I hope to generate conversation, some consternation, and (at the end of the day) some light. Here’s my big point: Some evangelicals have been tossing sharp barbs for a long time at “liberals” or “mainliners” for disregarding the Bible. (It would not be hard to give good examples.) Most evangelicals criticize liberals on the basis of a robust commitment to the Bible — and in so criticizing they believe it is they who are being faithful to the Bible. Where... Read more
Kevin Smith has his list of top apps to know about, but I wonder what your recommendations might be. News, calendars, diaries, taking notes, organization, etc? I come across a lot of apps as Business Insider’s resident app expert. Some apps are great. Others are total duds. But there are only a handful I use every single day. These apps are all useful and fun. They help me stay informed, on task, reach goals, make sure I look good, and keep... Read more
From Jeanne Bishop: I had never prayed for the person who killed my loved ones; I had never even uttered his name. I say it now: David Biro. I began praying for him in the only place I could: the garden where Nancy and Richard and their baby are buried. I dropped to my knees and asked God for something I never could have imagined, that Nancy’s killer get well enough to get out someday. I don’t know that he... Read more
From Krish Kandiah, wow — wish I could have been there: When it comes to talking about the re-evangelisation of the West, the elephant in the room is the question: ‘What is the gospel?’ There are all sorts of tribes and divisions within the evangelical community and sadly this means we sometimes grab hold of one part of the gospel and assume that is all there is. We end up sometimes with fragmented or reactionary approaches to the gospel and... Read more
Christianity is a Straightjacket — belief in absolute truth is an enemy of freedom—it endangers our civic freedom because it divides rather than unites—it stifles creativity and growth— “Christianity looks like an enemy of social cohesion, cultural adaptability, and even authentic personhood.”(p. 37) So run the complaints of many in our educated skeptical age. Tim Keller, in Ch. 3 of The Reason for God suggests that “this objection is based on mistakes about the nature of truth, community, Christianity, and... Read more
One of my favorite pastors in the USA is John Burke in Austin TX at Gateway Church. John wrote a book sometime back called No Perfect People Allowed, a book that told stories about how his church was formed by imperfect people finding the grace of God and forgiveness in the face of Jesus. So I was glad to hear that John had a new book called Mud and the Masterpiece (Baker, 2013). As I read this one it forms the mode or... Read more
From the NYTimes editorial: The charter school movement gained a foothold in American education two decades ago partly by asserting that independently run, publicly financed schools would outperform traditional public schools if they were exempted from onerous regulations. The charter advocates also promised that unlike traditional schools, which were allowed to fail without consequence, charter schools would be rigorously reviewed and shut down when they failed to perform. With thousands of charter schools now operating in 40 states, and more... Read more
It’s time to revisit the Pharisees, in part because their story needs to be told so we don’t forget and in part because some like to use the “Pharisee” in ways that concern me. It is a standard procedure to say “Pharisee” and mean “legalist, bigot, hypocrite, or picayune meddler into other people’s religious business.” Look at any dictionary. But this is in and of itself a caricature and stereotype, for no one (I hope) would think that all Pharisees have... Read more
Andy Hynes, at SBC Voices, has an interesting approach to passing on the faith to our children. He advocates focusing on repentance and faith (those Baptists often skip baptism for some reason). What do you think? What about Jesus’ teachings here? the apostles’? What do you think of the current state of evangelizing children? Advice? I see parents today leading young children, who do not have a proper biblical understanding of essential concepts, into a “moment or decision,” that has... Read more
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