tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7042959103016857792024-03-05T11:33:32.114-08:00andre's blogan experiment de sancto blogorumandrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-1580205042157164522013-07-09T21:09:00.000-07:002013-07-09T21:10:33.114-07:00A Shot of Faith to the Head<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While reading "A Shot of Faith to the Head," by Mitch Stokes, I can't help but smile. While seemingly intent on bringing up the most difficult questions that atheists can whip up, is Stokes just a glutton for punishment? Hardly. He coolly judos the arguments, and presents the Christian response in an encouraging and matter-of-fact way.<br />
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Stokes begins each chapter with a slew of questions (sometimes by the pageful), and evenhandedly builds the case for atheism, or mostly the popular case for it. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, which focused on epistemology (which is just a three-dollar word for the study of how we know what we know). He presents both arguments and assumptions of atheism, many of which involve being angry at a God who isn't there, or being angry at Christians whom they see as refusing to let go of outdated philosophies. <br />
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The irony that Stokes presents so well is that atheism cannot account for its own belief system. What has evolution to do with beliefs, let alone account for them? Why have we any more reason to respect the convictions of the human brain than we do the convictions of, say, a monkey's brain?<br />
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Also, the evidence that most atheists demand of Christians for the beliefs they hold is in many ways an irrational demand. Evidence is in no way a precursor to most beliefs that we hold. How do I know that I live in the United States, or that I was born in the city of my birth, or that man has landed on the moon? I must accept these facts, along with an infinite amount of others, based on the <i>testimony</i> of others. In fact, I must even rely on the testimony of my own senses.<br />
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All this and more is found in this exciting and engaging book by Mitch Stokes. I highly recommend it.<br />
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My thanks to Booksneeze for providing me with this complimentary review copy of "A Shot of Faith to the Head."andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-49124304307530334332013-06-28T21:16:00.001-07:002013-06-28T21:17:02.860-07:00Back to Blogging and Book Reviews<br />
After a brief hiatus, I plan to make a re-entry into the wonderful world of book reviews. Expect to see a book review per month or so, among other thoughts that may pop into my head and require an exit point. andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-13988207134246260582012-03-22T01:29:00.002-07:002012-03-22T01:30:03.899-07:00Review of "Why Men Hate Going to Church"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP94vh_C_OBaXln_lse5VKqaMFZRCeXOGFGXLZ3fcRqwFyBXncj8DkZti-WAIK9akBsM9R3l2ZMTMgV844EOBueY33XDGSIZj6Sry2sg0wC2G2GlwBTUgrviuwPpWQtjyjEU1uN7HA9HG/s1600/_140_245_Book.477.cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYP94vh_C_OBaXln_lse5VKqaMFZRCeXOGFGXLZ3fcRqwFyBXncj8DkZti-WAIK9akBsM9R3l2ZMTMgV844EOBueY33XDGSIZj6Sry2sg0wC2G2GlwBTUgrviuwPpWQtjyjEU1uN7HA9HG/s320/_140_245_Book.477.cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722635901063097522" 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">“Why Men Hate Going to Church,” by David Murrow, is a shocking scientific and statistically rich examination of the state of the modern church; that is, it’s dearth of men.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Murrow presents an organized and convincing case for why men avoid church, albeit focusing more on mainstream and larger, liberal churches. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">He begins by asking the reader to think of what characteristics are typically emphasized when thinking about Jesus – meek, mild, humble, caring and tender. Far less likely is Christ thought of as daring, powerful, aggressive, and rough. He then provides scathing statistics of church attendance, women nearly always far outweighing men (not so however in the Orthodox churches, interestingly enough). Most churches today cater to women in their emphases, structure, and leadership. One particularly cutting quote: “Why do so many effeminate and gay men attend church? Maybe because the church is one of the few institutions in society where there’s no pressure to act like a man” (32).</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Most of all, this book is a wake-up call to men and women - a wake-up call with bucket of cold water and a punch in the gut. My thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me with this complimentary review copy.</p>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-64879071621842189082011-10-13T17:27:00.000-07:002011-10-13T17:34:34.504-07:00"Fyodor Dostoevsky," by Peter Leithart<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EaRb4fFFYcZ4BUPeLgOwmOQakxlAdXQb4cRY-FU41ag2UgHSrPeB67sCBcTXzvaHKrZl5RGOyQJcKfQiRSTsg6gyf2CfEKgIdEPsbm94PvS9dLsiB-PNjx26oBYPS8PLvf6ZdRyLCYbw/s1600/_240_360_Book_400_cover.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663138427540437826" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EaRb4fFFYcZ4BUPeLgOwmOQakxlAdXQb4cRY-FU41ag2UgHSrPeB67sCBcTXzvaHKrZl5RGOyQJcKfQiRSTsg6gyf2CfEKgIdEPsbm94PvS9dLsiB-PNjx26oBYPS8PLvf6ZdRyLCYbw/s200/_240_360_Book_400_cover.