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, "… …

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 …

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 …

The Persian Origin of the Title "King of Kings"

Today is the feat of Christ the King, and it's right to consider the title "King of Kings": From his mouth comes a sharp sword, with which 'to smite the nations; and he will rule them with an iron rod.' He 'treads the grapes in the press' of the maddening wine of the Wrath of …

Ending Authority Has Never Been the Problem

David Fowler's generally incisive piece on the current mess our institutions of "higher" learning are in repeats, unfortunately, a misconception that needs to be challenged.  Down in the article he states the following: Relativism, by definition, must question anything that purports to be authoritative, and, of course, nothing can be authoritative if there is no …

What Working for the Church of God Taught Me About Race

Race is the thing we seem to obsess about these days.  That, in part, is because Americans on both sides of the political and religious spectrum have hung their hats on it, either explicitly (on the left) or implicitly (on the right).  Looking at the results, the conventional wisdom on the subject has been unhelpful …

Taking God's Place in Kentucky

It's everywhere: Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis has gone to jail for refusing to sign off on same-sex civil marriages.  The usual people are taking the usual positions; it's time for something a little different. First: it isn't a "rule of law" issue.  Meaningful rule of law went out the window in this country …

An Aggie Throwback: Answer Coffeehouse Rehearsal, Forty Years Out

Another milestone on the blog: the fortieth anniversary of the recording of the Answer Coffeehouse Rehearsal in College Station, Texas.  It's primitive in many ways but for those of us who were involved in it it's the only recording out there.  There aren't many Christian coffee-house recordings from the day around in general; this is …

Those Undiverse Episcopalians, and Others

They talk a good game, but as a recent Pew report notes, those purveyors of same-sex marriage bomb in the racial diversity department.   Even with the choice of Presiding Bishop Curry, the Episcopal Church is whiter than--horrors--the Southern Baptist Convention! It's hard to blame non-white people from avoiding the Episcopal Church; in fact, it's …

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