Andrew Marin has earned the right to be heard about gays and the Church. Why? His book, Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation With the Gay Community , tells the story. That subtitle is what is needed next, and I think it’s the Third Way. Some are wearied by this discussion.Some are worked into passionate pronouncements.Few are willing to sort out the issues, both biblical and relational, and then move into genuine Christian engagement. Andrew Marin does the latter.... Read more
This week’s Friday is for (our and from our) Friends is from Michael Mercer. Read this post, think about it and give us your reflections because he’s asking some probing questions about Christ ad culture. Reflections from the Bible Belt While volunteering at my son’s public high school for a band competition today, I noticed various motivational signs and banners posted around the building. CHARACTER: It’s who you are when no one’s looking. CHARACTER: Each person... Read more
What do you think these words mean from James 2:13? “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” I think it sounds like Jesus in Matt 6:14-15: “14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” James doesn’t let up: those who will be finally approved by... Read more
At the Following Christ Conference this last December Francis Collins announced his coming BioLogos website and foundation. I was not at the conference, but several who were mentioned it in comments on various posts on this blog, so I’ve been watching for it. Yesterday the long anticipated site launched and can be found at The BioLogos Foundation. The site is worth a good and careful look. It is well designed with much information and more to come I’m sure. But... Read more
The editors of Heresies and How to Avoid Them: Why It Matters What Christians Believe finish the book off with an epilogue that reflects on heresy and orthodoxy, and it’s worth a good read. It will do well to finish off this excursion into how to avoid heresies. It is an easy temptation to become focused on heresies (or heretics) instead of exploring the reaches of orthodoxy itself. Michael Ward discusses problems with being orthodox. Hyper-orthodoxy is the desire to... Read more
We will begin this Friday and then next week two new conversations. One will be about Andrew Marin’s new book about homosexuality and the Church, called Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation With the Gay Community . And the second will be about Tom Wright’s new book, Justification: God’s Plan and Paul’s Vision . Last week’s post about the New Perspective sets some of the context of Tom Wright’s debate with John Piper, who has been interviewed about it... Read more
James 2:12-13 reads: “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” Sailors, so I’m told, use stars to guide them. The North Star has become the symbol of finding and being guided by an ultimate reference point. James urges the messianists to use — as their North Star — the reality of judgment... Read more
Over at the CT site called Her.meneutics, Kay Warren stirred some folks up about the distinction between humans and animals. Here is her decisive paragraph (and what do you think?): Please don’t misunderstand me: God put animals under the care of human beings, and we are responsible to treat them with love and kindness (Gen. 1:28). He holds us accountable for his creation — I mean, he’s the one who thought up puppies and gorillas in the first place, and... Read more
I got this set of questions from a reader at the end of our series on “Our Collective Faith,” a series that discussed a book about heresies and how to avoid them. Here is the set of questions, and I’ve asked some theology friends to respond, but I’m game for anyone’s response: To what extent has the application of the label of “heresy” been properly or improperly applied through church history? How does the notion that “the winners write the... Read more
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