One of my Pentecostal academic friends directed me towards this piece, "How Christian Rationalism Turned Me Into a Psychopath, or A Biblical Defense of Feelings," by one Michael Minkoff, Jr.. It summarizes his journey through Reformed religion, how same religion attempted to drill into him the virtues of rationality and the vices of letting your …
After the Resurrection, Did Our Lord Need Purification?
Of all of Jesus Christ's post-resurrection appearances, this one is, in many ways, the most intriguing: Meanwhile Mary was standing close outside the tomb, weeping. Still weeping, she leant forward into the tomb, And perceived two angels clothed in white sitting there, where the body of Jesus had been lying, one where the head and …
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The Meaning of Outside the Camp: A Good Friday Reflection
If I had to pick a favourite Bible verse or passage, it would be this: The bodies of those animals whose blood is brought by the High Priest into the Sanctuary, as an offering for sin, are burnt outside the camp. And so Jesus, also, to purify the People by his own blood, suffered outside …
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Happy Nowruz to the People of the "King of Kings"
Today is Nowruz, the spring equinox festival of the Iranians. To my Iranian friends, who have meant so much, hope you've had a good festival season (it runs about two weeks back in the old country.) Last November I ran a piece about the Persian origin of the term "King of Kings," which most Christians …
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If the Country Doesn't Make It, Will You?
This election cycle has been a wild one, and we're not even halfway through the primary season. Both parties are seeing broad-based revolts in their bases. The Democrat establishment has done a better job of managing the upheaval, because they did what the Republicans did not: pick one candidate and get behind her. Bernie Sanders …
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Some Thoughts on Bossuet's History of the Variations of the Protestant Churches
One of the things that some of the major Anglican blogs will throw out from time to time is the question of what their readers/commenters are reading on the side when they're not keeping up with the latest Anglican debacle (like the recent Primates' Meeting.)Â Through the Christmas holidays, while waiting for some long runs …
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The Places I Couldn't Teach
The flap over Wheaton's process to dismiss Larycia Hawkins from her position makes me stop and think about a few things, especially since I am beginning yet another semester of teaching Civil Engineering at UTC. Lord willing, sometime this year I will complete my PhD pursuit. It's been a long process, not without excitement; hopefully …
Evangelicals Having "Buyers Remorse" on Being Pro-Life?
Sure looks that way, at least for the organisers of Urbana15: In an op-ed published on Monday, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life (SFL), revealed the Urbana15 team denied her group’s exhibitor application. SFL received an email from Urbana’s Exhibits Manager thanking the pro-life youth organization for applying, but denied their application because, "… …
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Why Evangelicals Don't Read Philo Judaeus
It's the New Year again, time to look at something substantive. This topic may seem a little arcane, but rest assured there's a grenade with a pin waiting to be pulled. Evangelicals are generally suspicious of the whole concept of relating the Bible to the ancient world around it, except archaeologically. But there are two …
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The Non-Nestorian Theology of "Mary Did You Know"
Jordan Smith's stunning performance of "Mary Did You Know" on "The Voice" is a reminder of the fact that this song--written by Baptist comedian Mark Lowry--is American Evangelicalism's "official" Christmas carol. What Evangelicals probably don't know is that, for all of their reputation for sloppy theology, Lowry nailed it on this one: Did you know …
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Positive Infinity 