I would like to thank three of the editors at Touchstone magazine who have taken the time to participate in the conversation that we have been having on this blog. Of course the conversation that I am referring to is the one about gender (here, here, and here). The editors are S. M. Hutchens, David Mills, and Anthony Esolen. Two posts have appeared on the Touchstone blog that refer to our debate.”Burk’s Readers On Hutchens” -by David Mills “All Flattened Things are Equal” -by Anthony Esolen This conversation started on September 7 when I wrote a brief note on S. M. Hutchens’ review of John G. Stackhouse’s book Finally Feminist:…
-
-
Ben Witherington Puts Just War Tradition on Trial (at least implicitly)
Maybe he didn’t intend to do this, but New Testament scholar Ben Witherington has put the “Just War” tradition on trial in his most recent blog post. Commenting on the Family Research Council’s recent summit in Washington, D. C., Witherington complains that many evangelical Christians are inconsistent when they vigorously advocate pro-life policies while supporting the war in Iraq. He writes,
-
Biblical Patriarchy and 1 Timothy 2:12
My wife and I have a friend from college who has asked some insightful questions in the comments section of my previous post, “Postscript on Women in Ministry.” Our friend’s questions bring to the surface some of the practical issues upon which Complementarians have yet to reach consensus. One of the chief issues that Complementarians disagree on is whether it is ever appropriate for a woman to teach Christian doctrine to men in the church.
-
Postscript on Women in Ministry
A spirited discussion continues under my previous post “Evangelical Gender Wars and the Authority of the Bible.” In the comments under that post, one of the items in contention is the idea that complementarians limit/restrict women who want to serve in Christian ministry.While it is true that complementarians hold that some offices and teaching situations are for qualified men only, complementarians affirm that faithful Christian women should have vital ministries within the church of Jesus Christ.
-
Where were you on September 16, 2001?
Where were you on September 16, 2001? Yes, you read the date correctly. I didn’t mean September 11. I am asking if you remember where you were five days later, Sunday, September 16, 2001.I remember where I was. I had just begun my Ph.D. studies at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY, and my wife and I were still visiting churches in thearea. That Sunday, we attended Clifton Baptist Church. Dr. Tom Schreiner, my doctoral supervisor and the pastor at Clifton, delivered a message from Luke 13 and reminded us of the sobering warning from Jesus: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). I heard a word from…
-
Rosie O’Donnell: Christianity Is More Dangerous Than Radical Islam
Maybe you missed it, but Rosie O’Donnell made some outrageous remarks on “The View” this week. In an exchange with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, O’Donnell said that “Radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America where we have a separation of church and state.”You can watch the video of O’Donnell’s remarks by clicking here. Hasselbeck countered O’Donnell’s comments by saying that, “We are not bombing ourselves here in the country. We are being attacked.” Even cohost Joy Behar was compelled to respond to O’Donnell’s outlandish claims saying, “Christians are not threatening to kill us. This group (radical Islamists) is threatening to kill us.” I think most…
-
How Could the President’s Speech Not Be Political?
Democrats and media pundits are complaining that President Bush “politicized” 9-11 in his address to the nation last night. Obviously, it was entirely appropriate for him to memorialize and honor the victims and heroes of that tragic day. But is it not also appropriate for the President to speak about the war on terrorism and where our country is in that fight five years hence?My response to the detractors who are complaining that the President politicized the speech is this. How could it have been any other way? Because the Democrats have opposed nearly every thing the President has said or done in the war on terror, the issue is…
-
Timothy George Analyzes the Southern Baptist Convention
Timothy George has an article in the most recent issue of First Things that is a must-read for anyone interested in the goings-on of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The article is aptly titled “Southern Baptists after the Revolution,” as it discusses new currents that have been flowing through SBC life since the conservatives secured control of the convention in the 1990’s.The big story coming out the SBC’s annual meeting this past summer was the election of dark-horse candidate Frank Page to the presidency of the denomination. Page’s election marked only the second time since 1979 that a person has won the presidency who was…
-
Evangelical Gender Wars and the Authority of the Bible
In years past, the gender debates among evangelicals have focused largely on the interpretation of key biblical texts. Complementarians have presented their interpretation of of the Bible’s teaching, and Egalitarians have presented theirs.In recent years, however, a new line of argument has been emerging among those of an egalitarian bent. According to a recent book review by S. M. Hutchens in Touchstone magazine, this new approach appears in John G. Stackhouse’s 2005 book Finally Feminist: A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender. Hutchens writes:
-
Bob Casey Betrays Pro-life Principles
I just finished listening to the latest “Meet the Press” podacast (see transcript), and I am profoundly disappointed in “pro-life” candidate Bob Casey. Democrat Bob Casey is challenging Republican Rick Santorum for his seat in the U.S. Senate, and it is one of the most watched races in the country. They met on “Meet the Press” this past Sunday to debate the issues.When Tim Russert asked Casey about his position on the so-called “morning after pill,” Bob Casey took a position that cannot be reconciled with his previously stated belief that life begins at conception. Here’s the exchange between Casey and Russert: MR. RUSSERT: The morning-after pill. You in favor…