In the video above, Laura Ingraham explains why she thinks “Duck Dynasty” is such a hit. I think she may not be too far off. My family enjoys the program for all the reasons she cites. We also love it because Louisiana is our home state, and the show is set in my wife’s hometown. Where else on television can you tune in and see live shots of the town you grew up in? (My wife spotted her high school in the season premier.) Also, there’s nothing like hearing some “y’alls” and “fixin’s” to make some expat Louisianans feel a little closer to home. So there’s a lot of nostalgia…
-
-
Theology conference on the Trinity at SBTS
Southern Seminary will host a theology conference on the Trinity this September 20-21. The speaker line-up looks fantastic, and it includes Fred Sanders, Wayne Grudem, Robert Letham, Scott Horrell, and Lewis Ayres. This is one you won’t want to miss. For more information and to register, check it out here. UPDATE: Audio and video from the conference as now been made available. You can watch/listen or download below. Lewis Ayers Audio [download]: ————— Fred Sanders Audio [download]: ————— Scott Horrell Audio [download]: ————— Wayne Grudem Audio [download]:
-
A revolution in the American South on gay marriage
The Atlantic has a fascinating article chronicling what is perceived to be “a quiet gay rights revolution” in American churches. The thesis is that churches have become more and more accepting of gay marriage, even those in evangelical denominations. I think the article has a number of disputable points. It's very telling that the author views the “Wild Goose Festival” as a barometer of evangelical sentiment. I would wager that many Wild Goosers would bristle at being labelled evangelical, much less being treated as a poster-boy for the movement. My hunch is that the author's survey of evangelicalism leaves a bit to be desired. Nevertheless, as a lifelong Southerner, there…
-
Why the Trinity must inform our views on gender roles
I am in hearty agreement with Fred Sanders’ critique of Larry Crabb’s new book on gender. The connections that Crabb makes between Trinitarian doctrine and gender roles seem to be entirely speculative and not founded in what the scriptures actually say. In short, Crabb’s paradigm is unmoored from the Bible, and Sanders has shown the flawed basis of Crabb’s thesis. Having said that, there’s one detail in Sanders’ critique that I would take exception with. I’m reluctant to mention it because I’m a big fan of Sanders. He’s one of the bright lights of evangelical theology and has produced some remarkable work on the Trinity. If you haven’t read his…
-
When being “radical” is a burden
I like this from Barnabas Piper. Ever feel like this? The push to be radical, on mission, a world-changer can seem like a crushing weight. Sometimes life is just too hard and stuff is too broken. It’s all I can manage just to keep my world from flying to bits, let alone change anyone else’s. That’s so far outside of reality it sounds more like the twilight zone. No — reality is simply clinging to what I do know of God, His Son, and His faithfulness and just not letting go. Read the rest here.
-
Why scholars ignore books like Reza Aslan’s
I think John Dickson may have written the most devastating review of Reza Aslan’s book that I have seen yet. It’s lengthy and does not pull any punches. He catalogues the errors and exaggerations and shows how Aslan’s conclusions are well outside the mainstream of historical scholarship on Jesus. But there is one particular bit at the end that I thought was telling. Dickson writes, For a brief moment, Reza Aslan will be heralded as a breakthrough author. In a month or so, some other theory, equally unsubstantiated and certainly contradictory, will get the same kind of airtime. Such works are generally ignored by working scholars, who tend to be…
-
RG3 documentary coming to ESPN on August 27
ESPN will air an hour long documentary on Robert Griffin, III at 7pm EST on August 27. As many of you know, RG3 is the quarterback for the Washington Redskins and a fierce competitor. Ted Kluck has a new book out about RG3 titled Robert Griffin III: Athlete, Leader, Believer. Check it out if you haven’t already. Also, another trailer for the documentary is below.
-
Craig Evans eviscerates Reza Aslan’s “Zealot”
Craig Evans is at the top of the heap as far as scholars of the Gospels go, and he has a review at Christianity Today that eviscerates Reza Aslan’s book Zealot. Evans says Aslan’s book makes numerous historical errors, relies on an outdated thesis, ignores the testimony of eyewitnesses, and forces Jesus and Paul into a theological cagematch. In short, it’s a bad book. Here’s an excerpt from the review: There are numerous problems with Zealot, not least the fact that it heavily relies on an outdated and discredited thesis. But it also introduces a number of its own novel oddities and implausibilities. Aslan has canvassed much of the responsible scholarship…
-
The Wrath of God and the Heart of the Atonement
“But the LORD was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.” -Isaiah 53:10 “God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation in His blood through faith, in order to demonstrate His righteousness.” -Romans 3:25 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’” -Galatians 3:13
-
Loving your enemies even when they’re racists
Brent Campbell is an African American student at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and the captain of the university’s track team. In a recent incident on campus, Campbell was working out on the intramural fields, and five white men in a pick-up truck drove past and screamed racist threats at Campbell, saying “If we see you here again we’ll beat your f****** n***** a**!”