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"> <br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Peter Leithart, in his latest installment in the Christian Encounters Series, “Fyodor Dostoevsky,” brings us another compelling and fascinating biographical sketch of an important Christian writer. The first praise that I have for this small volume is its presentation: Leithart on Dostoevsky on Dostoevsky. The book presents the biographee as his own biographer, an intriguing and entertaining approach to telling a life story. The setting is Dostoevsky’s study, Fyodor himself is an aged man, and is recounting his life to an old friend. </span><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Georgia', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Dostoevsky’s life was one of literary and political battles. Almost perishing on multiple occasions due to his flirting with anarchism earlier in life, he later came to the position of what might be called Russian Purism. Leithart doesn’t get too in-depth here, but he emphasizes Dostoevsky’s holistic approach to culture: anti-Western, very Russian and very Christian. A true and honest Russian identity is what Dostoevsky was after, one that did not need the help of European nations to find its own unique offerings to the world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: normal; MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman', 'serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Although he spent his early life chasing youthful lusts and squandering his money gambling, Dostoevsky matured into a man dedicated to his wife Anna and loyal to his family, despite their constant money-grabbing. I recommend this biography, and my thanks to Thomas Nelson for the complimentary review copy.</span></p></span>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-23949750267000848172011-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:002011-09-06T08:16:54.020-07:00Fascinating Biography of George Carver<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGwUWsl95OsE-tDpNAhBQu_ZSqsZ4Ugk8DgD3bNh7s0gwZ0yyS60Ot6fTI2idLHba9-A9X3rWHVUjZ_wqnFxbfK1S4gUC9gE98t_ASN8djt469G4JeUlWXBgvLERbCg7FJrchJamWGWcN/s1600/_240_360_Book_394_cover.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 143px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649265611852898610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGwUWsl95OsE-tDpNAhBQu_ZSqsZ4Ugk8DgD3bNh7s0gwZ0yyS60Ot6fTI2idLHba9-A9X3rWHVUjZ_wqnFxbfK1S4gUC9gE98t_ASN8djt469G4JeUlWXBgvLERbCg7FJrchJamWGWcN/s200/_240_360_Book_394_cover.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>God gives his children all sorts of miraculous gifts and talents, some more unusual than others. In George Washington Carver's case, God gave him the gift of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">botanical</span> insight. John Perry brings us "George Washington Carver," a small but well-written biography <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">publicised</span> under the recent Christian Encounters series.<br /><br />Carver began his life as a slave and eventually, through his patience, desire to learn and love of nature, found himself in Iowa State University as one of the favorite students of his professors. Later joining Booker T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, Carver further developed his unique skill of cultivating different uses for various vegetation and plant life. Relatively unknown outside of Alabama till later in his life, Carver <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">eventually</span> found over 250 uses the peanut, and hundreds of uses for other vegetables including the sweet potato and pecan.<br /><br />John Perry does well to elucidate the life of Carver, showing us his struggles, his failures, and his victories. Throughout his life, Carver struggled with a desire to be accepted and praised by others, but all the while overcome with a greater desire to please the Lord with his gifts and excite others to see what God had made.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Many thanks to Thomas Nelson for this complimentary review copy of this excellent biography. </div>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-29255303282361012172011-09-03T11:42:00.001-07:002011-09-03T11:53:02.087-07:00Marvelous little Knox Bio<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ74plJ5J0CiPOoMR06r_MRjBfi16-cLwSDT-i_Y2aJ5PxAXKmhF__Kk0A2aRZL0beHEllBg1YTAz28VF2ecTWSw_z25KAYBT9GBPYWnhJ3-cZZYaQ9hOJ7hAF8wONmVThOTGseZKFP2z/s1600/life-of-john-knox.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTZ74plJ5J0CiPOoMR06r_MRjBfi16-cLwSDT-i_Y2aJ5PxAXKmhF__Kk0A2aRZL0beHEllBg1YTAz28VF2ecTWSw_z25KAYBT9GBPYWnhJ3-cZZYaQ9hOJ7hAF8wONmVThOTGseZKFP2z/s200/life-of-john-knox.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5648206032172314082" border="0" /></a>
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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]-->“The Life of John Knox,” written by an unknown author (I couldn’t find his name anywhere in the publication) is a fantastic little volume. In this work there are several scenes in Knox’s life that are unavailable in other biographies, most notably his encounters with Mary, Queen of Scots.
<br />
<br />Myself being on a bit of a Knox bent lately, when I heard about Attic Books’ republication of a long forgotten work, I was interested right away. Of course the book can be somewhat difficult to read at times, but not nearly enough to have no idea what the author is trying to convey. At times, the specificity is quite helpful, and the thoughtfulness of his writings is much appreciated.
<br />
<br />The book does hammer away at the Roman Catholicism of Knox’s day (and for good reason), so do not be shocked at some of the author’s bold statements in this regard; intertwined with this are the leaders of that day, political and otherwise, who were generally evil people in search of power and affluence. This power and affluence could in many ways be granted by the corrupt Roman church, which in many ways helped to give rise to the Reformation.
<br />
<br />Knox’s encounters with Mary, Queen of Scots are marvelously portrayed in the book. Also, her character is unveiled as a duplicitous and unworthy Queen, oftentimes herself lying and going back on her word to the detriment of the people under her leadership. If you are interested in a small Knox biography, this perhaps may not be the first to read (for that I would recommend Wilson’s “For Kirk and Covenant”), but it is great for looking into those points of Knox’s life that you are left hanging in the other biographies. Highly recommended.
