October 31, 2007
First Things and Eduardo Verástegui on Bella
Amanda Shaw, writing for First Things, explains that Bella (which I previously introduced) is not your run-of-the-mill chick flick, though the mainstream media remains reluctant to sing its praises. Spoiler warning: Shaw reveals a bit more than I hoped she would about the ending. (My wife and I plan to see it in a few weeks.)
Also: Christianity Today tells the conversion story of Eduardo Verástegui, lead male actor in Bella:
"God changed my heart and I had to repent of my past. And from that day on, I promised that I would never do anything that will offend God or my Latino heritage. I would never do anything to compromise my faith. That’s the moment I realized that the purpose of my life was to know and to love God."
Verástegui's closing comment:
"This is my career now. I'm passionate about Bella; this is our baby. It's a small budget film with a lot of heart, and we hope that Metanoia can do more and more films that will honor God. Our goal is that if God were on the set, or watching this movie, we wouldn't have to cover his eyes at any time. That's what motivates us, and that's why we hope people will come and see Bella."
October 30, 2007
Abortion - Facing Reality, Lake of Fire, and Bella
Fox News recently reported that 45 percent of Americans need to know a Presidential candidate’s position on abortion before they vote. It is therefore not entirely surprising that a cable television program, an unrated documentary, and a major motion picture are actively vying for attention as the nation heads into the primary season of what has been billed one of the most open Presidential elections in recent history. (There is no incumbent President or Vice-President in the running, and the Republican Party, contrary to precedent, has not coalesced around a particular candidate.) A list of what's out there:
1. Facing Reality: Exploring Abortion Through 3 Women's Right to Choose - A one-hour documentary that aired on the Fox cable network on Saturday, Oct. 27. Fox News spent a year following three women who are each contemplating an abortion: Kayla, a 20-year old student; Jeanne, 30, a mother of five who is struggling with a drug problem; and Brooke, a 26-year-old who has tried desperately to conceive, only to discover that her unborn child has a rare chromosome abnormality. (Several video clips are available.)
2. Lake of Fire - an unrated documentary which opened on October 3. Director Tony Kaye (like his counterpart in Facing Reality) opted to show an abortion procedure. Kaye (American History X) aims to "give equal time to those on both sides of the debate," as well as show "the grim realities of what it means to actually get the procedure done." Film Journal International calls it "… a significant piece of journalism," and Sam Thielman of World magazine gives it a hesitant recommendation, warning that the total absence of special effects or computer-generated animation adds to the horror of the subject.
3. Bella - a low budget ($3 million) film which opened October 26 with a growing buzz. A winner at the Toronto Film Festival and the Heartland Film Festival, Bella has garnered praise from folks like Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family. Priya Abraham sets the context: "The story follows José (Eduardo Verástegui), a rising soccer star whose career is abruptly ended. Years later, working as a gentle but haunted chef in his brother's New York restaurant, he learns that friend Niña (Tammy Blanchard) is pregnant and alone. In helping her, he finds renewal." Abraham also documents that the film is apparently preventing abortions.
ESV Literary Study Bible Roundup
The ESV blog provides a roundup on the recently released ESV Literary Study Bible.
Rebuttal to the Club for Growth - Huckabee Defended
Joe Carter articulately responds to the critique written by the Club for Growth regarding the track record of Governor Huckabee from 1996-2007. Governor Huckabee's accomplishments:
1. Pushed through a Democrat legislature the first, major broad based tax cuts in the state's history.
2. Pushed through a Democrat legislature an $80 million tax cut package.
3. Cut the state's capital gains tax by 25%.
4. Established a Property Taxpayers' Bill of Rights
5. Limited the increase in property taxes to 10% a year for individuals and 5% per taxing unit
6. Eliminated the income tax for families below the poverty line.
7. Increased the standard deductions.
8. Eliminated the marriage penalty.
9. Eliminated bracket creep by indexing the income taxes to inflation, thereby preventing taxpayers from moving
into a higher bracket when their paychecks increase due to inflations.
10. Doubled the child care tax credit.
11. Eliminated capital gains tax on the sale of a home.
Carter's conclusion:
I'm embarrassed that I initially relied on Andrew Roth's white paper when I formed my first impression of Gov. Huckabee. I'm even more embarrassed that others that have read this sloppy analysis believe it is a damning indictment. I've always considered The Club for Growth to be a respectable conservative organization. But their attempts to deceive their fellow conservatives by misrepresenting Huckabee's record have proven they are unworthy of such trust. Pat Toomey and his organization owe Governor Huckabee--and the rest of us--an apology for their attempted deception.
The Truth of the Cross - R.C. Sproul
Wonderfully accessible, The Truth of the Cross is R.C. Sproul at his very best. Each chapter displays a beautiful combination of theological precision and pastoral warmth, unpacking a different aspect of Christ's atoning work. I found it to be a great companion to personal devotions. Sproul's style is at once simple yet not simplistic. Readers are left with a full-orbed picture of the meaning and significance of Christ's death and why it was absolutely necessarily that He live a perfect life and die a perfect death on behalf of His people.
