— Matthew R. Crawford — Is it possible for a physicist to instruct a theologian on the topic of God? This is the question that has been rolling around in my mind since I read Walter Isaacson’s new biography of Einstein while on vacation (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007). Physics and biographies are two topics that have long interested me. How could one not be enamored by the forgetful scientist with the disheveled hair? I found the biography to... Read more

— by Matthew R. Crawford — The honor bestowed upon a guardian is directly proportional to the value of that which he guards. Allow me to illustrate. My wife and I once had a couple of friends present us with an unexpected request. They asked that we become the guardians of their newly born son in the event of their untimely death. We were honored, since this new child was the most valuable thing on earth to these parents. In... Read more

Two posts in one day–a veritable avalanche here at consumed. This second post is intended to introduce my guest-blogger for the next week. I’ll be going to Oregon tomorrow, and Matthew Crawford will be taking my place. A native of Tennessee, Matt is an MDiv student here at Southern Seminary in the School of Theology. He is a humble, godly guy, a valued friend, and a very gifted thinker and writer. Matt is husband to his sweet wife Brandy, father... Read more

Walking to work this morning, I was alerted to the presence of a lone car in the seminary’s massive parking lots. I noted two cones, a car inching forward, and a tall man watching the car’s progress, his arms folded, his lips pursed. Initially puzzled by this scene, I soon realized that it was nothing other than a father teaching his child how to parallel park. Now, parallel parking is not usually a near-death experience. At least I hope it’s... Read more

Later in the week I’ll be trucking off to Oregon with my wife’s side of our family for a vacation. In August, I’ll head to Maine to see my side of our family. These coming vacations afford me a chance to reflect on vacation and why it’s so magical. Prepare yourself for some truly amazing insights on vacation. For example, vacation is pleasant because one does not work while on vacation. See, there you go. It takes me hours to... Read more

It is easy for the Christian faith to become a set of propositions. To paraphrase a recent Russ Moore quotation, God can become a side to an argument, a conclusion, and not a living being. We can easily fall into mere assent to doctrine and fail to embrace God as a presence in our midst. In short, we can lose sight of the beauty of God and see only the dim outline of His presence. We do this when we... Read more

You just really have to wonder: do we make the gospel easy for people to receive? I think sometimes we do. We portray sin as no terrible thing, something everyone does. We portray hell as a place of separation. We urge people to trust Jesus but make it sound as if we’re setting them up with a new friend. The average person, imbued with some sense of morality and some sense of sympathy for Jesus, finds it no difficult thing... Read more

Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. –Luke 16:22-23 Besides the idea that God became a man, the concept of eternal, conscious torment for sinners–known as hell, the dreaded gehenna in the Greek–is the most startling idea in the Bible. Hell is such... Read more

Our culture is fascinated with the two concepts mentioned above. Horror movies, Stephen King books, and Halloween events captivate countless Americans. Physical beauty, artwork, and love for the outdoors draw our eyes from the mundane. We are a people who are equally transfixed by horror and beauty. These concepts seem so detached from the Bible. We are not used to hearing either of these words associated with scripture. We come to the Bible aware of its neat, clean theology, its... Read more