<br />
<br />I would like to thank New Leaf Publishers and Attic Books for the complimentary review copy of this wonderful book.andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-33958112166748217382011-08-18T21:26:00.000-07:002011-08-18T21:31:29.500-07:00"The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards," by Dr. Steven Lawson<span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26fZeGr6Mbui88jGUAjGQWTBTAKgcPsHDVzmj-PpLa0qOanmoZxAenO-TN8aoxr1TbCd_KcOV-bHVs__EPopNn73s9ELQllxbXVU6aFAm0bhRJr6fD2wP15jbcOnhE2XMC3t9_rs0bG15/s1600/edwards.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26fZeGr6Mbui88jGUAjGQWTBTAKgcPsHDVzmj-PpLa0qOanmoZxAenO-TN8aoxr1TbCd_KcOV-bHVs__EPopNn73s9ELQllxbXVU6aFAm0bhRJr6fD2wP15jbcOnhE2XMC3t9_rs0bG15/s200/edwards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642419222499426914" border="0" /></a>
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font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >"The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards," a biography by Dr. Steven Lawson, is an interesting yet somewhat frustrating read. On the one hand, Lawson lists many of Edwards' resolutions and explains their beauty and discipline, citing much of Edwards' own diary for how he wrestled with them throughout his life. On the other hand, the biography comes off as hagiographic, painting Edwards in a slightly less-than-believable light. The humanity of Edwards, for the most part, seems to shine through the quotes present, and not much at all through Lawson's commentary on them.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >The book, for the most part, is organized around Edwards’ famous resolutions, those pithy charges of self-accountability. Brilliant insights and penetrating declarations line the resolutions, and you cannot help but feel the gravity of Edwards’ desire for personal holiness. The resolutions, coupled with Edwards’ diary entries speak much of his personal life, struggles, and victories.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >Perhaps this book is better categorized as a commentary than a biography. But it is a decent commentary, with its share of insights. Yet, desiring to meet with Edwards himself as I read, I felt more like I was at his funeral, where only nice things are said, and we don't get the full, sympathetic picture.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" > </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-Times New Roman"font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;" >I'd like to thank Reformation Trust Publishing for this complimentary review copy of "The Unwavering Resolve of Jonathan Edwards," and look forward to forthcoming volumes in the series.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> 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semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Douglas Bond brings us the latest in Reformation Trust’s “Long Line of Godly Men” series; a biography of John Knox entitled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Mighty Weakness of John Knox</i>. Bond uses the first quarter of the book to set out a brief outline of Knox’s life, making mention of important events and dates, while using the remainder of the book to explain notable events in finer detail, and Knox’s theology in general.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the book is quite short and merely meant as an introduction to Knox and his influence on the church and Scotland, Bond does quite well in his short treatment. While I would have liked more of a traditional biography, I believe this particular series does not intend to contain strictly biographical sketches. Bond mentions most of the key events in Knox’s life: his time as a bodyguard, his encounters with Mary Queen of Scots, his denunciations of Bloody Mary, and some of his travels to Geneva and Frankfurt. But each of these events is mentioned with such brevity that we really do not get much of an impression of the man. We get more of a blur.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bond spends most of his time on Knox’s theological views and influence in the church, and that is where the strong point of this book lies. Numerous quotes are offered from Knox himself that really help the reader to understand Knox and his desperation in trying to recover the integrity and majesty of Christ’s Kirk in not only Scotland, but around the world. I would like to thank Reformation Trust Publishing for this complimentary reading copy.</p>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-20783252617571403102011-07-16T23:44:00.001-07:002011-07-16T23:45:19.432-07:00"J.R.R. Tolkien," by Mark Horne<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82H47Vn3AFJmSSYF9hzcizhyphenhyphenb7pR-v2vOk8L7G34eWJP-F8ZsKuQrTVjxsXW2Zx2xmxHFSRsZyNUOChIMf9AfTYOg-YC0QwfkKPbD5es5DMfFLZErL8QjWQn1gnf8nZb4qLabbNIZiKiG/s1600/tolkien.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh82H47Vn3AFJmSSYF9hzcizhyphenhyphenb7pR-v2vOk8L7G34eWJP-F8ZsKuQrTVjxsXW2Zx2xmxHFSRsZyNUOChIMf9AfTYOg-YC0QwfkKPbD5es5DMfFLZErL8QjWQn1gnf8nZb4qLabbNIZiKiG/s200/tolkien.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630208613983720274" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> 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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">“J.R.R. Tolkien”, by Mark Horne, is a new biography of Tolkien that acts more as an introduction to Tolkien rather than a full biography. Although coming in at 130 pages, this short work is quite a nice overview of Tolkien’s life. This book genuinely makes one want to read not only Tolkien’s work, but also fuller biographies of his life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Horne’s emphasis throughout his biography was Tolkien’s desire to create stories that would not only stand the test of time, but would inspire and radiate beauty to his readers. Tolkien, very much a perfectionist, held himself very strictly to this standard, and was extremely hesitant to release any of his writings. Were it not for some of his students, his wife, or friends like C.S. Lewis, we might not have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Hobbit</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Lord of the Rings</i>. These people did not simply supply encouragement, but also pushed Tolkien to share his work with the public. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While Horne shows us Tolkien as academic and Tolkien as fantasy-writer, he also shows us the adventurous years of his youth, such as Tolkien hijacking a bus and driving it through Oxford. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Despite its brevity, this biography does what all good biographies should do: give the reader a desire to delve into the person’s work. I’d like to thank Thomas Nelson for this complimentary book to review.</p>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-36497888044491666602011-06-19T19:15:00.000-07:002011-06-19T19:18:51.346-07:00Galileo, Ecclesiocentrist<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW1OmXb5US7-nIVOYzs1pP9BjVdLZBKAEu1R-r69Un8Embe1XrxuZE5lNulQWyDnFOhhMAdc2M27kFY9J1d98Wr5YGw63HFnArGnaElI_gXR28_vm8SglOwHG0U1h1rVf5uJgtZ2kBcL2/s1600/galileo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOW1OmXb5US7-nIVOYzs1pP9BjVdLZBKAEu1R-r69Un8Embe1XrxuZE5lNulQWyDnFOhhMAdc2M27kFY9J1d98Wr5YGw63HFnArGnaElI_gXR28_vm8SglOwHG0U1h1rVf5uJgtZ2kBcL2/s200/galileo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620119984796432130" border="0" /></a><br />“Galileo,” by Mitch Stokes, is an eye-opening biography. Galileo, commonly assumed to be a warrior of science, is said to have stood up valiantly against the church’s hatred of such, and comes out the martyr. This is of course a sorely misrepresented picture of Galileo.<br /><br />Galileo lived an era dominated by a pagan view of the cosmos, namely, the Aristotelian view. Such a view holds that the cosmos is divided into two sections: the imperfect, below-the-moon area, where moth and rust destroy and change occurs; and the perfect, that which is outside of the orbit of the moon and is immovable (other than the planets, the “wanderers”). And of course, the main characteristic of the Aristotelian model is geocentrism, the idea that the earth is the center of the universe. Galileo, however, was a proponent of the Copernican model of heliocentrism, but was not as dogmatic as many think in our day.<br /><br />Stokes unveils the fact that Galileo was much more for the church than against it. Throughout his life, he clearly established that his view was simply a theory, and that he was in no way attempting to subvert the church’s authority or challenge church doctrine. In a very powerful letter near the end his life, Galileo states that “the falsity of the Copernican system must not on any account be doubted, especially by us Catholics, who have the irrefragable authority of Holy Scripture interpreted by the greatest masters of theology, whose agreement renders us certain of the stability of the earth and the mobility of the sun around it” (174). Now, this could be taken to be tongue-in-cheek, but we really have no reason to assume this the case, because it is in line with his approach to the subject throughout his life. Thanks to Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to review this great book.andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-27362406758930720862011-03-31T12:42:00.000-07:002011-03-31T12:45:36.767-07:00"Defiant Joy," by Kevin Belmonte<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUeNPF9QsUFBBg5aN3zsAKiflIUXKiMiPQS0y_uyfQdngjon_5LMSiiynWfbc8uTfxIPf5V_Obul8bS8CoqCjoawVmS9zH4BbSqWuCl26SwvBPzxHku5ot2tPsCCjndhnLUmKCvQBGJNl/s1600/defiantjoy.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUeNPF9QsUFBBg5aN3zsAKiflIUXKiMiPQS0y_uyfQdngjon_5LMSiiynWfbc8uTfxIPf5V_Obul8bS8CoqCjoawVmS9zH4BbSqWuCl26SwvBPzxHku5ot2tPsCCjndhnLUmKCvQBGJNl/s200/defiantjoy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590332324277721906" /></a><br /><em>Defiant Joy</em>, by Kevin Belmonte, is an odd book. While it claims to be a biography, only about 20% is actually biographical. Now, being a great Chesterton fan, I had high hopes for this book. It started out well enough, but over the course of five chapters or so, it went from Chesterton's childhood to his adult life. At that point, the book became somewhat of a series of book reports, each chapter focusing in on a different novel or series of essays that Chesterton wrote, moving consecutively through his life. <br /> <br />While an interesting concept, the reader is left wondering what Chesterton himself was actually doing at these points in his life. We do manage to get glimpses every now and again: Chesterton struggling with finances here, or engaging in debate there. But by and large, we get...book reports. I would consider this book more of a loose introduction to Chesterton himself, and would classify it as more of a literary biography than a personal one. All these things taken together, and despite the desire to promote all things Chesterton, I reluctantly give this book a two out of five. However, the book did prompt me to pick up Maisie Ward's biography of Chesterton. My thanks to Thomas Nelson for this review copy.andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-89515090812768683252011-01-12T17:51:00.000-08:002011-01-14T12:16:48.318-08:00Bread and Wine, or Concerning the Elements used in Communion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgH4m5lDxXKFuPSoct48Ykgre9sKRWiA4WUmNlBtW-_j4E_tIMAITGgR1x9W8vPF9KWxFcJsnYApyTSqIBjN9FUaDkNzWOhDTiDI0kZryLDHj3RUGZmSfSH-5a50Q0V1gv1HPBTEUNnUW/s1600/Jesus_At_The_Lords_Supper.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgH4m5lDxXKFuPSoct48Ykgre9sKRWiA4WUmNlBtW-_j4E_tIMAITGgR1x9W8vPF9KWxFcJsnYApyTSqIBjN9FUaDkNzWOhDTiDI0kZryLDHj3RUGZmSfSH-5a50Q0V1gv1HPBTEUNnUW/s200/Jesus_At_The_Lords_Supper.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5562138141377836402" /></a><br />Sometimes when an argument becomes clouded by emotion, it is helpful to introduce an analogous or extreme example to help shed some light on things.