Christ's roles as a Substitute, Redeemer, Mediator, and Surety are all explained and defended. The question and answer chapter at the end is a great addition. For example, Sproul explains how God is not absent even in hell. Rather, those occupying hell prefer God to be absent, but His presence (in the mode of judgment) is unceasing. In response to another question, I was helped by the reminder that God Himself did not die on the cross, because He cannot die. Even saying the second Person of the Trinity died would be to make God mutable. Rather, the atonement was made by the human nature of Christ. The God-man dies, but death is experienced only by His human nature.
All in all, a great read.
"The gospel is a message of good news that something extraordinary has happened. At the heart of that message is that Jesus, God the Son incarnate, has atoned for the sins of all His people, turning away the righteous wrath of God. The gospel is a cross-shaped message. Sadly, in our day, this message is being re-shaped into other forms, and the results are not happy. We can give thanks for this volume by R.C. Sproul, however, because in it he steps into the breach once more to provide a clear, concise, and thoughtful case for the biblical and historic Christian gospel of the cross."— Dr. R. Scott Clark, Associate Professor, Westminster Seminary California
View the table of contents and read the first chapter.
October 29, 2007
John Piper on Masculine Christianity
At a recent pastors luncheon, John Piper delivered a message entitled "Sweet Blessings of Masculine Christianity." What Piper means by this phrase (though he acknowledges that words are inadequate) is this:
"The theology and the church and the mission are marked by over-arching male leadership and an ethos of tender-hearted strength and contrite courage and risk-taking decisiveness and readiness to sacrifice to protect and provide for the community-the feel of a great, majestic God making the men lovingly strong and the women intelligently secure."
Piper goes on to unpack eleven descriptors that flow from this ethos. I commend this message as a highly nuanced articulation of what Piper (and many others) have heralded for many years. Strong women and strong men are formed and flourish in the kind of Christian ethos that Piper describes. Churches that go the other direction tend to lose their men over time.
October 28, 2007
Best Football Game Ending I Have Ever Seen
You just need to endure one short commercial to get to the clip.
(HT: Denny Burk)
Pierced for Our Transgressions - Now Available in USA
If you live on the western side of the pond, you may have been waiting for Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution. Through November 2, this 384-page work is available for only $15 from WTS books (the previous link). First published in England in response to Steve Chalke (who infamously described penal substitution as "cosmic child abuse"), this book has been widely touted as one of the most clear, compelling, and thorough defenses of penal substitution in our day. Read John Piper's Foreword and the book's first chapter. Here are some of the many blurbs:
“The Bible historically has been understood to teach explicitly and implicitly that Christ died as a penal substitute for sinners. That’s what this excellent volume teaches us, too. Carefully studying the primary biblical texts and then answering numerous objections, this book explains and defends the understanding that Christ died in our place, taking our penalty for us. From the biblical material to patristic quotations, from pastoral implications to present objections, this book is a responsible and comprehensive introduction. All the authors’ careful work promises to make this book the new standard text on Christ’s atoning work. Now, I can’t wait to read it again, devotionally.”- Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church
“This book is important not only because it deals so competently with what lies at the heart of Christ’s cross work, but because it responds effectively to a new generation of people who are not listening very carefully to what either Scripture or history says.”- D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"A person’s attitude to the cross tells you much about their theology as a whole, as it is on Calvary that we see the divine response to the human predicament. Thus, the perennial attempts throughout church history to relativize and even deny the propitiatory and substitutionary nature of Christ’s sacrifice should not simply be understood as peripheral discussions; they indicate a constant tendency to revise the very essence of the Christian faith to conform to wider cultural mores and shibboleths. It is thus a great pleasure to commend a book such as this, which seeks to defend a biblical, orthodox understanding of the atonement and to reinforce the non-negotiable centrality of God’s wrath against sin and merciful grace towards humanity. Careful readers will find much here that will enable them to articulate with clarity and conviction this important gospel doctrine."- Carl R. Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History, Dean of Faculty, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Pierced for our Transgressions is a treasure-trove of information and analysis on the important, yet disputed doctrine of penal substitution. As a biblical scholar, I enthusiastically commend the authors for their careful exegesis of the biblical text. From this point on, critics of the biblical teaching must interact with the arguments of this book. Further, every Christian, whether aware of the debate or not, can greatly benefit from this comprehensive and penetrating treatment of this crucial doctrine."- Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, and visiting professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary
October 25, 2007
John Piper on NT Wright and Justification
The long-awaited interaction with N.T. Wright arrives November 1. I had the privilege of reading this book in draft form about nine months ago and found it to be a terrific blend of academic rigor and pastoral warmth. One of the many things I love about John Piper is his ability to clearly and compellingly answer the "so what?" question that lurks behind some of the more technical and theologically challenging issues of our day. And if ever there was a such an issue, this is it. So in the spirit of Dr. Piper, I'll attempt a brief, Theology 101-level explanation on why this book is timely and important.
