I’ve been reading Dave Brunn’s stimulating book One Bible, Many Versions—a work discussing the translation philosophy of various English Bible versions. This is a fine book in many ways. It engages an old controversy with an irenic tone. But if the book does anything, it shows that there is some confusion among evangelicals about what Formal Equivalence (FE) translators are aiming to do in their work. Brunn’s book shows that all translations—including FE translations like the NASB and the ESV—resort to Dynamic Equivalence (DE). His point is that not even FE translations practice their theory consistently, and he illustrates this fact with voluminous examples.
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Powers and Merritt double-down against religious liberty
Kirsten Powers and Jonathan Merritt are doubling down on their argument that Christian business owners are morally wrong when they refuse to participate in same-sex wedding celebrations. In a co-written essay for The Daily Beast, they argue that Christian business owners are morally and legally obliged to participate in gay wedding ceremonies with their goods and services. Not to participate is tantamount to the kind of discrimination that whites in this country used to exhibit against blacks. Let me just say first of all that I am grieved by this article. Not merely because it is a moral and constitutional mess, but also because of who has written it. Do…
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What happened to McLaren, Bell, and Miller?
Kevin Miller has an article at CT’s Leadership Journal reflecting on the departure of Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, and Don Miller from evangelicalism. Ten years ago, these three were supposed to be the leading lights of a new kind of Christianity. But where are they now? Miller writes:
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Is temptation a sin?
Earlier this week, I contributed a piece to the Canon & Culture blog titled “Is homosexual orientation a sin?” I argued that homosexual orientation describes one who experiences an enduring sexual attraction to persons of the same-sex. Because the Bible teaches that it is sinful to have a desire for illicit sex, homosexual orientation is by definition sinful. So yes, homosexual orientation is a sin. Since publishing the article, I have received a good bit of feedback—some positive and some negative. By far, the most frequent response has been with respect to temptation: “Are you saying that all temptation is sin? Wasn’t Jesus tempted like us yet without sin (Heb.…
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Are conscientious Christians the new Jim Crow?
Kirsten Powers argues in USA Today that Kansas’ recent effort to protect religious freedom is akin to enacting Jim Crow laws. She writes: What’s the matter with Kansas? A bill protecting the religious freedom of businesses and individuals to refuse services to same-sex couples passed the state House of Representatives last week. It was blessedly killed in the state Senate on Tuesday… Christians backing this bill are essentially arguing for homosexual Jim Crow laws. She goes on to argue that Christian business owners have an obligation to serve people they disagree with because that’s what Jesus taught us to do. She invokes Pastor Andy Stanley for support on this point:
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A Fundamentalist vs. Robbie George & Cornell West
Last week, Robbie George and Cornell West visited Swarthmore College to host a public discussion about “what it means for intellectuals to learn from each other despite deep differences on important questions.” As many of you know, George is a renowned conservative while West is a well-known liberal. Both have had distinguished academic careers and have held professorships at Princeton University. I watched the video of their meeting last week. The most interesting part of the discussion occurred when the Q&A period began. The first question out of the box came from a student who wanted to inquire about George’s public opposition to gay marriage. This is what the student…
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How not to get stuck in dying technologies like the Nook
I wonder how many of you have invested time and money into a certain technology only to find that technology eventually to become obsolete. If you are a Nook owner and have been building a Nook library, chances are that you’ve invested in a technology that will very soon go the way of the Dodo. It was only about five years ago that hand held video cameras were still all the rage (remember Flip Video Cameras?). Those too have largely been replaced by smartphones. The technological ecosystem seems to be in a constant state of flux with devices and technologies coming and going all the time. How do you keep…
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The most satisfying thing to the inventor of the jump-shot
Kenny Sailors is 91 years old. He is credited with inventing “the jump shot as an alternative to the two-handed, flat-footed set shot.” He won an NCAA championship, and he played in the NBA. He was married to his sweetheart for sixty years. And yet there is one thing that has been the most satisfying thing to him in all his life. Watch the video above to see what it is.
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“My Beautiful Woman”: Powerful Pro-life Message
The video above may well be the most powerful pro-life movie you’ll ever see. It is not produced by Christians. In fact, it was produced by a lingerie company. Nevertheless, it reveals the inherit value of every human life—a fact that is written across every person’s conscience. I don’t want to spoil the end, but I will say this. It is worth seven minutes to watch. Very powerful.
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The tragic case of Richard Jewell
In 1996, a bomb exploded at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. In the immediate aftermath, a hero emerged who had saved lives by warning people to flee to safety. Within a matter of days, that hero unjustly came under suspicion. He was tried and condemned in the press and in the court of public opinion. When the truth finally came out, no one was paying attention anymore, and a man’s life was ruined by a false accusation. The ESPN documentary above tells the story of Richard Jewell. It’s a tragic example of what happens when we act as if news reports are flawless depictions of reality. They are not.…