<br /><br />See this commercial:<br /><br /><a href="http://palpular.com/video.php?videoid=4215">http://palpular.com/video.php?videoid=4215</a><br /><br />Now, this commercial is obviously ridiculous, but what can we take away from it? Is any food or drink acceptable to be used in the Lord's Supper? Is it dangerous to use elements not prescribed by our Lord? Soda instead of wine, chips instead of bread?<br /><br />How about grape juice instead of wine?<br /><br /><br />What do you think?andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-25381677354055695192011-01-04T12:40:00.000-08:002011-01-04T12:49:11.338-08:00"The Quotable Chesterton," by Kevin Belmonte<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKD7Mt0wsW2-TC2fTblHmupQA8JsyzBrlil0kvSdhFU0NFpPUUF1qMxHSNINDPmQo2BqdJ1rDNA87grMP3mcSsOXbHWebazXyrssdnBMhgKynr6WJi16lqHhgpGBeGRQSDmqbehXzMC48/s1600/_140_245_Book_349_cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKD7Mt0wsW2-TC2fTblHmupQA8JsyzBrlil0kvSdhFU0NFpPUUF1qMxHSNINDPmQo2BqdJ1rDNA87grMP3mcSsOXbHWebazXyrssdnBMhgKynr6WJi16lqHhgpGBeGRQSDmqbehXzMC48/s200/_140_245_Book_349_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558433818866927218" /></a><br />"Brevity is the soul of wit," wrote Shakespeare; "but it would be quite as true to say in such cases that lengthiness is the soul of satire," added G.K. Chesterton. In Chesterton we have a master of satire, and as he would later come to be known, the Prince of Paradox. This is a fine collection of Chesterton quotes, from both his fiction and non-fiction. The author has even interspersed short articles describing Chesterton's various authorial hats that he wore throughout his lifetime. These can be interesting, though they seem to be a little out of place, landing in between a slew of Chesterton quotes. As far as catholicity of the included quotes, the author has done a fine job, although I was sad to see some of my favorite quotes absent. Considering, however, the enormous task of compiling a compendium of quotes from this enormous author, Belmonte has done well with the amount of pages he has dedicated to the task. I would love to see this volume as a springboard for a more thorough and elaborate collection to be arranged in the future.<br /><br />The format of the book is quite nice, as the quotes are sequenced alphabetically. This is most suitable due to the vast subject matter that Chesterton addressed, and makes for quick reference during debate, conversation, or soiree. Entertain your friends and become the life of the party as you channel Chesterton's brilliance, but be prepared to be misunderstood, as many of his thoughts require reflection and explanation. Better yet, read his books; but then again, if you've bought this collection of quotes in the first place, odds are you are already a Chesterton fan. <br /><br />If you have not yet had the pleasure of reading anything by Chesterton, I would suggest starting with "Manalive" as far as his fiction goes, or "Heretics"/"Orthodoxy" for non-fiction. Also, be sure to check out the American Chesterton Society's website, chesterton.org, for tons of information about this literary and philosophical giant. My gratitude to Booksneeze for providing me with this ARC.andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-17134952838641228932010-12-23T20:49:00.001-08:002010-12-23T20:53:07.724-08:00Slaves of the Master, Free in Christ<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7uo5lFil5CG2sjhQ5G4gVPuUkrmW_iKh5-uQdA1esNhZsgfUR3-ydR1MCQl3lK6KkjhBWRjoje-64SLbPwNJ3huNY6TSah1tRYHu989zcef_y6IhEYYpsTwKa3i7t62zOhteK5BYAcf_/s1600/_140_245_Book_308_cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7uo5lFil5CG2sjhQ5G4gVPuUkrmW_iKh5-uQdA1esNhZsgfUR3-ydR1MCQl3lK6KkjhBWRjoje-64SLbPwNJ3huNY6TSah1tRYHu989zcef_y6IhEYYpsTwKa3i7t62zOhteK5BYAcf_/s200/_140_245_Book_308_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554106503915084882" /></a><br />Now, I must admit that I am not a huge John MacArthur fan, although I do appreciate a lot of the work he has done. His most recent book, entitled “Slave,” is most assuredly among the work that I appreciate. MacArthur, simply yet methodically, explains why the Christian ought to be most comfortable with the title of “slave,” more so than anything else. This sounds ridiculous to the modern Christian, which is precisely why “Slave” is such a potent book. The term “slave,’ MacArthur explains, is one of the Bible’s oft-used metaphors to describe the follower of the Lord, and for good reason. He then proceeds to explain the historical precedent of the relationship between slave and master, and by placing us within this context, allows the reader to grow comfortable with his thesis, and understand the necessity of preserving this metaphor. What seems shocking at first becomes the Christian’s comfort, acknowledging himself as completely guided and provided for by the Master, that is Christ the Lord. One criticism I have for the book, however, would be that MacArthur tends to go on rabbit trails, although they tend to be beneficial. One such would be a somewhat irrelevant, yet fascinating, account of John Huss’s life and martyrdom. My thanks to BookSneeze for this complimentary review copy of John MacArthur’s, “Slave.”andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-55365075652411009602010-08-19T05:57:00.000-07:002010-08-19T05:58:10.962-07:00Anne Bradstreet's Poetic Femininity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLFIKOLa1ZmbGMOSiL1swRAs9p6Mhc4YYaQJ0IwMOc4UinPNrLyU4lqnCDPt5t4PkxgEfc0FVwgf_8s28tS5cbroNf1WhUQtYUOXDwEJUtq50Frhr82JsiCLo1TmZhIN0u_6dtlC-nUmS/s1600/_140_245_Book.232.cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 140px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLFIKOLa1ZmbGMOSiL1swRAs9p6Mhc4YYaQJ0IwMOc4UinPNrLyU4lqnCDPt5t4PkxgEfc0FVwgf_8s28tS5cbroNf1WhUQtYUOXDwEJUtq50Frhr82JsiCLo1TmZhIN0u_6dtlC-nUmS/s200/_140_245_Book.232.cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507104462776131826" /></a>Why on earth would anyone want to read a biography about an early American proto-feminist bent on freeing herself from the shackles of 17th century misogyny? Heck if I know, but that character is the precise opposite of Anne Bradstreet. Unlike what I was (almost) led to believe in the public college classroom, D.B. Kellogg delightfully