Here’s my last post on this topic. It’s prompted by a comment from my friend Jed, who asked me if my latest thoughts on authority represent a departure from earlier statements I made about earrings, clothing, and contextualization. I haven’t worked out everything regarding contextualization. It’s a tricky matter, and I’m a long way from understanding how it plays out. However, I can say that in the area of personal style and dress, my convictions have shifted. I’ve changed my... Read more

For those of you who don’t check the 9Marks website, I want to point out an article I wrote on pastoral discipleship that was just published. It’s called “Befriending Timothy.” Read it if you can and let me know what you think. Here’s a teaser from the article. “The universe operates according to a cause-and-effect framework. When matter is acted upon, change happens. When a match is struck, fire flares. When food cooks, hungry stomachs grumble. And when a pastor... Read more

As Christians, we’re pretty good at spotting the sins we hear talked about alot in church: failing in our devotion to God, lusting, getting angry, and that sort of thing. All of these things need to be addressed and fought with the Spirit’s power. However, I don’t think we give enough attention as Christians to more foundational sinful postures like anti-authoritarianism. We focus a great deal on the moment-by-moment sins but almost forget that a mindset that, though devoted to... Read more

My generation was raised hating tradition. I’m not sure exactly who decided that tradition was a horrible thing, but suffice it to say that we got the memo. We think tradition of most any kind is awful and to be cast off. This is an unfortunate viewpoint. Tradition is not holy, in and of itself. It’s not above questioning or revising. Not at all. But neither is tradition ontologically our sworn enemy. In fact, I would argue that we should... Read more

If your head is not in the sand, then you probably know that the culture at large is in rebellion against authority. We of the postmodern era distrust authority in all its forms. We don’t trust the government, we don’t trust written texts, we don’t trust the author’s original intent, we don’t trust the police, we ignore basic rules and regulations of society, we don’t vote, we are cynical toward those who are in leadership roles, and the list goes... Read more

This post, like many others, will have to be far briefer than it should be. The title of this blog leads one to a great number of factors that have contributed to an anti-authority attitude. However, there are several that I will highlight here. First, and this will surprise some who know my theological commitments, Luther’s 95 Theses in 1517 contributed to an anti-authority attitude. Please understand me here. I am not saying that what Luther did was wrong or... Read more

After a long hiatus, I’m back. Hope everyone out there had nice breaks. My wife and I had a wonderful first Christmas here in Kentucky and then a wonderful second Christmas in Maine. We’re back in the swing of things, and I’m itching to blog. I want to talk this week about the anti-authority attitude so common today, particularly among my generation and the generation that raised it, the Boomer generation. I’ve been thinking a good deal about the basic... Read more

A quick word to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I’m celebrating my first Christmas as a married man, and it’s been wonderful. What a blessing to have a second family here in Louisville, one so kind and warm and godly. Bethany and I are looking forward to a day with them. Later this week we travel to Maine where we will be for a week. Should be a very nice time there–Dad, Mom, Rachel, and Lester–can’t wait to... Read more

Here’s a great talk from Westminster apologist and professor Bill Edgar. It’s called “A Biblical Theology of Entertainment” and it’s nicely done. Speaking at LSU in 2005, Edgar makes the point that it is good and right for Christians to entertain themselves. Speaking of music, art, and sports, he argues that we should enjoy the goodness of this world. We should of course limit our pursuit of entertainment, but there is a rightful place within our lives for simply enjoying... Read more

The latest book I’ll recommend is Charles Sykes’s A Nation of Victims. Sykes, a think tank analyst and a radio show host, made an important contribution to public discourse when he published this important book in 1992. The essential point of the book is this: as a nation, America no longer concerns itself with character. Instead, we narcissistically focus on our inflated victimization, being led to this point by self-serving, self-focused psychology. The thesis is strong, well-executed, and the book... Read more