The program for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society is now available for download from the ETS Website. Page 28 says that “Dennis Burk” will be doing a presentation on Paul’s righteousness language. I guess that means that my dad will be presenting a paper. I’m just kidding, of course. Even though I have gone by “Denny” my whole life, every now and again “Dennis” still pops up, and that’s okay. I am grateful that the program has updated my institutional affiliation (Thanks, Dr. Ware!). Seriously though, if you are interested in seeing the tentative program, click below. Program for the 60th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological…

Stanley Hauerwas and Mark Dever had a fascinating conversation about patriotism on July 3 with Russell Moore on “The Albert Mohler Program.” Moore asked both men for their opinions about the propriety of patriotic church services. [audio:http://www.sbts.edu/MP3/totl/2008/AMP_07_03_2008.mp3] Hauerwas said that such observances are idolatrous. He also compared the American military to that of the 3rd Reich in Nazi Germany. Moore’s rejoinder to this latter point in the third segment is insightful. “Should We Be Patriots In The Pew?” – The Albert Mohler Program

America is my home away from home. I am a sojourner here, just like everyone else, passing through on my way to eternity. “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). Nevertheless, I regard it as a smiling Providence to have been born here, and I give thanks today. About a year and a half ago was my last visit to Washington, D.C. One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to the Lincoln Memorial. My favorite political speech is inscribed on the wall inside the memorial. The speech is Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.

Now this is nostalgic. I used to watch “Schoolhouse Rock” every Saturday morning. This is where a whole generation learned about manifest destiny (“Elbow Room”), English grammar (“Conjunction Junction”), how a bill becomes a law (“I’m just a bill”), and much more. So I thought what could be more fun this 4th of July than to post Schoolhouse Rock’s videos on the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution.

Dr. Russell Moore finished out Denton Bible Church’s three-week series of sermons on biblical manhood and womanhood. Dr. Moore’s text was Ephesians 5:22-33, and it was a powerful message about marriage as a display of the gospel. [audio:http://dbcmedia.org/podcasts/1309-062908.mp3]

In today’s Washington Post, Eugene Robinson posts his reflections on The Supreme Court’s recent declaration that gun ownership is an individual right. In essence, Robinson says that The Supreme Court interpreted the second amendment correctly but that he would nevertheless favor restrictions on the right to bear arms. The meaning of the Constitution is clear on this point, he says. Robinson just disagrees with the Constitution. What caught my eye about Robinson’s column, however, was the last two paragraphs. He writes:

WARNING: This post is going to be a little bit technical. Enter at your own risk! Commenters under my previous complementarian posts have been debating the meaning of authenteō in 1 Timothy 2:12—whether it has a negative meaning (“usurp authority, domineer”) or a neutral one (“exercise authority”). In particular, the comments have called into question the work of Henry Scott Baldwin who has argued that authenteō does not have a negative meaning.