Destroyer of the gods: A Review
Early Christians were strange people in the eyes of Roman citizens. That was due in large part to their distinctive practices. Larry Hurtado,[1] in his newest book Destroyer of the gods (Baylor University Press, 2016), presents a fascinating, two-fold argument. First, he contends that early Christian worship practices were markedly different from all other Roman religions, cults, and philosophical societies. Second, Hurtado argues...
An Imaginative Inheritance: Chesterton’s Influence on Lewis and Tolkien
by Frank Thornsbury What brings an author to create what he creates? What, beyond sheer skill, brings him to the dimensions of his worlds or to the complex personalities of his characters? Imagination is the answer. Without a cultivated store of traditions, principles, ideas, and other influences the artist is an animal, a being with five senses and some rote faculties by which to categorize sense data. Indeed, our ability to be...
Pets: A Christian Perspective
In 2015, my wife and I acquired our first pets. We debated different animals—a dog, a cat, or maybe something exotic like a chinchilla. Following months of discussion, we found ourselves at the local farm supply store one rainy evening. After staring at cages for an hour, and negotiating yet more, we left with two, six-week-old, American Chinchilla bunnies.* Brownie and Lucky have been quite an adventure. Though we’ve heard stories...
Recommended Books (Winter 2017)
The New Year is always full of reading possibilities. If you’re like us, reading time comes at a premium and can’t be wasted on poor selections. Below are some of our favorite titles from the past quarter that we think were worth the time. Hopefully you’ll find some of your old favorites here and some new titles for consideration. Be sure to let us know what you’ve been reading in the comments section. ____________________ Christopher...
How Broad the Umbrella? Christian Education in the Thought of Robert E. Picirilli
Bible-believing Christians faced many challenges during the twentieth century, including education. Once they realized that the vast majority of higher-education institutions had rejected the Christian worldview, conservatives had to “rake from the ashes what scorched fragments of civilization” were left.[1] Part of this process required determining what precisely constituted “Christian” education and separated it from secular...
The Family Life of the Christian Leader: A Book Review
Part of the task of the pastor is not only to mine out unfamiliar truths for his people, which is indispensable (Mt. 28:18-19; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16; Heb. 4:12), but also to call them to remember truths that they already knew to be true. Part of the human condition is that we suffer from a certain “spiritual amnesia,” forgetting the vital truths of God in our lives and regressing into the nature of our old self. Therefore, the pastor,...
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