I’ve always thought that the political left needs the climate change challenge because (1) it is the closest thing they have to religion, and (2) it enables them to cultivate a Messiah complex that they are our saviours. (Note I’m not taking any side here on the climate change debate, just saying how climate change has an ideological function within the political left. If I had time or money I’d buy a solar power installation company). So where does gay... Read more

I’m sure Dr. Oliver Crisp could have used this photo for his baptism class (the seminar class, not the church class with a-view-to-baptism). Read more

David Robertson makes some interesting comments about the exodus of evangelicals from the Church of Scotland. I like his attitude and his basic approach. However, I was disappointed by his failure to mention the Highland Theological College!  In light of the divisions in the COS and the issue of leave or don’t leave, the potential existence of yet “another” Scottish Presbyterian denomination, the expectation that evangelicals could and/or should join the Free Church of Scotland, Robertson notes the following (with a... Read more

Over at Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight posts his response to the recent SB statement on what Baptist’s traditionally believe about salvation. Scot knows this “gospel” well cause it’s the one he grew up with, big emphasis on free will, make a decision, etc. He offers five points of reflection. The most penetrating point was # 5: You knew this was coming: there is no need for the Old Testament for this gospel, and there’s no need for the Story of... Read more

Christianity Today has an article on the Calvinism and Southern Baptist Convention debate. [Roger] Olson, a classical Arminian and author of the book Against Calvinism, is unaffiliated with the SBC, but has long asserted that most evangelicals—not just Southern Baptists—adhere to a sort of semi-Pelagian “folk religion,” whose origins can be traced to the Second Great Awakening and revivalists in the mold of Charles Finney. He believes the new document proves his thesis. “Traditional Christian doctrine, since Augustine anyway, has always... Read more

For all you evangelists out there: Read more

At Passover Rabbi’s ask, “Why is this night different?” At Easter, Gospel scholars read the fourth Evangelist and ask, “Why is this Gospel different?” It’s a complex question and I am admittedly not a Johannine specialist. But here are my preliminary thoughts: D.A. Carson observes: “The thesis that John is literarily dependent on one or more of the Synoptics has not been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt, but neither has the thesis that John is litearily independent of the Synoptics.”[1] We... Read more

I came across a great line from NT scholar Paula Fredriksen in her essay “Mandatory Retirement: Ideas in the Study of Christian Origins Whose Time Has Come to Go”. Of Paul she writes: Paul thinks that being Jewish is terrific (Rom 3:1-2), and he also thinks that he is a terrific Jew (Phil 3:4-6) (p. 32). Read more

BW has announced the winners of its birthday contest and listed some hilarious entries. Here are my favourties: I am a fraud. All my Greek expertise comes from Bibleworks, though no one knows this. Please consider. — D. Wallace – Andy H. Because there is something deliciously ironic about being able to read about the Tower of Babel in forty different languages. – Oren H. BibleWorks: (noun) – 1) an electronic exegetical resource; 2) that which both lazy students and... Read more

I can’t wait to see this (though I’m still waiting to see Blue Like Jazz). Read more