Two Advantages of Storying in Honor-Shame Cultures

Last updated on: November 23, 2015 at 3:42 am By Brad Vaughn

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Christine Dillon, a church planter in Taiwan with OMF International. Christine has written Telling the Gospel through Story: Evangelism that Keeps People Wanting More as well as 1-2-1 Discipleship. She has an excellent blog, which has been translated into other languages including Mandarin. Jackson recently came to share on “honour and shame” at our conference. As he shared about this theme, it became obvious that most of us share the good news in the way... Read more

Giving a Preview of the Kingdom

Last updated on: December 21, 2015 at 11:19 am By Brad Vaughn

Here’s a short video interviewing my friend and doctoral supervisor, Bruce Ashford, about his recent book Every Square Inch:An Introduction to Cultural Engagement for Christians. In my favorite part of the video, he reiterates something he said in an interview with Christianity Today: One of the ways I help people get started making culture and engaging with their cultural contexts is to teach them to ask three questions. These three questions can be asked and answered when we find ourselves... Read more

Not Even Israel Worshiped the Same God

Last updated on: December 16, 2016 at 12:26 pm By Brad Vaughn

Most evangelicals seem to agree––Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God. The question I want to ask is simply, “Why?” When Wheaton suspended a teacher who thought otherwise, countless evangelicals spoke out to defend the school’s decision. Most people gave theological arguments, claiming that God’s nature were irreconcilable with Islamic views of God. For example, the one true God exists in three persons––Father, Son and Spirit. While these are legitimate considerations, I will suggest a more directly biblical... Read more

Is there room to disagree about Adam?

Last updated on: December 21, 2015 at 12:23 pm By Brad Vaughn

I came across this debate over at Books and Culture regarding the historicity and importance of Adam. For Christians in China, conversations about Genesis are regular occurrences because of the prevalence of teaching about evolution. John Walton, who wrote an important book I reviewed this past year, had a very clear and cogent statement that I think should provoke some good discussion. I am certainly curious to hear what you think. We can contend that Adam and Eve are theologically... Read more

Why suspended professor says, “We worship the same God.”

Last updated on: December 16, 2016 at 12:26 pm By Brad Vaughn

Christianity Today reports that Wheaton suspended a teacher, Larycia Alaine Hawkins, for her explanation as to why she is wearing a hijab during Advent season. She said, “I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book. And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.” Wheaton said their actions are “in response to significant questions regarding the theological implications of statements that [Hawkins] made about the relationship of Christianity... Read more

We marry better than we evangelize

Last updated on: December 16, 2015 at 8:36 am By Brad Vaughn

Suppose you are a single 20-something. Your friends tell you about a woman named Jesse, whom they think would be a great match for you. They go on and on about all her good points. They tell you that she’s smart, beautiful, conversational, honest, comes from a good family, is low maintenance yet seeks excellence in all she does. After a solid 5 minutes or more of this, they finally ask the big question, “So, are you willing to marry... Read more

2015 ETS talks now online

Last updated on: December 16, 2015 at 8:22 pm By Brad Vaughn

Just a quick note–– I found out that the recording for this year’s ETS talks have just been put online. There’s a lot of good ones to choose from. If you’d like to hear my presentations, you can go see them by clicking here. If you others who would be interesting in hearing any of this year’s ETS talks, pass this along. Read more

Another review of “Saving God’s Face”!

Last updated on: November 22, 2015 at 6:53 am By Brad Vaughn

Albeit late, I recently found out that the Southeastern Theological Review included a book review of Saving God’s Face in their Winter 2014 issue. To read their review of my book, click here. The reviewer, Wesley Handy, does a good job summarizing key aspects of the book. He is very generous in his assessment. I am very grateful for his thoughtful critique. I would like to throw in a just brief comment or two in response. I need to correct... Read more

Justification is Saving then Social

Last updated on: November 22, 2015 at 6:53 am By Brad Vaughn

I have a dilemma (one I wish more people faced along with me). Perhaps you can help. Over the past 30 years, theologians and pastors have engaged in a heated debate. By and large, the controversy concerns this question: Is justification a doctrine about salvation or the church? Protestants traditionally stress the former: justification concerns how people are saved from sin. The key contrast is between works and faith. The “new perspective of Paul” (NPP) tends to emphasize the latter,... Read more

My ETS papers

Last updated on: December 1, 2022 at 2:10 am By Brad Vaughn

A few weeks back, I told you that I would present papers at the annual conference for the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). Today, I’m sharing them with you. Because these are presentation papers,… 1) the papers had to be brief and concise in order to satisfy time restraints. I expect to expand on these papers in the future. 2) I might not have footnoted everything as thoroughly as some would like. However, there is enough there for those who are... Read more