conveys Bradstreet’s biblical femininity. Bradstreet, who was born in England, was transplanted to the recently founded Massachusetts Bay Colony shortly after marrying Simon Bradstreet. During this difficult time of upheaval, along with countless struggles of adaptation that resulted, Bradstreet found immense comfort in her husband, in her children (she had 8 altogether), and in her God. Feminists will surely bemoan Bradstreet’s elegant poetry in high praise of her husband, and her enjoyment of organizing and caring for his household. But even more striking than the culture shock we get from her femininity, is the confidence that Bradstreet has in God as comforter, especially when everything around her is most uncomfortable: “My Sun’s returned with healing wings, / My Soul and Body doth rejoice: / My heart exalts, and praises sings / To him that heard my wailing Voice. / My winter’s past, my storms are gone, / And former clouds seem now all fled; / But, if they must eclipse again, / I’ll run where I was succored.” [Thanks to Booksneeze for this ARC].andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-68450252871417542102010-04-19T07:06:00.000-07:002010-04-19T07:09:58.788-07:00Jane Austen's Playful Piety<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsNpQh4OpDKBCY2dLGsT_lIZAx07B1bAVeQAKZg8Rn_MuBu_nMBeiQybpOf9IZ3mwayhgYZcgzaYAX3_WB7Eu83BgxaVqKb29uSCqbIwghXj4ENiO9IWLDeQKhFd_wVLrXxdfWbixXKXu/s1600/_240_360_Book.145.cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwsNpQh4OpDKBCY2dLGsT_lIZAx07B1bAVeQAKZg8Rn_MuBu_nMBeiQybpOf9IZ3mwayhgYZcgzaYAX3_WB7Eu83BgxaVqKb29uSCqbIwghXj4ENiO9IWLDeQKhFd_wVLrXxdfWbixXKXu/s200/_240_360_Book.145.cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5461850553043652914" /></a>
<br />“I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible Vanity, the most unlearned, & uninformed Female who ever dared to be an Authoress;” so Jane Austen speaks self- deprecatorily. But such is evidence of her characteristic humor and deep wit. “Jane Austen,” a new biography by Peter Leithart, sheds light onto the person and work of the famous novelist. What Leithart calls Austen’s “playful piety,” is her uncanny ability to not take herself seriously. Spending most of her time editing her own work, Austen wrote nearly entirely for pleasure, fashioning stories for the entertainment of her family. Leading a relatively simple life, Austen never got married, never procured for herself a career (as was the norm for women in that era), and thus left for herself much time to write and story-craft. Her blessing is surely our gain. I myself have never read any of Austen’s novels, but I went out and bought a set after reading this biography. Safe to say, it accomplished its task, and I enjoyed it tremendously. My only criticism (and a small one at that) is that it seemed unnecessarily detailed at times, such as describing precise ongoings of Austen’s extended family, introducing them all in the first chapter. That aside, I give my thanks to Thomas Nelson for giving me this ARC.<o:p></o:p></span></p> andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-9004101942106537752010-04-05T20:32:00.001-07:002010-04-05T22:17:45.994-07:00The Doctrine of Resistance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbl21gyr97eBCepYgmrxlMESqeLlCbVBJBLBN4ujBdHY0IiMVamsfdz8kF4j_TcGyYS4UX6Pbbq9JDMQTvfHKMmkD8djSOK49aGHDT9SBmWp8XCP36nhYfbGckv7FXj0hZQMovSMdvum2/s1600/Simeon_Solomon_-_Shadrach_Meshach_Abednego.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdbl21gyr97eBCepYgmrxlMESqeLlCbVBJBLBN4ujBdHY0IiMVamsfdz8kF4j_TcGyYS4UX6Pbbq9JDMQTvfHKMmkD8djSOK49aGHDT9SBmWp8XCP36nhYfbGckv7FXj0hZQMovSMdvum2/s320/Simeon_Solomon_-_Shadrach_Meshach_Abednego.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456868943375464290" /></a><br />Now, I'm not afraid to admit that I am quite the amateur when it comes to understanding this topic; I am neither a noodle-spined pacifist, nor a hardcore theonomist. Rom. 13 obviously has much to say in the way of respecting and honoring leaders whom God has appointed. Likewise, God also requires disobedience to rulers in certain situations (e.g. Daniel and his buddies refusing to bend the knee to King Nebuchadnezzar). All this to say, I came upon an interesting quote by John Knox, the great Scottish Reformer:<br /><br />"If their princes exceed their bounds, Madam, no doubt they may be resisted, even by power. For there is neither greater honor, nor greater obedience, to be given to kings or princes, than God hath commanded to be given unto father and mother. But the father may be stricken with a frenzy, in which he would slay his children. If the children arise, join themselves together, apprehend the father, take the sword from him, bind his hands, and keep him in prison till his frenzy be overpast 4 think ye, Madam, that the children do any wrong? It is even so, Madam, with princes that would murder the children of God that are subjects unto them. Their blind zeal is nothing but a very mad frenzy, and therefore, to take the sword from them, to bind their hands, and to east them into prison, till they be brought to a more sober mind, is no disobedience against princes, but just obedience, because it agreeth with the will of God" (http://www.reformed.org/master/index.html?mainframe=/documents/knox/knox_to_mary/knox_to_mary.html).<br /><br />The basic question arises: what separates subjection and rebellion? In the case of Knox's illustration, it is the "dutiful" son that binds his father when his father goes mad, and the non-dutiful son that blindly obeys, that being the death of him (and surely others). Furthermore, might some see this son as rebelling against his father? This sounds silly, but why? Would this son not be in strict disobedience to his father were he deny his father's request of his son's blood?<br /><br />This running illustration gained some traction in my mind due to the recent Obamacare bill. This bill will most likely result in tax-funded abortions. The dots seem to connect quite nicely with Knox's illustration; but is the answer simply to refuse to pay taxes to the government? My initial answer is yes. I don't want to give my "father" the means to satisfy his thirst for innocent blood. But my out-of-context- Romans 13 side says, that no matter to what extent my rulers shake their fists at Almighty God, I am bound to give to them whatever they request of me.