The Internet Monk Archives

Phil Johnson on “Is The Reformation Over?”

Update: Those of you who keep mentioning that this post is disjointed need to remember that it is simply some interaction with the main points of Phil Johnson’s talk. There’s no attempt for this to stand alone; it’s not meant to be polished or comprehensive.

Tim Challies is “liveblogging” the Grace Community Church Shepherd’s Conference. One of his posts is a summary of Phil Johnson’s session on “Is The Reformation Over?” While I have no intention of resurrecting blogwars of the past, I am going to interact with this post. Please realize that I am interacting with Challies’ summaries, and not Phil’s actual words. (Challies is doing an obviously great job.)

I am interested in this topic for several reasons. I have written on this subject in an early IM essay called “Throw Luther From The Train: Will We Save The Reformation?” Many of my IM essays deal with many of the same concerns that Johnson voices, particularly with Charismatic excesses and an abandonment of the heritage of the Reformation by evangelicals. Many of my essays on worship and the condition of contemporary evangelicalism are from a position similar to Johnson’s. I have been deeply influenced by many of those who influence him.Continue reading “Phil Johnson on “Is The Reformation Over?””

Answers Not In Genesis

Nothing discourages me about the future of evangelicals like “young earth creationism,” Hamm style.

Josh puts it well in this post at Here We Stand: “Every time I read someone saying it’s the Christian’s duty to refute biology and physics with the Bible, something inside me just dies a little.”

I’m feelin’ that as well. The army of preachers who have proclaimed themselves the new Lords of Science make me ever more convinced that evangelicalism is souring fast.Continue reading “Answers Not In Genesis”

What’s In A Name?

BHT Fellow leif rigney abandons the name “Christian,” but holds onto the faith once delivered.

One of my finest friendships is with OBI graduate, former OBI teacher, former member of the church where I preach, current English professor and BHT fellow lief (eric) rigney. He’s a top ten friend who I was always honored to share my pulpit with during the years we worked together.

leif grew up in Baptist revivalism and endured six years of Baptist boarding school, so he knows the side of evangelicalism that produced the Internet Monk. For the first two years of the Internet Monk site, he was a co-author, writing some of the best pieces to appear in these spaces. His defenses of Harry Potter and Cussin’ are still popular essays.Continue reading “What’s In A Name?”

A Perfect Paul?

Are evangelicals blind to the obvious faults of the Apostle Paul….and, consequently, to many of their own?

I’m reading Charles Freeman’s book “The Closing of the Western Mind.” It’s not exactly an unbiased presentation of Christianity, though Freeman’s thesis that established Christianity squelched the rational tradition of the Greeks is interesting and worth discussing. His early chapters on the source figures of Christianity, however, are another matter. The chapter on Jesus is, well, atrocious, but the chapter on Paul gave me a thought.

As one who seems uninvested in any kind of “pro-Christian” view of Paul, Freeman writes what I believe any number of intelligent people would write if they studied the New Testament without Christian assumptions that the documents being read were “the Word of God.”Continue reading “A Perfect Paul?”

Video Games and Christian Maturity

I just finished reading the current edition of the Highland Study Center’s monthly publication, Every Thought Captive, with the theme “Revolt Against Maturity.” It’s a good issue, and it will eventually be on the net, but not yet. Several of the articles, such as “Theologians in Diapers,” are excellent, and I would welcome access to them when available.

The general critique of the HSC authors is one that is being marshalled all across the God-blogosphere these days: men in our culture are immature, and are postponing maturity while embracing adolescence. They are addicted to juvenile ideas, activities and behavior. They engage in the pursuits of children long after they should be married and embracing adulthood. It is the avoidance of marriage and responsible maturity in the support and nurture of Christian families that is at the root of much of the culture’s invasion of the church.Continue reading “Video Games and Christian Maturity”

The Deconstruction Project: My emerging church talk

I am speaking at an emerging worship service this weekend. I’m pretty excited. I figured out the other day that in the last 15 years, I have spoken to the same audience (different people) over 2,000 times. So any opportunity to speak to a new audience is exciting for me.

In preparing, I try to develop original illustrations. This is difficult work because I am not particularly imaginative or creative, even when I want to be and have the freedom to try out new ways of presenting the Gospel.

So here is something of what I am going to use in my talk Sunday night. It’s a good bit of the first part of the message (which is actually going to be a talk on “Love and Sacrifice.”)Continue reading “The Deconstruction Project: My emerging church talk”

Andrew Jones: An Emerging “Apostle” and His American Epistle

Andrew Jones- a.k.a. the Tall Skinny Kiwi– is a missionary spokesmen to and for the global emerging church. Andrew wouldn’t like me saying this, but I see him as an apostle for the movement and the absolutely must-hear voice to understand the emerging church.

He is the type of emerging church leader our Truly Reformed ™ watchblogs won’t listen to and chose to ignore when they base their continuing portrait of the EC on straw men and ignorance. Listening to Andrew is an education, and I recommend him to everyone who reads IM, particularly those of you in the reformed camp who suspect that the continuing “analysis” of the EC you are hearing is woefully one-sided.Continue reading “Andrew Jones: An Emerging “Apostle” and His American Epistle”

Romeo Is Better Off Dead

Some of my BHT posts have me in the usual trouble I get in around Valentine’s Day. Here are a few thoughts that might clarify things….or make them worse. Try to remain calm.

As best I can tell, romance is our poor imitation version of the love of God that is ours in the Gospel; a kind of minor league salvation story for people who need to be “saved” from being alone and unloved. What the love of God in the Final Word, Jesus the messiah and mediator, is for us infinitely and perfect, romance imitates and celebrates imperfectly, and often, tragically.

I have four primary experiences of romance that dominate my own consideration of the topic.Continue reading “Romeo Is Better Off Dead”

The End of the Debate: Gene Bridges on Baptists and Baptism

UPDATE II: Gene Bridges addresses the issue of the universal church, and reprints Dagg on that subject. (J.L. Dagg was Southern Baptists’ first writing theologian.)

UPDATE: Tom Ascol adds some more historical material that further demonstrates Baptists have never rejected Baptism on the basis on Arminianism. More from Ascol here: The Philadelphia Association accepted Free-will baptism.Continue reading “The End of the Debate: Gene Bridges on Baptists and Baptism”

A Generous Catholicity

We like the creeds….except for the catholic parts.

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints…” -The Apostle’s Creed

“And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins;… Amen.” – The Nicene Creed

I’ve been in probably 3000+ Baptist led worship services. With the exception of seminary and two years that I was on staff at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, I have almost never been in a Baptist church service or class where we used the Apostle’s or Nicene Creeds for any reason. (OK…the Founder’s Conference. You guys get some love.)

That’s because we knew they were trouble. And I know why. Let’s journey back to my youth among the Landmark version of Southern Baptists, a common variety in Kentucky in the 50’s and beyond, even to this day.Continue reading “A Generous Catholicity”