Update: John Piper--The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright is now available at 33% off the cover price.
Historically, Protestants have believed that the moment a person placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ (as the God-man who lived and died as a substitute for sinners), that individual received the righteousness of Jesus Christ. This righteousness is "imputed" or transferred to their account. From then on, God looks upon the person as possessing the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. N.T. Wright has joined others in making light of this notion with quips such as “… it makes no sense that the judge [God] imputes, imparts, bequeaths, conveys or otherwise transfers his righteousness to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Righteousness is not an object, a substance or gas that can be passed across the courtroom.” This book is Pastor Piper's response. What's at stake? The basis of our acceptance before God. Do the good works performed by believers through the aid of the Holy Spirit in some way contribute to (or secure) our right standing with God, or are they the evidence that we already have a right standing with God? Among other things, this has implications for a believer's assurance of salvation.
I highly, highly recommend this book. Here are some blurbs:
“John Piper’s challenging yet courteous book takes issue with Tom Wright regarding Paul’s teaching on justification. This serious critique deserves to be read by all who want to understand more fully God’s righteousness in Christ and his justifying the ungodly.”Peter T. O’Brien, Senior Research Fellow, Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia
“The so-called ‘New Perspective on Paul’ has stirred up enormous controversy. The issues are not secondary, and, pastor that he is, John Piper will not allow believers to put their trust in anyone or anything other than the crucified and resurrected Savior.”D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
“In this captivating book John Piper defends the truth that justification is the heart of the gospel. Wright’s views are presented with scrupulous fairness. I found this book to be not only doctrinally faithful but also spiritually strengthening.”Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“I am very grateful to John Piper, pastor-scholar par excellence, for helping me understand better the doctrines of justification and imputation. Tom Wright’s interpretation of key biblical passages on the topic has some major problems, and Piper exposes many of them with great wisdom and skill.”Andreas Köstenberger, Professor of New Testament and Director of PhD/ThM Studies, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; Founder, Biblical Foundations (www.biblicalfoundations.org)
“Piper’s look at justification does this with a superb tone and a careful presentation of his case. Piper has put us in a position to hear both sides of the debate and understand what is at stake. Be prepared to be sharpened by a careful dialogue about what justification is.”Darrell Bock, Research Professor of NT Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary
“John Piper addresses a matter of crucial importance for the church, with a clear-headed command of the issues involved. By writing this book he has done us all, including N. T. Wright, a great favor.”Richard B. Gaffin, Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary
Related: An Interview with John Piper about The Future of Justification, thoughts from John Piper on When Does God Become 100% For Us?
Joe Carter recants - supports Huckabee
Joe Carter explains why he has now withdrawn his support from Fred Thompson and gotten behind Mike Huckabee.
Update: Carter co-authors an official endorsement along with Justin Taylor and Matthew Anderson. Their endorsement argues that Huckabee "appeals to the three legs of the conservative coalition"—social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and defense conservatives. Read it and be convinced!
Gary Shavey interviews Mark Dever
Used to hearing Mark Dever conduct interviews? Gary Shavey turns it around and asks Mark to talk about his book What is a Healthy Church?
October 24, 2007
Mike Huckabee Speech to Values Voters
I had the privilege of sitting in for part of a conference call earlier this week with Governor Huckabee and numerous other bloggers. I was impressed with his showing at the Values Voters Straw Poll, where he secured more votes than all the other candidates combined (if we count only those voters actually in attendance). Most of what Huckabee says makes sense to me, including his Fair Tax plan. While I think his goal of being energy independent within ten years seems overly ambitious, it is laudable.
In case you missed it, his speech to Values Voters is now available.
Who are you voting for? Here's a great Huckabee interview. (HT: Josh Harris via Justin Taylor) Note that Huckabee wisely calls upon Republicans to have a healthy respect for Senator Clinton. I find it amazing that so many Republicans think that because Hillary has high negative ratings (which she does), all will go well in November 2008. Not true. George W. had high negatives in 2004, but John Kerry had not been able to excite enough people. If the GOP does not put forth a candidate that can run a compelling, positive campaign, then Clinton will be (back) in the White House.
Marriage to Robots by 2050?
Robots are increasingly used to perform routine tasks in manufacturing and military environments. Less well known is the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) research (of which robotics is a sub-branch) extends to human-robot interactions (HRI). Anecdotally, I have heard that many elderly persons take to robots as social companions and have found it to extend their lifespans.
But there are some functionalities that robots simply cannot replace. And at some point, ethical implications rise to the forefront. I was disheartened to read that David Levy at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, an AI researcher, predicts that "by around 2050, the state of Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction to legalize marriages with robots." That's right: Marriage, and all that comes with it, to robots. Why not, if your worldview has a low view of both human beings (as image-bearers of God) and marriage (as a spiritual union of two divine image-bearers, created equal and yet, in God's manifold wisdom, different)? I share David Kotter's concern:
Ultimately there are only two options: maintain the biblical definition that marriage is a spiritual union of one man and one woman or open the door to having "marriage" refer to every conceivable arrangement including same-sex, polygamistic, trans-species, and even trans-human.
