As a follow-up to my earlier post on Calvinism—and a partial response to Anglicans Ablaze’s Robin Jordan—I wanted to supply more details on my contention that Calvinism “…is the fastest road to universalism in Christianity.” Following is a part of Robert Morey’s Death and the Afterlife, where he discusses and ultimately refutes universalism. I heartily …
Ending the Next Civil War Won't Be That Easy
Some once part of the U.S. military are, to put it mildly, delusional about a possible internal rebellion: At issue is an article in the respected Small Wars Journal titled “Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A ‘Vision’ of the Future.” It was written by retired Army Col. Kevin Benson of the Army's University of …
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Why the Romance of Calvinism?
Fr. Victor Novak's recent article in VirtueOnline about Calvinism, Catholicism and the Thirty-Nine Articles opens an interesting subject for disparate groups such as Anglicans, Baptists and Pentecostals: why is there so much attraction these days for Calvinism in places where it was either non-existent or not well represented? Let's start with Fr. Novak's article. He …
A Sea Fight in a Fog: Revisiting the ASCE Controversy about Dynamic Formulae
With another North American academic year getting under way, it’s time for geotechnical professors and practitioners alike to think about where our industry has been and where it’s headed. This past summer three of our most eminent people (Garland Likins, Bengt Fellenius and Robert Holtz) came together and wrote an excellent piece for the 2Q …
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The Significance of the Literal Meaning of Scripture: An Example from Origen
One thing that surprises me in Anglican circles is the growing trend to insist on a literal interpretation of the Scriptures. In the old days Anglicans/Episcopalians used to believe that such hermeneutics was for “them”, a term loaded with educational, ecclesiastical and socio-economic overtones. After a half century of revisionism, however, a correction is understandable. …
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Will We Have to Work in Heaven?
Every now and then I have stop and protest one thing or another that has become fashionable among Evangelicals. We’re always told that every good and trendy thing comes from the Throne Room. But that isn’t really the case, and it makes sense to call some of these things out. I have friends on Facebook …
Women Bishops in the CoE: Cutting the Knot or Tying It?
I have to confess that I enjoyed the "Ugley Vicar" John Richardson's exposition on women bishops in the Church of England as it relates to the CoE's relationship with the state. I recommend it highly, especially to my American readers, who generally don't think in terms other than the construct we have. (And that, sad …
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Phoenix Sonshine: Shinin’ In The Light
(Destiny D-4404-S) 1971 "Jesus Music" was, by definition, evangelistic. It also tended to be folksy; there were many in the movement who had strong reservations about the use of straight-up rock 'n roll for Christian music. (There were others who didn't, but I digress.) Phoenix Sonshine epitomised that sound and that message with this evangelistic, …
The Palm Beach Way of Exclusivity is in the Animal Kingdom, Too
And why not? Wild bottlenose dolphins bond over their use of tools, with distinct cliques and classes forming over decades as a result of their skills, scientists have found. The communities, which have been compared with societies such as the Bullingdon Club in humans, mean the aquatic animals share their knowledge only with those in …
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The Most Important Minister: My Tribute to Fr. Donald F.X. Connolly
One question that Christians often ask each other is “What preacher (or minister or priest) had the greatest influence on your life?” For me that’s never been an easy question to answer, especially in the church I’m in now. Most people would assume that the church I’ve ended up with produced the most influential one, …
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Positive Infinity 