For more than thirty years, I’ve been reading our state denominational newspaper. While I don’t read every word, I usually spend 15 minutes or so taking in whatever interests me. As I read that Baptist newspaper this week, I noticed something that strikes me as typical of how contemporary evangelicals see the Gospel and indicativeContinue reading “Why Isn’t The Gospel Front Page News?”
Category Archives: Commentary
Dear CBD: Why the endorsement of Joel Osteen?
UPDATE III: While we wait for CBD to apologize, we can all play Oprah or Osteen. UPDATE II: Can anyone in a Lifeway Store or working for Lifeway confirm that Lifeway is selling this book? Please tell me it isn’t true. If TIME Magazine can tell us this fraud is a prosperity preaching wolf inContinue reading “Dear CBD: Why the endorsement of Joel Osteen?”
Mother Teresa and the Mystery of God’s Absence
UPDATE: I am not going to publish comments claiming that Roman Catholics are not Christians. Critics- atheistic, fundamentalist, truly reformed and those too correct to be labeled- will probably go completely bonkers with pleasure at the revelation that Mother Teresa struggled with the dark night of the soul much of her life and ministry. InContinue reading “Mother Teresa and the Mystery of God’s Absence”
Can You Give a TULIP to the Hurting?
I love the word “juxtaposition.” If you don’t know it, it means the placing of two things side by side. Often, the connotation refers to two things that are not usually put in proximity to one another. Because of the way I live my life, I seem to have many experiences of unusual juxtapositioning. IContinue reading “Can You Give a TULIP to the Hurting?”
What Is The Prosperity Gospel?
I’ve mentioned the “Prosperity Gospel” in some presentations recently, and I’ve had some questions about what I mean when I use the term. I’m going to outline some very basic responses- and have a little to say about them- so that I can refer others to them as a more complete answer than I canContinue reading “What Is The Prosperity Gospel?”
Where’s the Evangelical Catechism?
There’s no doubt that the current success of Roman Catholic apologetics has been greatly assisted by the publication and distribution of the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church. Mark Noll, among others, has given considerable credit to the catechism for the change in Protestant-Catholic relations in the last 40 years. It is, in my opinion,Continue reading “Where’s the Evangelical Catechism?”
A Response to Jon
I’ve closed the comments on this one since the original post containing the comment was removed. You can still read my response here.
Christian Unity in Appalachia
Where I live, there’s a remarkable amount of visible unity among Christians. I’d like to describe it for you, at least as I’ve seen and experienced it. I live in one of the poorest regions of the United States. Two counties near to us are in the federal government’s list of the ten poorest countiesContinue reading “Christian Unity in Appalachia”
When You’ve Read My 800 Page Theology Book, The Bible’s Simple Meaning Will Be Obvious
Every so often, I entertain the notion that if the theologians would leave us alone, Christians would get along quite differently. I know someone- actually a lot of someones- are going to tell me that Christians will divide over the color of the carpet without the help of any theologians, and that is certainly true.Continue reading “When You’ve Read My 800 Page Theology Book, The Bible’s Simple Meaning Will Be Obvious”
Answers to “Can You Be Too God-Centered?” + What you can learn from reactions to a provocative question
I’d like to do two things in this post. Really, this should be two posts, but I’m lazy. First, I want to give some tentative answers to the question raised on this blog and discussed throughout the blogosphere, “Can We Be Too God-Centered?” My answers will be brief, and I’ll unpack them a bit moreContinue reading “Answers to “Can You Be Too God-Centered?” + What you can learn from reactions to a provocative question”
The Internet Monk Archives 