October 22, 2007
Susan Olasky on The Death of the Grown-Up
I previously commented positively about The Death of the Grown-Up by Diana West, which I have not read. As a balancing remark, I thought I should also mention Susan Olasky's brief critique. Olasky notes that although West gives a thorough review of cultural decline (rap music, teenage sexual mores, etc.), she falls into the same sort of relativism which she critiques when she opines that religion isn't necessary for cultural renewal. Sounds like a legitimate concern.
(HT: World Mag, October 6, 2007 issue)
October 21, 2007
What's So Great About Christianity - Dinesh D'Souza
Conservative scholar Dinesh D'Souza provides an articulate response to the slew of recent publications by men like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. In fact, Mr. D'Souza is scheduled to debate Christopher Hitchens at The King's College in New York City tomorrow night. The event is free and open to the public.
I had the privilege of hearing Mr. D'Souza speak tonight in Corona, CA and found him to be a clear and compelling spokesman for "mere Christianity." He is well-versed in the leading atheist books of our day as well as important works by Bertrand Russell and Friedrich Nietzsche. Moreover, he interacts with these thinkers at the strongest points of their arguments. He carefully explains how Christianity relates to the history of western civilization, science, philosophy, suffering, and morality. In short, he demonstrates why Christianity explains the universe, our origins, and common human values, better than atheism does. I'm not sure I see eye-to-eye with him on every detail regarding intelligent design and human origins, but what he says should be taken seriously. Get more information at Mr. D'Souza's website.
Some blurbs:
“Responding to the current epidemic of atheist manifestos, Dinesh D’Souza applies just the right balm for the troubled soul. Assembling arguments from history, philosophy, theology, and science—yes, science!—he builds a modern and compelling case for faith in a loving God. If you’re seeking the truth about God, the universe, and the meaning of life, this is a great place to look.”— Francis Collins, Director of The Human Genome Institute
“As an unbeliever, I passionately disagree with Dinesh D’Souza on some of his positions. But he is a first-rate scholar whom I feel absolutely compelled to read. His thorough research and elegant prose have elevated him into the top ranks of those who champion liberty and individual responsibility. Now he adds Christianity to his formula for the good society, and although non-Christians and non-theists may disagree with some of his arguments, we ignore him at our peril. D’Souza’s book takes the debate to a new level. Read it.”
— Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine
The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce
This year (2007) is the 200th anniversary of William Wilberforce's success in ending the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and was marked (among other ways) by the release of a major motion picture. Still in the works, however, is a documentary entitled The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce. This project is funded by the John Templeton Foundation and is set to be nationally televised, probably in February 2008:
The goal of the documentary is to focus on how strength of character is harnessed in the service of high and seemingly unattainable goals for society. Character and community join together to bring into the world what the English poet William Cowper described as "the better hour." The documentary highlights William Wilberforce's drive and love for humanity and reveals how he and his colleagues took up the cause of abolition of the slave trade at a time when the British economy depended upon slavery.
Along with this documentary, the John Templeton Foundation is setting aside $40,000 in prize money for high school students who have demonstrated leadership in specific service projects that reflect Wilberforce's values. The first place winner will receive $10,000. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2008, and awards are to be granted in May 2008.
(HT: Joel Belz in World Magazine)
Instone-Brewer, Piper and Kostenberger on Divorce and Remarriage
Instone-Brewer wrote on divorce in the October issue of Christianity Today, arguing that divorce (and remarriage) is permissible in cases of adultery, emotional or physical neglect, or abandonment and abuse. John Piper responded, rightly chastising Christianity Today for putting the careless phrase "When to separate" on its cover, even thought the matter being debated is whether separation is ever permissible, and if so, under what circumstances.
Then Andreas Kostenberger entered the fray, representing the majority opinion among evangelicals: that divorce is only permissible in cases of adultery or desertion.
I commend these three articles for all who are wrestling with the issue. Each is an articulate spokesman for their respective position.
Update: I think Instone-Brewer goes too far. I'm wrestling between Piper's and Kostenberger's views. Many find that Piper's translation of "porneia" in Matt. 19:9 as referring narrowly to fornication, rather than more broadly to adultery, has weak lexical support. On the other hand, I find it difficult to apply the so-called adultery exception. For example, when does one commit "adultery"? According to Jesus, it can be committed while checking out at the grocery store. In other words, what constitutes "adultery"? Must it be physical or can it be imagined? For example, one pastor I respect told me that viewing pornography on a regular basis would constitute adultery and thus be legitimate grounds for divorce. So where does it end? Sounds like a slippery slope. It also seems that once you tell a grieving, wronged spouse that they have legitimate grounds for divorce, it predisposes them to select that option. Even in an extreme situation (a violently abusive husband), it seems that separation can accomplish everything (in terms of the wife's safety, etc.) that divorce accomplishes while making it more clear that repentance/reconciliation is the goal.
