Qoheleth’s Critique of Materialism
Derek Kidner in The Message of Ecclesiastes: As to man’s dignity, what is so mortifying (an appropriate word!) about death’s final leveling of wise men and fools—to which we could add, "good men and bad," "saints and sadists," and every other pair of opposites—is that if it is true, it allows the last word to a brute fact which tramples on every value-judgment we can make. Everything may tell us that wisdom is not on a par with folly, nor goodness with evil; but no matter: if death is the end...
Bob Jones Seminary Conference Back On
Terrible weather postponed this conference when it was first planned last year (or was it two years ago?). Now it's back on. I've got limited time, but I hope to hear several of the presentations live. For readers not in Greenville, I'll try to remember to post some links to audio afterwards. I'm always happy to hear Mount Calvary Baptist Church preachers and graduates, so I'm sure Minnick, Casillas, Leedy, and Talbert will be on that list. But I'm also very interested to see what Brian Hand...
The Mythos of Neutrality
The myth of neutrality isn't just a not-true-idea kind of myth. It's also a powerful-organizing-story kind of myth. The myth of neutrality is a myth in both dictionary senses: 1 A widely held but false belief or idea: he wants to dispel the myth that sea kayaking is too risky or too strenuous | there is a popular myth that corporations are big people with lots of money. 2 A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social...
The Grid by Philip Glass
I just love Philip Glass. The Grid is my favorite piece (followed closely by Renfield and other music written for piano). This is just perfect study/writing music for me:
Two Reasons Honorary Religious Doctorates Are (Often) Bad
I find it sad and discreditable that certain crowds of Christians, we fundamental Baptists prominent among them, hand out honorary doctorates so freely. (Charismatics do it, too.) I would rather go to a Bible college with a faculty full of "Reverends" than one full of "D.D.'s."* Why? Two reasons: Many (most?) laypeople won't know the difference between an honorary doctorate and a real one, so an honorary degree offers the cultural cachet of a doctorate (often) without the requisite work. The...