“The Parson’s Tale”: Chaucer’s Defense of Christian Marriage
by Jared Austin During the month of September 2014, the Helwys Society Forum is exploring literary figures and themes in the Great Tradition. In subsequent articles, we’ll consider George MacDonald, T.S. Eliot, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis. But in this article, we’re considering Geoffrey Chaucer’s defense of Christian marriage. Christian marriage is under attack in America. As American culture becomes increasingly secular, what seem...
Tradition vs. Traditionalism: What’s the Difference?
When we think of “tradition,” what comes to mind? For some, it is archaic hymns that are drudgery to sing, while for others it may be preaching that is solemn and boring. It is the routine worship service that lulls everyone to sleep. It is dull, unappealing, and leaves the soul unmoved. For many, tradition means older Christians clinging to a forgotten past that no one wants, (except them perhaps). They talk about how people have...
Worldview, Ethics, and Engaging the Culture
In his classic book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A.W. Tozer says, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”[1] In a similar manner, Scripture tells us, “For as [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.”[2] To use a modern term, our “worldview” often serves as the basis upon which we make our momentary decisions in life. Specifically, answering the question, “How should we live?” requires...
Autonomous But United
I grew up in Free Will Baptist churches, occasionally attended local association meetings with my father, and regularly attended the annual National Association Free Will Baptists. Even from a young age I knew that all Free Will Baptists didn’t share identical philosophies of ministry, nor did they agree on Bible translations, or what men and women ought (or ought not) to wear. But from what I could tell, we were a lot alike. I knew...
Reflections on Inspiration and Interpretation: The Implications of Inspiration for Interpretation (Part Two)
by Matthew McAffee In Part One of this essay, we introduced the nature of Scripture as dually-authored. In this essay, we will explore this further, commenting on how it is both divinely given and humanly written. We will also identify more specific ways in which our view of inspiration informs our attention to interpretation. The Significance of Scripture as Dually-Authored for Interpretation How does the nature of Scripture relate...
Reflections on Inspiration and Interpretation: The Nature of Inspiration (Part One)
by Matthew McAffee In the following two-part essay, I would like to entertain the connection between one’s view of biblical inspiration on the one hand, and one’s approach to biblical interpretation on the other. In Part One we will provide a brief assessment of what God has revealed to us in Scripture about the nature of these writings. In Part Two, we will explore a few of the implications that arise from biblical inspiration that...
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