Come On, People - Bill Cosby's Latest Book
Dr. Albert Mohler gives a positive review of Bill Cosby's latest book, Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors
"In 1950, five out of every six black children were born into a two-parent home. Today, that number is less than two out of six. In poor communities, that number is lower still. There are whole blocks with scarcely a married couple, whole blocks without responsible males to watch out for wayward boys, whole neighborhoods in which little girls and boys come of age without seeing up close a committed partnership and perhaps never having attended a wedding."
Mohler notes that "Christians will want to take many of the arguments beyond where Cosby and Poussaint leave them, but all will recognize the courage represented by this brave book."
It is imperative that African-American men take responsibility for their academic, professional, and social future, and for the well-being of their families, moving beyond a culture of victim-hood so often promoted in the mainstream media. It is equally imperative that they move beyond the self-saturated image of independent, commitment-less, womanizing male animals promoted by an economically powerful rap music industry for commercial gain. Given the importance of these matters, I welcome this new book.
However, I need to add a caveat. I attended a Bill Cosby comedy performance about ten years ago. Having grown up enjoying The Cosby Show as a relatively clean, amusing 30-minute homework break, I was surprised and disappointed at the raunchy, sexually-oriented humor Cosby frequently employed. While his routine did not exhibit gratuitous profanity (like Eddie Murphy, for example), it effectively undermined many of the lessons this most recent book tries to communicate. Given Dr. Mohler's commendation, I hope Mr. Cosby's speaking engagements these days display greater wisdom and discernment.
October 16, 2007
Great Westminster Bookstore Website Re-design
The Westminster Bookstore is a great place to get quality Christian books at extremely low prices. They recently redesigned their website --- and it looks great. Why not poke around a bit?
October 15, 2007
An Info-Techno Sabbath
Blogs. E-mails. Voice mails. News. TV. Joe Carter, reflecting on the information overload so many of us know and love, commends a weekly 24-hour break from information and technology along the lines of what Kevin Miller describes in Surviving Information Overload
The Sabbath ... had two purposes: rest and remembrance of God. An info-techno Sabbath, as I dub it, has the same goals: rest for our minds and over stimulated senses and remembrance that life is bigger than the news stories, stock quotes, and sports scores. It's bigger than our selves. There is, in fact, a God. And we are not it.
Carter's closing remark:
Why not take an info-techno Sabbath this weekend? No doubt your synapses will scream from the perceived dehydration. After drinking from the firehose of information a day without info tech will seem like a year long drought. But by unplugging the god of Technology you might just find something new in the pause — a still small voice sharing the information that truly matters.
Read the whole piece.
Joel Osteen (and Michael Horton) on 60 Minutes
In case you missed it, Byron Pitts did a great job interviewing Joel Osteen last night on 60 minutes. The engaging interchange included these remarks regarding Osteen's latest book Become a Better You
Byron Pitts: "To become 'a better you', you must be positive towards yourself, develop better relationships, embrace the place where you are. Not one mention of God in that. Not one mention of Jesus Christ in that."
Joel Osteen: "That's just my message. There is scripture in there that backs it all up. But I feel like, Byron, I'm called to help people…how do we walk out the Christian life? How do we live it? And these are principles that can help you. I mean, there’s a lot better people qualified to say, 'Here’s a book that going to explain the scriptures to you.' I don’t think that’s my gifting."
Notice that Osteen, a pastor, straightforwardly admits that explaining the Scriptures is not his gifting. Amazing.
Helpfully, the segment also included some reflections on Osteen from Dr. Michael Horton (who wrote a series of essays on Joel Osteen and his prosperity gospel message).
The 60 minutes interview can be read or viewed in its entirety.
Why CAL is Not Ranked #1 in the Nation
Too painful for words! What matters now is how they respond---particularly the young Riley.
Essay Contest for High School Students
From Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), a non-profit, non-partisan, tax-exempt educational organization whose purpose is to convey to successive generations of college youth a better understanding of the values and institutions that sustain a free and virtuous society:
HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST IN HONOR OF AMERICA'S FOUNDING
"George Washington and the Future of the American Presidency"
"As the first of every thing in our situation will serve to establish a precedent, it is devoutly wished on my part that these precedents may be fixed on true principles." —George Washington, 1789
ESSAY CONTEST: The importance of remembering the legacy and leadership of George Washington is evident daily in contemporary America. ISI is committed to keeping the vital lessons of the American Founding alive for the rising generation through this prestigious essay contest on "George Washington and the Future of the American Presidency."
(HT: The Rebelution)
October 07, 2007
Albert Mohler and Tim Stafford on Church Planting
Tim Stafford writes in the September 2007 issue of CT on the growing trend of church planting in North America:
"North America is the only continent in the world where the church is not growing," says Eric Ramsey of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board (NAMB).George Hunter of Asbury Theological Seminary says, "Churches after 15 years typically plateau. After 35 years, they typically can't even replace those [members] they lose. New congregations reach a lot more pre-Christian people." Those who study churches say established congregations tend to turn inward, no matter how hard they try to resist the trend. But new churches must look outward to survive. Richard Harris, vice president of NAMB's church-planting group, says that established SBC churches report 3.4 baptisms per 100 resident members, whereas new churches average 11.7. It's not hard to conclude that more new churches would lead more people to Christ.
