Trying to teach my classes on Valentine’s Day; Friends on the journey; What traditional musicians can do; A bit o’ laughter.
Chris Tilling on Inerrancy
Chris is one of the best young theological bloggers out there, and his “Inerrancy” series (which is not all that recent) is outstanding. Chris says that an inductive reading of scripture reveals that inerrancy is not the Bible’s own position.
The last post in the series is a podcast by Chris suggesting a way forward. Some of his personal journey is contained, as well as some good discussion of the overall topic.
Keith Johnson is doing a doctoral project on Barth, and writes to say the strongest case for Barth’s view of scripture is in Evangelicals and Scripture: Tradition, Authority, and Hermeneutics, a collection of papers given at a conference at Wheaton in 2001. It was called “The Being of Scripture is in Becoming” and was written by Bruce McCormack. If you can locate this, you’ll be greatly helped.
Mark Devine on Karl Barth
In 2001, Southern Seminary Ph.d and Midwestern Seminary theology professor Mark Devine delivered a paper to ETS on evangelicals and Karl Barth. The article is found here, or in pdf from the same site.
At the Fide-o watchblog, I’ve been accused of being a liberal heretic like Karl Barth. Among the comments from Scott Hill and Jason Robertson:
“That post was riddled with Barthian Neo-orthodoxy which last time I checked was considered heresy.”
“But in the end, his bibliology is classically liberal in the stream of Barth…”
“I too believe that we should “draw a circle” around those who assert their unorthodox opinions as sound biblical theology == and that happens to be guys like you…. and by the way, guys like Karl Barth…”Continue reading “Mark Devine on Karl Barth”
In the Study: Christianity For Beginners (7 Sermons)
In The Study posts examine actual sermons I preach. These are primarily, chapel messages, preached to approximately 450 students/staff from all over the world. My goal is to provide models of evangelistic, apologetic proclamation to those who might be engaged in similar ministry.
Every year I do a sermon series with the purpose of laying out a basic overview of Christianity for those who have little or no knowledge of what the faith actually teaches. My target audience is primarily international students who have been with us long enough to understand basic Christian ideas, but who have not filled in the content, meaning or relationship of these concepts.
This series contained 7 messages, though the 7th was not technically part of the series and was preached in a different context.Continue reading “In the Study: Christianity For Beginners (7 Sermons)”
C.S. Lewis and Inerrancy
This post reprints part of an article that first appeared in the Christian Research Journal, volume 27, number 4 (2004). It is an assessment of Lewis’s strengths and weaknesses as an apologist and theologian. Remember that Lewis was a professor of English Literature at Oxford and Cambridge his entire career.
This article is footnoted and referenced in the original. I am reproducing the material under the heading “Lewis and Inerrancy.”
Let me suggest to a number of bloggers that according to this article, Lewis was a “boilerplate liberal,” no different from “Fosdick,” and logically, turning his back on Christianity.
Attracted by Lewis’s clear presentation of Christianity, readers often are surprised when they discover Lewis’s assessment of the Bible. He discussed questions such as: What does it mean for Scripture to be “inspired by God†(2 Tim. 3:16)? Is it true and trustworthy? At first glance, readers may assume that Lewis had a high view of Scripture. He had said that the Gospels were not myths. He had been critical of those who reject supernatural elements of Scripture and had observed that modern theologians often base their conclusions on naturalistic assumptions instead of the biblical text. Further reading, however, calls his own view into question:Continue reading “C.S. Lewis and Inerrancy”
Evangelical Anxieties 5: The End of the World
There’s not a lot that I like about the Appalachian mountain version of Christianity that surrounds me here in southeastern Kentucky, but at the top of a short list is their attitude toward the end of the world. They aren’t afraid of it.
They have a good idea what’s going to go on. They believe some will be ready and some won’t. They realize it will be a reunion for some and a final separation for others. But it’s not an occasion for fear. When they sing about it, preach about it or pray for it, it’s almost always saturated in happiness. When the end comes, they sing, it will be a better day.
If you are looking for the #1 fear producer in contemporary evangelicalism, you need look no further than the subject of the end of the world. Any Christian bookstore, radio station or television station will quickly provide you with evidence that fear-mongering and fear-motivating by holding out the imminent end of the world is still a major evangelical obsession.Continue reading “Evangelical Anxieties 5: The End of the World”
Ten Propositions on Certainty and Theology + a Breather
Enjoy Aaron Ghiloni’s Ten Propositions on Certainty and Theology. It’s good.
I’m taking a couple of days off from answering mail and reading blogs. I’ll post some new content here in the Evangelical Anxieties series soon. (The End Times is up next.) It’s surreal to know the world is continually hearing that I don’t believe the Bible. Next week will likely be worse.
Emailers: I’m just overwhelmed with things you want me to read, and I’m behind in real world projects. I overlooked some details today and I have all this inerrancy traffic to blame. So please be patient.
One kind of mail I will deal with: If there are any questions you want me to deal with in the next podcast- on anything- send them to me marked “podcast question” and I’ll try to give it some time.
Five Reasons + Two Resources
Five Reasons I Don’t Use The Term Inerrancy:
1. Inerrancy is a term that requires too many intelligent, honest Christians to violate their consciences over what they read in the text of the Bible, and no amount of “Resolving Bible Difficulties” resources can solve these issues. The result- those who are convinced shouting derision at those who are not- is an embarrassment to the churchContinue reading “Five Reasons + Two Resources”
Riffs: 2:10:07: Truthiness Friday With Ascol and Baker
Today must have been “Truthiness Friday” in the SBC.
Much of what commonly is called the Southern Baptist Convention may well not survive this century, and much of it may disappear within the lifetime of Southern Baptists living today. There will always be a certain theological/denominational place for the SBC on the map of American evangelicalism, but those three letters could easily become a designation for a plot of religious real estate — once heavily populated, but abandoned for greener pastures.
And this at Baptist Press. Good grief. Someone go buy me a lottery ticket.Continue reading “Riffs: 2:10:07: Truthiness Friday With Ascol and Baker”
Ten Questions On The Bible (plus one rant)
UPDATE: If “inerrancy,” a term that doesn’t appear in any major confession or creed, equals “being a Christian” to you, then let me encourage you to stop worrying about the effect of this blog. I’m happy to have you here, but if a non-Biblical word is the essence of defining my relationship to God through Jesus and the center of your ability to accept me, then don’t wait around for me to change my mind. Move on.
Ten Questions About the Bible + one rant
1. State briefly what you believe about the Bible.
The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is set down in Scripture, or may be deduced from Scripture. In scripture, God revealed what he wanted us to know about himself, ourselves and his Son. The Bible is inspired, true and the final authority for the Christian. Most importantly, the Bible is God’s revelation of his Son, Jesus Christ, and his Gospel.
Continue reading “Ten Questions On The Bible (plus one rant)”
The Internet Monk Archives 