This from Richard Bauckham’s The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Cambridge): To the inhabitants of the earth (13:8) it is obvious that the beast has defeated the martyrs. The political and military might of the beast, which seems to carry all before it and wins the admiration and the worship of the world, here seems triumphant even over the witnesses of Jesus.…But John’s message is that from the heavenly perspective things look quite different. The martyrs are the real... Read more

This is the title of an engrossing biography of Edward Carnell, one of the brightest minds of the twentieth-century evangelical scene. Written about twenty years ago by a New York University professor named Rudolph Nelson, and published by the prestigious Cambridge University Press, the book chronicles the life and thought of Carnell, a brilliant apologist and former president of Fuller Theological Seminary, the alma mater of such men as John Piper, Tom Schreiner, and Bruce Ware. Nelson is a former... Read more

What an odd title, I know, given that it adorns a blog. But my strange title is no accident. As I’ve been thinking some this past week about blogs, this thought occurred to me: we ought not to spend much time on blogs. Some time is fine, but I fear that much of the time we used to devote to reading books is now given to reading blogs. I personally don’t read many blogs. I don’t have much time. I... Read more

That’s the claim my former pastor, Mark Dever, made to me regarding Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto, “The Emperor.” After listening to this song, I can say that it is indeed a stunning piece of music. Some music is so beautiful as to evoke tears from one’s eyes. I’m not going to say whether tears were in my eyes when listening to the song. I’ll leave you to guess–and to put some tears in your own eyes by buying this album.... Read more

I’m not sure if many people noticed due to the Virginia Tech tragedy and aftermath, but the Supreme Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion by a 5-4 decision. I’m not going to go deep into the workings of this case, but I did note that Justice Anthony Kennedy, a notorious swingman from right to left, actually wrote the majority opinion. In a world of surprises, this one is most welcome. I find it quite surprising that Kennedy took the... Read more

I may return to the idea of Internet-based narcissism, but for today I want to write something about the Virginia Tech tragedy. There is a great deal for a Christian to sift through in the wake of a happening like this. My primary thought is this: we who are saved and healed by Christ need to reach out to those who are unsaved and sick. It’s a simple thought, I know, but it’s a life-saving one, if we will translate... Read more

I think that the primary way a blog can be narcissistic is if it about you. There’s nothing wrong with having a journal. Lots of Christians way more godly than me journaled and found it a useful spiritual exercise. So I have nothing against it per se. However, I do think that there is something fundamentally narcissistic with a journalistic blog, which is by its very nature public. Some things are best kept to ourselves. This will surprise some people,... Read more

Many people have already talked about today’s topic, but I think it’s worth chipping in my own two cents on the matter. The more I use the web and the various social sites it offers, the more disillusioned I become. I’m sure many of you out there have had a similar experience. The Net used to be a tool for making friends, building odd sorts of artificial community, and researching one’s interests. Today, the Net has taken a sharp turn... Read more

I’ve taken this week to try and dissect some interesting cultural media. I’ll close this week’s series with a look at NBC’s “The Office,” a show that follows the workings of a fictional Scranton, PA paper company called Dunder-Mifflin. The show is a comedic study of office life as set in this one little company involving a diverse group of characters, including the show’s main character, the boss, Michael Scott (brilliantly played by Steve Carrell). Significant and ongoing plotlines include... Read more

Many Christians, I am guessing, will not see 300. I can understand this decision, as there is a good deal of objectionable content. It’s always tough to deal with such situations–one is not immediately sure how to balance the desire to engage the world and the desire to be spiritually careful. But after checking out the movie on screenit.com, and timing my concession breaks, I was able to see the film and to engage its worldview. 300 offers a premodern... Read more