Read the whole thing.
Established churches (say, 1000 or more members) can often send out a church planting team of a hundred, and find that those hundred vacated seats are filled in a matter of months. Meanwhile, the daughter church has doubled. And while established churches tend to grow by transfers, church plants tend to grow by conversions. While most church plants go belly-up within the first five years, it is also true that the majority of churches (70%, within the Southern Baptist Convention) are either barely maintaining their numbers or are in decline. Either way, evangelicals are becoming a smaller percentage of the population by virtue of not growing fast enough to keep up with overall population growth. The need for steady, conversion growth is a strong argument for making a concerted effort to plant churches. Stafford notes that "America's largest Protestant body (the Southern Baptist Convention) wants to double its number of congregations in the next 20 years, to 100,000."
Dr. Mohler reminds us that while church planting is important, some young pastors should pursue the re-vitalization of existing churches:
"At the same time, we also need this generation of young pastors to go into established churches and revitalize a Gospel ministry through expository preaching and energetic leadership. Giving up on the established church is not an option. Some young pastors see church planting as a way of avoiding the challenge of dealing with the people and pathologies of older congregations. This is an abdication of responsibility.Furthermore, many established churches are showing signs of new life, often under new leadership. As one pastor explained, this sometimes means planting a new church within an older church. On the other hand, only a fraction of newly planted churches exist as operational congregations five years after their founding.
Similarly, the passion to reach unreached populations is entirely laudable and urgent. The sad reality is that many of our established evangelical churches seem determined to reach only people who look like themselves -- if they are committed to reach anyone at all. The danger on the other side is that many of these newly-planted churches begin to look like their founders and first members. A church of tattooed twenty-somethings in New York can be just as lacking in diversity as the aging middle class congregation at First Church."
Defending Life by Frank Beckwith
Ryan Anderson, Assistant Editor of First Things, pens a helpful review of Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice
Defending Life is the most comprehensive defense of the prolife position on abortion ever published. It is sophisticated, but still accessible to the ordinary citizen. Without high-pitched rhetoric or appeals to religion, the author offers a careful and respectful case for why the prolife view of human life is correct. He responds to the strongest prochoice arguments found in law, science, philosophy, politics, and the media. He explains and critiques Roe v. Wade, and he explains why virtually all the popular prochoice arguments fail. There is simply nothing like this book.
October 06, 2007
Rick Phillips on the Worldview of Pornography
Rick Phillips offers distilled wisdom on how pornography is not just an activity, but a worldview.
"Time after time, men caught up in pornography depict a general discontent with their lives and their own identity. As such, the problem of porn is not merely -- or even primarily -- one of lust. Instead, men tap into porn as part of a fantasy life in which they exist as comic-book ideals of real men. They think their job is ho-hum, their boss yells at them, their wife nags, the creditors pound on the door. So instead of bringing their lives before the Lord and finding their purpose in the light of Christ, they tap into the Internet and fuel their fantasies of being young, virile, and powerful. Porn is an idolatry of self and a dark worldview that can only exist in fantasy."
Read the whole thing.
(HT: Lydia Brownback)
Jonathan Edwards Book Sale
Speaking of Jonathan Edwards, the Desiring God sale (going on right now) features the lowest prices I have ever seen on his books (and books about him). The sale is in honor of his 304th birthday, which was yesterday.
Christians and Higher Education
A recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education tells of Dr. Mike S. Adams, an associate professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, who recently applied for promotion to full professor.
He had been at the university for 13 years. In that time, he had published 10 peer-reviewed papers and won three teaching awards. Not that there weren't bumps along the way, but his record, he believed, was better than most.So when he was turned down, Mr. Adams started asking questions. The official word was that he hadn't measured up in any of the three crucial categories — teaching, publishing, or service. He didn't believe that for a minute. The real reason he wasn't promoted, according to Mr. Adams, is that he's a Christian.
The article goes on to explore whether it is religion or politics that is sometimes the source of discrimination. It quotes Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history at Barnard College, an ordained Episcopal minister and a self-described liberal evangelical. Balmer acknowledges that there is a liberal bias in the academe, and is thankful for it. But no religious bias, says Balmer.
I tend to agree with Dr. Albert Mohler on this one. Mohler notes:
The more openly a professor's worldview is tied to Christian commitments, the larger the problem becomes. When the professor's worldview and political commitments are those shared by his or her secular colleagues the social and professional cost of Christian identification is likely to be low. When those commitments and worldviews diverge the cost is likely to be far higher.
