I have recently begun to read N. T. Wright’s new book on justification, Justification: God’s Plan & Paul’s Vision. In an earlier post, I noted that this is the book in which Wright responds to John Piper’s book on the same topic. I am not posting a full review here. I only want to make an observation about the book’s tone thus far. Last month, there was quite a bit of discussion about IVP’s release of the endorsements of the book (see also Justin Taylor’s discussion). Though endorsers touted the book as an “irenic” response to Piper, we found the endorsements to be anything but “irenic.” We withheld judgment about…
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24 Things About to Disappear in America
Rod Dreher has a list of 24 things that are about to disappear in America. I’ll give you the Cliff’s Notes version below, but don’t miss reading the entire article. Here are the 24 items in his list:
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Abortion Outrage: Face to Face with a Human Being
I just read a report in the Associated Press that is too awful to believe. But it is true nevertheless. An 18-year old girl went to an abortion clinic near Miami, Florida to abort her 23-week old unborn baby. After the procedure had begun, the abortion doctor did not show up in time to kill the baby before it was delivered. Here’s the description from the AP.
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Keith & Kristyn Getty
Keith and Kristyn Getty are probably best known for their song “In Christ Alone.” It’s already become a modern day classic and is sung in churches all over the world. The Getty’s song-writing, however, goes far beyond just this one song. They are on a mission to write gospel-centered, bible-saturated, doctrinally-sound hymns for the Christian church. You will not find any “Jesus is my girlfriend” type songs with the Getty’s. They are producing God-exalting material, and I think their ministry is a great gift to the church.
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Is Your Worship Music Too Loud?
John Stackhouse penned an article this week for Christianity Today with the apt title, “Memo to Worship Bands: Five sound reasons to lower the volume.” Stackhouse’s central concern is summed up in this sentence: “I find almost every worship band in every church I visit to be too loud—not just a little bit loud, but uncomfortably, even painfully, loud.” He then goes on to give five reasons why worship leaders should turn down the volume.
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Newest Issue of SWJT
The latest issue of the Southwestern Journal of Theology is now available. The theme of this issue is “The Bible” and is dedicated to the late L. Russ Bush. Three of the articles are available for free download, including one by me. Here is the Table of Contents: Issue Theme: “The Bible“ “Editorial,” by Malcolm B. Yarnell III “In Memoriam,” by Mark Leeds “Luther Russell Bush III,” by Jason G. Duesing “Understanding Biblical Inerrancy,” by L. Russ Bush “The Issue is Truth,” by Paige Patterson “Is Inerrancy Sufficient? A Plea to Biblical Scholars,” by Denny R. Burk The article that I wrote is an adaptation of a paper that I…
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Celebrating the Ministry of John MacArthur
John MacArthur’s The Gospel According to Jesus: What is Authentic Faith? was probably the most important, theologically formative books that I read as a college student. The Lord used that book in my life to free me from the “easy-believism” gospel that I had unconsciously imbibed from the pervasive cultural Christianity that surrounded me. Long before I ever heard MacArthur preach a sermon, I read this book. And it changed me forever.
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Let’s Abolish the Super Bowl
I just finished watching one of the most exciting Super Bowls I have ever seen. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the final seconds of Super Bowl 43—a contest that will surely go down as a game for the ages. Even though it was a great game, I have a complaint to make. Tonight’s game brought this NFL season to a far too definitive conclusion. It’s the same problem every year. The NFL ends the season by requiring the teams with the best records to play one another in a single elimination playoff. Only the winners advance, and the final game always features the champions of the two…
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Update from SBTS: Aslan is on the Move
It looked like C. S. Lewis’ White Witch had landed on the campus of Southern Seminary this week, bringing destruction in her wake. But Aslan is on the move. Dr. Mohler returned from being out of the country last night, and sunny skies are beginning to melt the ice and snow that you see in the video above. Even though most of the campus still has no power, our students are well-taken care of, and our spirits are high.
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Down But Not Out in Louisville, KY
The winter storm that blasted across the Midwest this week has put my blogging out of commission the last couple of days. About 200,000 homes in Louisville, Kentucky lost power this week. The campus on which I live and work was also affected, but we are all doing well. I’ll get back to my normal blogging routine soon enough. In the meantime, here’s what’s happening in our neck of the woods:
