a professor at DTS. He was an institution. His tenure overlapped that of four different Presidents of the school: Dr. John Walvoord, Dr. Donald Campbell, Dr. Chuck Swindoll, and Dr. Mark Bailey. Dr. Hoehner taught at DTS for 42 years.
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Keith & Kristyn Getty
Keith and Kristyn Getty are probably best known for their song “In Christ Alone.” It’s already become a modern day classic and is sung in churches all over the world. The Getty’s song-writing, however, goes far beyond just this one song. They are on a mission to write gospel-centered, bible-saturated, doctrinally-sound hymns for the Christian church. You will not find any “Jesus is my girlfriend” type songs with the Getty’s. They are producing God-exalting material, and I think their ministry is a great gift to the church.