WL Craig vs. J Crossley

Last updated on: April 2, 2014 at 11:20 am By Scot McKnight

From Wintery Knight, who summarizes the conclusions in the debate between ever-debating Bill Craig and ever-willing-to-debate James Crossley. I have found Crossley reasonable in his debates with traditionalists even when I disagree. What do you think of debates like these? What good do they do? Is this kind of apologetics the best way to “defend” the faith? If not, what is? William Lane Craig’s conclusion Supernaturalism: None of the four facts are supernatural, they are natural, and ascertained by historians... Read more

Church and Our Projections (Josh Graves)

Last updated on: April 2, 2014 at 5:47 am By Scot McKnight

Josh Graves is the Preaching Minster at the Otter Creek Church in Nashville. We are all caught up in an inescapable mutuality (paraphrase of Harry Emerson Fosdick). For several years (in various settings), I’ve noticed something about life that I couldn’t quite “diagnose” or “describe” but it was something real and potentially toxic. Then, it hit me . . . one of the dangerous attitudes that creeps into a local church (probably true of a sports team, academic department, schools,... Read more

Subject to Governing Authorities — Paul Again

Last updated on: April 2, 2014 at 9:34 am By Scot McKnight

Those famous words of Paul’s in Romans 13 have not only irritated some to the core of their being (think apartheid) but they have been used by some to sanction most any authority’s moves. Divinely sanctioned authority can run wild, and it has in the church. The text was a favorite of those who were pro-slavery in the Civil War era and not a few evangelical leaders used the text against activism in the 60s. How comprehensive is this opening... Read more

This is not an April Fools Post but Should Be

Last updated on: March 27, 2014 at 8:10 am By Scot McKnight

CNN: (CNN) — Sure, the wedding was stunning. The doves were released on cue, you didn’t stumble on your vows, and your aunt Caroline stayed sober until after the toasts. But something was off: Your special day didn’t play as well on social media as you were hoping. Where were all the RTs for that hilarious bouquet-catching Vine? Why didn’t anyone Instagram the handmade Mason-jar floral arrangements in the restrooms? And only 10 likes for the first blurry picture of the... Read more

From Tower Building to Net Mending (RJS)

Last updated on: April 2, 2014 at 5:42 am By RJS

Ronald E. Osborn wraps up part one of his new book Death Before the Fall: Biblical Literalism and the Problem of Animal Suffering with a sketch of a new approach to hard questions of the Christian faith. He uses three different images to cast this vision. First, he suggests that the Supreme Court provides an approach we should consider. Every decision (or almost every decision) has a majority opinion and a dissenting opinion. The dissenting justices are not disloyal, they... Read more

The Apostle Paul and Women

Last updated on: August 1, 2017 at 3:30 pm By Scot McKnight

What's remarkable is that in Paul's churches the women were present and participating. Not speaking would have been the norm. Read more

University of Georgia Rules on “Passion Marks” for Mens BB team

Last updated on: March 31, 2014 at 11:30 am By Scot McKnight

Some of this is good and some of this is, well, odd and … probably needed: Work of awesome student journalism at the University of Maryland asked athletic departments around the country for their policies on how student-athletes can use social media. It’s really riveting stuff, and factors into the Northwestern football players’ union case about how athletes on scholarship are subject to restrictions other students simply are not. We highly recommend taking a look at the piece if you’re interested in first amendment issues.... Read more

Paul and the End of Fun?

Last updated on: March 30, 2014 at 7:02 am By Scot McKnight

There are not a few proposals of what the apostle Paul was all about. From Augustine to Luther and Calvin Paul became increasingly a systematic theologian and it is not unfair to this tradition to say Paul was a soteriologian. That is, Paul was a fundamentally a theologian of (personal) salvation. So everything about Paul — his life and especially his letters — were framed through the categories of salvation. (Just take a look at the major “topics” in a... Read more

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Last updated on: March 8, 2014 at 5:38 am By Scot McKnight

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Read more

Weekly Meanderings 29 March 2014

Last updated on: March 26, 2014 at 3:49 pm By Scot McKnight

Marvelous story about Andreian Payne and Lacey Holsworth, marvelous: Adreian Payne and 8-year old Lacey Holsworth met each other two years ago in a hospital where she was being treated for Neuroblastoma, a rare form of nerve Cancer. The cliche of a star athlete visiting sick kids ended as soon as they met, and now Payne and “Princess Lacey” have become like brother and sister. On the court Payne is a beast, I mean just look at his record setting performance in the... Read more