Source: As anyone on Twitter knows, public culture can be quick to attack, castigate and condemn. In search of the moral high ground, we rarely grant each other the benefit of the doubt. In her Class Day remarks at Harvard’s 2018 graduation, the Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie addressed the problem of this rush to judgment. In the face of what she called ‘a culture of “calling out”, a culture of outrage’, she asked students to ‘always remember context, and... Read more

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom Read more

I am a big fan of Christopher Wright’s books because he knows how to teach the church about reading the Old Testament from a mission perspective. From teens to college students and into adult Bible studies there are very few books that work their way through the Bible without creating endless tedium or that somehow come off as just too superficial. Hence, I liked his Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, then he did one on Knowing God the Father Through the... Read more

O Lord our Governor, bless the leaders of our land: That we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to other nations of the earth. Teach all people to rely on your strength and to accept their responsibilities to their fellow citizens, that there would be wise decisions for the well-being of our society; that we may serve you faithfully in our generation and honor your holy Name. For yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and... Read more

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. BCP Read more

Over Martin Luther King Day Kris and I usually spend a week or more in Florida with her sister, Pat, and it was a wonderful time — I had good study time to work on my translation of the “Second” Testament and we had two long walks each day in good weather. We are now looking out into snow and cold, so the warmth and green were nice while they lasted. Clever dad: There are some parenting issues that, no... Read more

By Mike Glenn If you serve on the staff of Brentwood Baptist Church, you will need to be prepared to answer two questions. I will ask you these two questions randomly, spontaneously, and without warning. What are those two questions? The first question is, “Where are you reading in Scripture?” Not, “What book are you reading?” I love reading, and I read lots of books. I hope everyone reads a lot of books. BUT THERE IS NO BOOK THAT TAKES... Read more

What governed the interpretation of Scripture in the early church? Hint: it was both the same as and quite different from our approach today. Neither the New Testament authors or the early church fathers practices historical criticism or the grammatical-historical method. Craig Allert (Early Christian Readings of Genesis One) starts by looking at Paul’s use of Scripture and then moves to consider several of the early church Fathers. Paul certainly took Scripture seriously. He was a trained scholar, a Pharisee,... Read more

What is liberalism? is often better framed as Who is a liberal theologian? Unfortunately, some point at someone today and what is not said is that this person is no more liberal, and sometimes less so (!), than the accuser. It’s best to look at the face of modern liberalism himself. Before we get there a reminder than in theological discussions there is a collection of names, movements, and methods that pervade theological and biblical discussions that are not discussed... Read more