• Christianity

    Challies’ final thoughts on the “Strange Fire” conference

    In case you missed it, Tim Challies posted his final reflections on John MacArthur’s “Strange Fire” conference. It’s worth reading the whole thing, but he concludes this way: Strange Fire was an event that primarily targeted the worst of the charismatic movement. As I said when I offered an early look at the book, it is more about Benny Hinn than Bob Kauflin. While the Reformed charismatics may be a valued and significant part of the New Calvinism, they represent only the smallest fringe of the wider charismatic movement. What still remains to be done is to interact with the best arguments of the best of the charismatics and to address…

  • Christianity

    Wall Street Journal profiles Russell Moore

    The Wall Street Journal has run a front page feature on Russell Moore, the new president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. This morning, the story was behind a subscriber wall, but now it’s available for anyone to read. Here’s an excerpt: Since the birth of the Christian-conservative political movement in the late 1970s, no evangelical group has delivered more punch in America’s culture wars than the Southern Baptist Convention and its nearly 16 million members. The country’s largest Protestant denomination pushed to end abortion, open up prayer in public schools and boycott Walt Disney Co. over films deemed antifamily. Its ranks included many of the biggest names on…

  • Entertainment

    Ohio State’s must-see Michael Jackson tribute

    Ohio State University’s marching band did the coolest thing I’ve ever seen a marching band do during the halftime of Saturday’s game. In the midst of a musical tribute to Michael Jackson, they actually formed into a figure of Michael Jackson which moonwalked across the field. This is not to be missed. You can watch the highlights above. There’s a fast-motion version below. And at the bottom, you can watch the entire halftime show.

  • Christianity,  Politics

    Albert Mohler’s address on religious liberty at BYU

    Albert Mohler delivered an important address on religious liberty at Brigham Young University today. Mohler’s remarks are notable for a number of reasons. I suppose what struck me most, however, is how he speaks respectfully and candidly about the profound differences between Christians and Mormons even as he addresses our common predicament. He writes, I am not here because I believe we are going to heaven together. I do not believe that. I believe that salvation comes only to those who believe and trust only in Christ and in his substitutionary atonement for salvation. I believe in justification by faith alone, in Christ alone. I love and respect you as…

  • Christianity,  Theology/Bible

    “Hot and Holy” in @CTmagazine

    I am really grateful to Christianity Today for publishing an interview about my new book in their October issue. It’s titled “Hot and Holy” (their title, not mine!), and it surveys in brief some of the major issues covered in the book. The actual interview was much longer than what ended up in the magazine. You will see that this one has been compressed considerably. It is no longer behind a subscriber wall, so here’s the link. Or if you don’t want to read about the book but to read the book itself, you can get it here or click the image below.

  • Christianity

    Russell Moore talks about religious liberty on Fox News

    Russell Moore appeared on Fox News yesterday to talk about Obamacare’s contraception mandate and the threat that it poses to religious liberty. The money quote is at the end. From the transcript at FoxNews.com: You can see this happening all over the country not only related to Obamacare. This is just one fiery rafter in a burning house. Religious liberty is under assault all over the place in this country in ways that I think are probably more pronounced than we have seen since the founding era… People who are doing good things in their communities motivated by religious convictions are simply being driven out of the public square because…

  • Christianity

    The Life of a Female Biblical Scholar

    Christianity Today has a fascinating short interview with Lynn Cohick, professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. Among other things, Cohick reflects upon what it is like to be a female biblical scholar. Here’s an excerpt: Although women still face challenges as a minority in evangelical scholarship, are there any benefits of being a female in your field? I would say it’s almost a double-edged sword. I get invited to speak or to write a chapter in an edited volume, and oftentimes there is a presumption, or it’s even directly stated: “We need a woman.” We need a woman on this panel, or we need a woman speaker because the…