The news from Paris tonight is a horror. If you are struggling for the words to pray in the face of such evil, consider lifting up the words of Psalm 10: 12 Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. 13 Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? 14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15 Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer…
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Interview on “Fire Away!” Podcast about “Transforming Homosexuality”
Here’s an interview with the “Fire Away!” podcast about Transforming Homosexuality.
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A theological earthquake with evangelicals caught flat-footed
Jonathan Merritt has published an interview that evangelicals would do well to take note of. In this piece for Religion News Service, Merritt talks to Mark Yarhouse and Megan DeFranza about their new books dealing with transgender and intersex respectively. Why is this interview important? The interview highlights two books that represent a massive revision of biblical anthropology. I finished reading Yarhouse’s book about a month ago, and I am reading DeFranza’s book now. And their revisions are not benign. They represent a theological earthquake that for some reason has yet to register on the evangelical Richter Scale. The ideas aren’t new, but I think their mainstreaming within the evangelical…
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Is Reparative Therapy a Valid Approach?
Reparative therapy has become quite the hot potato in our national conversation about homosexuality. It is a therapy that focuses on orientation change for homosexuals, and many people view it as the Christian approach to homosexuality. But is that true? Right now there are at least two perspectives on this question among conservative evangelicals. Some believe it is a valid aid in discipleship and sanctification. Others do not. Who is right?
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Alan Chambers says “sin is irrelevant.” Is he right?
Alan Chambers has given another very troubling interview in which he declares that “sin is irrelevant” for Christians. Chambers is the former head of the now defunct Exodus International—an umbrella organization for a number of different ex-gay ministries that support reparative therapy. In recent years, Chambers has repudiated his former support of reparative therapy and has apologized to the gay community for his former work. Chambers’s remarks in this most recent interview are riddled with biblical and theological error, and I am not going to attempt a comprehensive response. But I do want to comment on two items:
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World Magazine responds to Ann Coulter’s Accusations
Last week I briefly noted an inflammatory article by Ann Coulter and made note of her failure to treat abortion and marriage as transcendent moral issues: If you don’t know why it matters where a candidate stands on abortion and gay marriage, don’t lecture those who do. https://t.co/xHvNMq8m9d — Denny Burk (@DennyBurk) October 30, 2015
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Matt Bevin’s family tragedy and strong Christian faith
Earlier this evening, the news broke that Matt Bevin was elected as the next governor of Kentucky. As that news rippled across the country, what may not have been as well known is Bevin’s fervent Christian faith and connection to Southern Seminary where I teach. Several years ago, Bevin endowed our school’s center for global missions. This came about as a result of a devastating family tragedy. You can hear Bevin share the story above in his own words, or you can read Aaron Hanbury’s 2012 report below. Don’t miss this one.
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Ross Douthat takes the Roman Catholic academy to the woodshed
Last Monday, a cadre of Roman Catholic theologians wrote a letter to the powers-that-be at The New York Times complaining about Ross Douthat’s unwashed views about Catholic theology. In particular, they were perturbed at Douthat’s remarks about marriage in the wake of the recent Synod on the Family. These theologians argued that a layman like Douthat had no business opining on things he is not credentialed to opine on. It was a snarky, elitist argument aimed at shaming the Times into silencing Douthat.
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Interview with Apologia Radio about “Transforming Homosexuality”
I had the privilege of talking to the Lady, the Bear, and the Ninja about my new book that I wrote with Heath Lambert, Transforming Homosexuality: What the Bible Teaches about Sexual Orientation and Change. These three are the main personalities at Apologia Radio, and it was a stimulating conversation. Also, these guys are real characters and run a great show. You can watch the video here.
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Trump tells voters he’s a “great Christian”
In the wake of sagging poll numbers in Iowa, Donald Trump assures Iowa voters that he is a “great Christian.” At a rally in Sioux City, he declared: Will you get these numbers up? I promise you I will do such a good job. First of all, I am a great Christian. And I do well with the evangelicals, but the evangelicals let me down a little bit this month. I don’t know what I did. NPR reports that Trump’s campaign has been handing out pictures of his 1959 confirmation ceremony in an attempt to establish his Christian bona fides. I doubt that anyone is buying this. I’m not questioning…