I read nearly everything Carl Trueman puts out; I always find his analyses helpful. And he writes very well English. And he's a nice, uh, bloke, I happen to know from personal experience. His recent review essay shows how easy it is to boast that we're not "conforming...
Piety
A TV Ramble
With all these new flat screens, they can't really call it the "idiot box" anymore. What, "idiot slate"? Just remember: the medium is the message. And if you're watching the idiot box, what does that say? I get the biggest kick out of the vision of our society painted...
Why I Am Writing My Dissertation, no. 2
I've already shared one blatant denial of my dissertation's thrust, courtesy of a high school Bible textbook. Here are five somewhat less blatant ones from the same book: Love is centered in the will, not the emotions; one who loves gives without reservation, for he...
Five Famous Edwards Sermons
A friend recently mentioned to me that he had to read five Jonathan Edwards sermons for class. I've been getting more into Edwards for dissertation research (and for personal enrichment and enjoyment!) over the last while, so here's what I recommended. Four are...
The Wildflowers Declare the Glory of God
Do you want to be more holy? I do, I know I do. That is one thing that comforts me about the state of my soul: blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness—even if they never quite attain it in practice. Paul said that the way to grow to be more like...
Seek Glory for Yourself, But Don’t Be Self-Seeking
Here's a paragraph from Romans 2 that has occasioned no small discussion among Protestant commentators: He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but...
FIRST THINGS: On the Square » Blog Archive » Just Give It Up
First Things will never be the same without Richard Neuhaus. His proto-blog at the end of every issue provided great insight—and, admittedly, some juicy quotes about Catholic doctrine for those of us who still oppose it. But here's an excerpt from a recent First...
My Wedding Vows
Originally my thinking about wedding vows ran like this: The Bible doesn't require a church wedding; it's more the best of my cultural tradition that I'm honoring when I don a tux and Laura a white gown. That cultural tradition is primarily English, as are the vows...
Liberty, License, Legalism
I recently recommended a message by my pastor, Mark Minnick. Here are my notes from that message, taken on my trusty Palm IIIxe. Minnick does something he rarely does: he chooses a controlling metaphor. In the hands of many such a metaphor is a cheesy device. But used...