James Dobson on Third Party Option
In an op-ed piece in the New York Times this week, Dr. James Dobson confirmed the widespread buzz that more than fifty pro-family leaders had recently gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah to discuss how they would respond to a Rudy Giuliani GOP nomination. Dobson wrote:
“If neither of the two major political parties nominates an individual who pledges himself or herself to the sanctity of human life, we will join others in voting for a minor-party candidate. . .I firmly believe that the selection of a president should begin with a recommitment to traditional moral values and beliefs. Those include the sanctity of human life, the institution of marriage, and other inviolable pro-family principles. Only after that determination is made can the acceptability of a nominee be assessed.
The other approach, which I find problematic, is to choose a candidate according to the likelihood of electoral success or failure. Polls don’t measure right and wrong; voting according to the possibility of winning or losing can lead directly to the compromise of one’s principles. In the present political climate, it could result in the abandonment of cherished beliefs that conservative Christians have promoted and defended for decades. Winning the presidential election is vitally important, but not at the expense of what we hold most dear.”
I could not agree more with Dr. Dobson on this one. If Giuliani wins the GOP nomination, I think Hillary Clinton would win the general election in a landslide. I would not vote for either of them!
(HT: Denny Burk)
How We Choose Jonathan Elijah's Name
For any who may be curious, here's a bit of background on the birth of Jonathan and how we chose his name:
Jonathan Elijah Chediak was born at 3:02am on Wednesday, September 26th. He was 7 lbs.14 oz. and 20 inches long. We praise God for a safe delivery and a healthy mom and baby.
The delivery was an exciting one. After weeks of false contractions and a day of very slow ones, Marni was sure they'd be gone again by morning. But after midnight on the 26th they started coming strong with less than a minute between each one. Marni finished packing, woke Alex, and they left at 1:30 for the hospital with Karis. Thankfully our friends were able to come get Karis at the hospital, otherwise Alex would have missed the birth entirely. There was no time for Marni to have the full course of antibiotics she needed, and no time for the epidural she desperately wanted. She was 5 cm dilated when they got to the hospital, and reached 10 within an hour. When it was time to push Marni protested "no! I want an epidural," but thankfully the midwife (and Alex) reminded her to just push instead. The pushing lasted about 15 minutes. Jonathan was very healthy and has been nursing well since he was born. And our prayers were answered as he seems to be functioning just fine even though his left kidney is in the wrong place (pelvis). Marni is pleased (AFTER the fact) to have delivered naturally.
Karis is receiving lots of love and attention with both mothers spending time visiting. So far she has mostly ignored her new baby brother, but has astutely observed that he has ears, a nose, etc.
Jonathan's name means "gift of God" in Hebrew (Karis' name means the same in Greek). He is named primarily after Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), a pastor-theologian who exuded a God-centered orientation and an effectiveness in calling people to delight in God with both their head and their heart. Many of his sermons and larger works continue to bless readers today. Buttressed by a God-entranced vision of life, the Edwards family tree has produced scores of preachers, university presidents and men and women of the highest character in many fields. And we also love Jonathan from the Old Testament, who was such a faithful friend to David and a valiant warrior.
Our son is also named after Elijah, a man of faith who was used of God to defeat the prophets of Baal, exhorting the Israelites to decisively and unwaveringly pursue Yahweh: "And Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
We pray that our son will be a man of similar faith and conviction, a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion, whose life will promote the cause of Christ in a myriad of ways.
Thank you for your prayers,
Alex, Marni, Karis, and Jonathan
October 04, 2007
Free Audio Book: The Life of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards
ChristianAudio announces:
America's greatest Theologian, Jonathan Edwards, had a heart for missions. And Edwards deeply respected David Brainerd, who gave his life for missions to Native Americans. The Life of David Brainerd is an inspiring tale of one of the most notable missionaries in American history.Use the coupon code OCT2007 to receive the Download Format of The Life of David Brainerd for free in the month of October.
I just downloaded the nine audio files which constitute the entire book -- over 8 hours of free audio!
Related: John Piper's biographical sketch of David Brainard.
Missional & Reformed: Conference at Westminster
One age-old fallacy in Christian circles is that you can't believe in Reformed theology and care about sharing Christ with others. This faulty logic is based on a false dichotomy between man's responsibility (to forsake sin and to trust in Christ alone for salvation) and God's sovereignty (in unconditionally choosing a people for Himself from before eternity past). Others, unwilling to go that far, associate "Reformed" with being old-school, inflexible, and unwilling to adapt to cultural changes. In other words: You can't be both Reformed and missional.
Since I think the above association is sad and mistaken, I was delighted to learn that Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California is hosting a Conference on January 18-19, 2008 on the topic Missional and Reformed: Reaching the Lost & Teaching the Reached. They conference organizers note:
The claim of the emergent/emerging churches to represent a truly "missional" approach to ministry, witness, and evangelism is generating much interest and ink. This conference considers what it means to be Reformed and missional. We start with the conviction that Christ the Lord has established an institution (the church) and has given to it a mission to make disciples of all the nations. Without the church there can be no mission and where there is no mission, there is no church. Tough questions remain and this conference doesn't promise to have all the answers, but we hope to ask right questions about mission and ministry in our pluralistic age.