<br /><br />The short answer: I don't know. I'm not sure how Christians should respond should that evil day come when our labor funds murder. Some men say <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/04/05/render-unto-caesar-on-paying-taxes-after-obamacare/">pay up</a>; others say <a href="http://dougwils.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7492:civil-obedience-in-context&catid=139:romans">think twice</a>.<br /><br />Thoughts?andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-65724101254666217342010-03-10T19:40:00.000-08:002010-03-10T19:52:11.698-08:00Book Review: "Isaac Newton," by Mitch Stokes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJoRjigo052cGTD037gFZmFBJGEymR3wp0mvyWwrF47NjN4L1LnYsu3_D8ZWDys9ycYR-6_uOmkTYE7b9q8aSSBA81Qa7w9bYbjKbY0qfAc88h_QkbdsxMSWzlwhRJPtaywN8KzIQAoXl/s1600-h/_240_360_Book.146.cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJoRjigo052cGTD037gFZmFBJGEymR3wp0mvyWwrF47NjN4L1LnYsu3_D8ZWDys9ycYR-6_uOmkTYE7b9q8aSSBA81Qa7w9bYbjKbY0qfAc88h_QkbdsxMSWzlwhRJPtaywN8KzIQAoXl/s200/_240_360_Book.146.cover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447218988447546898" border="0" /></a>
<br />
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1.HOT%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">“Isaac Newton,” a biography authored by Mitch Stokes and part of the Christian Encounters Series, was a very informative and entertaining read. As most know, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Newton</st1:place></st1:city> is hailed for his many unique and valuable contributions to the fields of mathematics and natural philosophy. The most enjoyable aspect of this particular work, as with most biographies, is learning what motivated and drove him along in his brilliance. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Newton</st1:place></st1:city>, a lifelong solitude-seeker, worked best alone, for no teacher could come close to the rigor he demanded from himself. Yet his keen intellect did not prompt him to arrogance, for he was a humble Christian man, as evidenced by his desire to understand his Lord better by seeking to understand God’s created order. What I found most surprising was that <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Newton</st1:place></st1:city> wrote more on the topics of theology and Christian doctrine than any other. While not completely orthodox in his views of the Trinity (which he kept to himself throughout his life), he championed God’s gospel by glorying in God’s goodness. God, he never ceased to maintain, was the axiomatic starting point for all science inquiry; and what’s more, seeking to understand God’s ordered universe is an act of worship, for God reveals himself in the general ways of mathematics, physics, optics, and natural philosophy. Thank you Thomas Nelson for this ARC, and this outstanding biography of one of Christendom’s greatest saints.</p>
<br />andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-7221208867407615302009-06-29T22:00:00.000-07:002009-06-30T00:56:02.984-07:00Musical Chronological Snobbery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NrgMLc4BEv7ZUtniFCa9ipvC_6A8ZKDaqBBD8ODF5sld-4jEP3imQIls7ID6rHNGrBlu3HYJPV8SvdnnMUigujwR6sDnMrnrFfJQusOMOuzzdJGQ-5C02DsWBsxaOM_yzgnJIkpYHKSL/s1600-h/music09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 320px; float: left; height: 210px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352984079329362930" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-NrgMLc4BEv7ZUtniFCa9ipvC_6A8ZKDaqBBD8ODF5sld-4jEP3imQIls7ID6rHNGrBlu3HYJPV8SvdnnMUigujwR6sDnMrnrFfJQusOMOuzzdJGQ-5C02DsWBsxaOM_yzgnJIkpYHKSL/s320/music09.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRguDUQDElbaL1v6GHfWKcvedO3Jb4cSvnP-llTplnGqfUnr1cYeD7gm-aLXjkA4Q7h2znI-D-Y3KRSbaN_v2uLH6X0cWoOXG_D792C79G-rTmDOZ_Grj0OejBbWt1-bh3i5rLHPH2CLb2/s1600-h/music11.jpg"></a>A few years ago, a woman came up to me after the worship service, and asked why I looked so solemn during the singing. "Worship should be joyful," she argued. I responded that I was truly joyful, and that my serious composure was the result of being joyful in the presence of the Holy Lord...or something like that.<br /><br />The attitude that many Christians have and assume is that older music doesn't have any use for us today. "It is outdated." "It was cool back then, but not now." "We want music that we find cool." On and on the modern thought goes.<br /><br />By what standard? Now <em>that</em> is a good question. By what standard is the music we bring before the throne of God worthy? Firstly, none of our music is ever worthy of God. Secondly, the standard by which must judge our music is Scripture. Yes, even the tempo, yes even the rhythm, yes even the instruments played. Questions asked may include: "Does instrument A help us to focus our corporate attention on the Lord better than instrument B?" "Does this rhythm communicate an enjoyment of self more than an enjoyment of God?" "Does the melody of this piece have a sacred sound? Is that important?"<br /><br />We need to be asking ourselves more revealing questions about the song-singing in our churches. We must do so for the sake of the Kingdom.