Glittering like a Star: Martin Luther

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 11:57 am By Guest Contributor

The great Luther scholar Paul Althaus once referred to Luther as an “ocean.” This word can be used both for Luther’s enormous literary output (over one hundred folio volumes—each more than one foot high—in the German edition of his Works) and his originality. Only a handful of theologians in the history of Christian thought approach his stature—perhaps Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Edwards and Barth. Eyewitnesses recounted that whoever spoke to Luther was riveted by the intensity of his eyes. After... Read more

Trick or Treat Jesus

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 11:58 am By Guest Contributor

by Chelsen Vicari Every year at the end of October, my alma mater holds a blood drive. As the leaves are giving up their vibrant green for a shade of cozy yellow or deep red, my friend and former graduate school chum, Courtney, shared with me her willingness to make a small sacrifice in the hopes of saving another’s life as a reflection of Christs sacrificial love for her. Unfortunately, not every Millennial I know feels this way. This,... Read more

The Masculinity Myth: The Real Reason Men Don’t Go to Church

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 11:58 am By Guest Contributor

by Douglas Bursch Today during worship, we were singing a song about God being our loving Father. As we sang, I realized it was the kind of song manly-men Christian pastors hate. It’s the sort of song they rail against while crusading for the resurgence of “real men” Christian masculinity. As we sang tender words about a tender, loving, heavenly Father, I immediately realized why some men are so angry at spiritually wimpy men and bold Christian women. The thought... Read more

The Wonder of Luther’s Catechisms

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 11:59 am By Guest Contributor

Luther’s Catechisms were, along with the Bondage of the Will, the only works of his which he considered worthy of preserving after he had died. To those familiar with his life and writings, that is remarkable. True, like all prolific writers, he wrote his fair share of junk; and unlike many such, he wrote his fair share of disgraceful venom as well. But to reduce his lasting contribution to a couple of catechisms and a polemic against a slippery... Read more

Luther and the Joy of Repentance

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 11:59 am By Guest Contributor

“When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent,’ he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.” I was sitting in a college classroom listening to my Presbyterian professor begin our course on the Reformed tradition when I first heard these words. They fell like hammer-strikes on my ears and were engraved in my memory. The professor then informed the class that this was the first of Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses. In the six years... Read more

The Lord’s Supper Restored = the Mass Reformed

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 12:00 pm By Guest Contributor

As we near the official anniversary of the Reformation it is appropriate for us to reflect on the intent of the Reformers so that we can better understand what we’re celebrating. Such an endeavor necessarily takes up more space than a blog post can provide but I would like to briefly address Luther’s reform of the mass in relation to the Lord’s Supper. Some of the most heinous practices in the medieval mass were associated with the Sacrament of... Read more

The Value of Luther’s Two Kingdoms for Today

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 12:01 pm By Guest Contributor

When we think of Martin Luther, we tend to consider his Ninety-Five Theses, the “here I stand” statement of the Diet of Worms, the importance he placed on justification by faith, or his affirmation of the sola’s. Relatively little attention, at least among American Christians, is given to his political theology, his “Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms.” In many ways, this oversight remains unsurprising. The American government and economy are far more indebted to English and French thought than... Read more

We Must Make Difficult Decisions

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 12:02 pm By Guest Contributor

On September 11, 2001, among the headlines in the USA Today was a call for immigration reform (the headlines would be very different the next day, of course). In the 13 years since, the issue has risen and fallen in America’s consciousness, but like Pigpen’s perpetual cloud of dust, it persistently hovers around us. The immigration issue is currently mired in a swale of indifference. The public strongly favors reform, but tired of the public harangue and political gridlock, they... Read more

Houston Cracks Down on Religious Liberty

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 12:03 pm By Editor

As our “About” tab says, we are living in dark times. Yesterday, it was reported that the city government of Houston, TX has issued subpoenas demanding a group of pastors hand in any sermons dealing with homosexuality, gender identity, or Annise Parker (the city’s first lesbian mayor). While preaching is not a secretive thing in the least bit (many sermons are posted online and are meant to be heard by the public), this is a downright frightening request. It’s a direct pitting... Read more

How Do I Know I’m a Christian? (Part 1)

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 12:03 pm By Bart Gingerich

A conversation has been developing across the Patheos Evangelical Channel regarding soteriology (that is, the study of salvation). Frank Viola re-posted some history on the Sinner’s Prayer and talk of Christ as one’s “personal Lord and Savior,” tracing its origins back to the revivalist D. L. Moody. Viola urged that, before Moody, Christians didn’t use the language of asking Jesus into one’s heart or uttering a particular formula of prayer in order to receive salvation. Preston Sprinkle analyzed a... Read more