The schedule features six plenary sessions, each of which bears an engaging title and is led by a Westminster Seminary California Professor:
"The Mission and the Confession of the Church: Friends or Foes?" (W. Robert Godfrey)
"Why the Mission Needs the Marks of the Church" (R. Scott Clark)
"Why the Marks of the Church Need the Mission" (Michael S. Horton)
"Mission According to Paul" (Joel E. Kim)
"Mission in a Pluralistic Age" (Hywel R. Jones)
"Mission and Missions: Evangelism in the 21st Century" (Julius J. Kim)
There is also a time for Q&A.
Registration is only $45 through November 26th.
(HT: Tim Challies)
October 03, 2007
Some Reflections on "The War"
I appreciated the note at the end of the Ken Burns' documentary. The film was dedicated to all who were wounded and died in a necessary war on our behalf. WWII was unspeakably gruesome. From the atrocities of Hitler's madness throughout Europe, and particularly in the death camps, to the horrible slaughter of women and children in China by the Japanese (until recently unacknowledged by many in Japan), the war was both a display and the result of human depravity. Yes, American soldiers occasionally retaliated in inappropriate ways, but for the most part we should be humbled and grateful for their sacrifice and service to defend liberty. Hitler had his sights on America, and Japan owned the Pacific. We would live in a very different world today were it not for the bravery and service of millions--of (in some respects) an entire generation. So many fought voluntarily and thought little of their sacrifice (including Japanese and African Americans, sometimes ostracized even after they returned).
Denny Burk is right: the relative peace, prosperity, and security most of us enjoy is the exception, not the normal human condition. And while untold yet unspeakable suffering still occurs throughout the world, King Jesus will someday return and right every wrong:
"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."
- II Peter 3:8-13
The Memoirs of Eugene Sledge
The last episode of Ken Burns' The War aired last night. Marni and I watched about 70% of it (and recorded the entire series on several VHS tapes). It was absolutely captivating. A great balance of historical coverage on how WWII progressed in each of the major theatres combined with the personal stories of several families from Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; and Luverne, Minnesota.
The soldier Eugene Sledge stood out to me. While engaging in several years of fighting in the Pacific, Sledge would keep an informal diary on loose sheets of paper that he would stick in the pages of his pocket New Testament. Every now and then, the producers of THE WAR would directly quote Sledge, read by one particular actor in a dry, laconic tone (which seemed to fit Sledge's personality). I kept saying to my wife Marni: "What a fantastic writer!" Particularly when I considered that he was not exactly recording his musings in an ideal environment. His records of the major battles at Peleliu and Okinawa were later published (at his wife's urging) in the 352-page volume entitled With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa
On his enlisting with the Marine Corps:
Prompted by a deep feeling of uneasiness that the war might end before I could get overseas into combat, I enlisted in the Marine Corps at Marion, Alabama. The recruiting sergeant asked me lots of questions and filled out numerous official papers. When he asked, "Any scars, birthmarks, or other unusual features?"? I described an inch-long scar on my knee. I asked why such a question. He replied, "So they can identify you on some Pacific beach after the Japs blast off your dog tags."
On fighting in Peleliu:
We existed in an environment totally incomprehensible to men behind the lines--service troops and civilians. To the noncombatants and those on the periphery of action, the war meant only boredom or occasional excitement; but to those who entered the meat grinder itself, the war was a nether world of horror from which escape seemed less and less likely as casualties mounted and the fighting dragged on and on. Time had no meaning; life had no meaning. The fierce struggle [in the abyss of Peleliu] eroded the veneer of civilization and made savages of us all.
On leaving Peleliu:
As I struggled upward (onto the boat) with my load of equipment, I felt like a weary insect climbing a vine. But at last I was crawling up out of the abyss of Peleliu! I stowed my gear on my rack and went topside. The salt air was delicious to breathe. What a luxury to inhale long deep breaths of fresh clean air, air that wasn't heavy with the fetid stench of death. But something in me died at Peleliu. Perhaps it was a childish innocence that accepted as faith the claim that man is basically good. Possibly I lost faith that politicians in high places who do not have to endure war's savagery will ever stop blundering and sending others to endure it.
On fighting in Okinawa, after Germany surrendered:
Nazi Germany might as well have been on the moon. On Okinawa no one cared much. We were resigned only to the fact that the Japanese would fight to total extinction as they had elsewhere, and that Japan would have to be invaded with the same gruesome prospects.
Reflecting on V-J day:
We thought the Japanese would never surrender. Many refused to believe it. Sitting in stunned silence, we remembered our dead. So many dead. So many maimed. So many bright futures consigned to the ashes of the past. So many dreams lost in the madness that had engulfed us. Except for a few widely scattered shouts of joy, the survivors of the abyss sat hollow-eyed and silent, trying to comprehend a world without war.
Mr. Sledge apparently had great difficulty adjusting upon his return. He went to business school on the G-I bill, tried the insurance industry, and later quit. Eventually, he studied biology and became a teacher. His wife said that the study of nature helped him maintain his sanity. He passed away in 2001.
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