The Persistence of Place: Reflections on Craig Bartholomew’s Where Mortals Dwell
Some of the most important aspects of life are those we often overlook. Many of us, to some extent, acknowledge that it is during illness that we realize we’ve taken good health for granted. For example, looking death in the eye, even the wealthy and famous often concede: “I wish I had spent more time with my family.” Committed Christians also find themselves repeatedly confronted with the theme of remembrance as they read the...
Shaken, But Not Stirred
Essay By Eric Thomsen “Before our next song, turn and shake a friend near you.” It was a moment before Chris realized what he had said to the congregation, and by that time a wave of laughter had already begun to sweep across the sanctuary. Red-faced, Chris grinned sheepishly, corrected himself, and the service continued. I laughed along with the rest of our church—slapping Chris on the shoulder and thanking him for...
The Covenant Framework of Scripture: A Hermeneutical Lens for Understanding the Bible
At the core of Scripture’s teaching is the covenant relationship that exists between Yahweh and His most prized creation—humanity. An interesting subject theologically, it is also a very practical area of inquiry as well. First, it provides a framework to answer several crucial questions: “Why does the Bible teach that mankind is condemned before God? How does God plan to restore His broken relationship with humanity? What role does...
A Defense of Ethical Evangelism
How Religion Spoils Everything is the subtitle of Christopher Hitchens’s New York Times best-seller God is Not Great. And there are many who share Hitchens’s feelings about religion. Increasingly, it seems, many see religion as a dangerous thing. Still, the vast majority of people (especially Americans) are religious. Despite the prevalence of religious peoples, increasing pressure mounts nevertheless to privatize faith. For religions...
Christian Worship: “Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs”
We sing. As Christians, it’s something we do. It’s what we’ve done in the past, it’s what we do today, and it’s what we’ll do forevermore. Yet, the simple act of singing in the church is more than just words crafted together, or lyrics set to music—though it is these things. Ultimately, we offer praise to God in worship by it. Today, some sing with instrumentation, and others without. Some sing from screens, and others from books....
The Pursuit of Excellence
Introduction “True greatness should never go unrecognized,” or so says Audi’s recent luxury sedan ad campaign. Indeed, the truly great or excellent should never go unrecognized. It should be sought after and recognized for its worth. Yet the question remains, “In our pursuit of excellence, what is truly excellent?” In this essay I will explore the topic of excellence: What do we find concerning excellence in the natural world? And...
Recent Comments