<br /><br /><br />Source article: <a href="http://www.christkirk.com/Literature/Worship.asp">http://www.christkirk.com/Literature/Worship.asp</a><br /><br />Also check out: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Out-Without-Dumbing-Down/dp/0802841023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246338515&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Out-Without-Dumbing-Down/dp/0802841023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">qid</span>=1246338515&<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">sr</span>=8-1</a></div>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-84295189405357191492009-05-26T22:17:00.000-07:002009-05-26T22:22:43.773-07:00Christian Hilarity<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZueN2iuRq0o&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZueN2iuRq0o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9pPZs4aTcU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j9pPZs4aTcU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ddjS_aDLNg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ddjS_aDLNg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-59252427101625678362009-05-23T11:10:00.000-07:002009-05-23T11:20:45.508-07:00civitas Dei"It would be nonsense to say this of a particular group of people: 'Though they do not wear uniforms, are not organized by rank, do not employ military language, do not enforce rules of military conduct, never perform any military ceremonies, and never engage in military operations - yet in spite of this they <em>are</em> the military.' (Or, it would be nonsense unless it were describing the French military.) Military culture <em>is</em> the sum of all these activities and practices.<br /><br />Culture is not a shadowy something existing in secret "behind" its "manifestations" in language, rites, and discipline. Culture <em>is</em> a people organized and united by its language, rites, rules, and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">mechanisms</span> of enforcement.<br /><br />So also is the covenant.<br /><br />So also is the Church." (<em>Against Christianity</em>, Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Leithart</span>)andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-71035179997297671742009-03-21T12:40:00.000-07:002009-04-09T08:13:45.878-07:00Counterfeit Virtue<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmAFv74TnTzSUQ912KFaHtTFRZksEogbEnh0LCBwCkfrZMs4aPHzM37_9k6DyiZOu2GyZs2DlCWkpmwYqlo8u_LCaEJWUE1czIi98dUdF8yF-7v8QXqwdb3Z5Q6rQeT5xAn9cu4PP0-vT/s1600-h/beer_vs_wine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315729434185480866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 155px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQmAFv74TnTzSUQ912KFaHtTFRZksEogbEnh0LCBwCkfrZMs4aPHzM37_9k6DyiZOu2GyZs2DlCWkpmwYqlo8u_LCaEJWUE1czIi98dUdF8yF-7v8QXqwdb3Z5Q6rQeT5xAn9cu4PP0-vT/s200/beer_vs_wine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Alcohol is synonymous with sin for many. Still for others it is considered an act of Christian love to perpetually abstain from alcohol, to provide a good Christian witness to others. My beef with the latter view (the former being easily dismissed on account of Scripture, and also condemned in the heresy of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Manicheism</span></span>) is that it creates a counterfeit virtue for the Christian.<br /><br />The erroneous logic is as follows: 1. Alcohol itself is not inherently bad. 2. Perpetual abstinence from "stumbling" consumables is commanded from Scripture for reason of providing a good Christian witness. 3. Therefore, perpetual abstinence from alcohol is not bad; it is in fact a virtue.<br /><br />My claim is that perpetual abstinence from alcohol is not <em>good</em>, and Scripture by no means condones this false conviction; it is in fact a counterfeit virtue.<br /><br />Starting from the first premise: alcohol is not inherently bad. The positive of this negative statement is that alcohol is inherently good. Alcohol, being a creation of our Lord, is <em>intrinsically</em> good. Unlike the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Manichees</span></span> who understood evil to be tangible, Jesus states that "it is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man" (Matt. 15:11). Evil is not tangible; evil is spiritual. This the Bible makes this absolutely clear (Gen. 1:11-12, Matt. 15:11, Romans 14:14, 1 Tim. 4:3).<br /><br />The second premise is where things have gotten hairy in many modern churches; this is where my disagreement lies. In Kenneth L. Gentry Jr.'s book, "God Gave Wine," he devotes an entire chapter to the exegesis of Romans 14. In that chapter, Paul is speaking to the Romans about the doctrine of Christian liberty. There were a few things that stuck out to me in this chapter. One such point is the term "stumbling block" that many Christians like to throw around. What does this cryptic saying mean? What constitutes as a "stumbling block?" Gentry defines the Greek word used here: <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">proskomma</span></span></em>. As it turns out, this Greek word does not simply mean something that causes someone to feel uncomfortable or irritated. The meaning is much stronger than that. <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Proskomma</span></span></em> in the Greek refers to something that causes someone to fall into sin against God. Notice the word "cause." If the effect of my cause is rebellion against the Lord, then I should not do what is in question. On how many occasions is moderate alcohol consumption a cause for sin? Let us answer the question with care, for our Savior Himself consumed alcohol in public, around the society's lowest, most likely some of which may have been tempted with the sin of drunkenness.<br /><br />The fact is that Christ did not cause anyone to sin. "Cause" implies intent. If it is my intent to cause someone to fall into sin, then I have sinned; I am responsible. We cannot <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">cause</span> someone to sin if it is not our intent to do so. If our intent is not to make others sin and simply enjoy God's goodness and providence, then the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">responsibility</span> <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">literally </span>does not lie with us for the sin they may commit as the result of our lawful activity. We cannot unknowingly <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">cause</span> someone to sin, according to the very nature and definition of the word <em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">proskomma</span></span></em>.<br /><br />So how, then, should we approach alcohol? In the same way we approach everything else. With sobriety of mind and spirit, and with praise for our Lord on our lips. He is good, and all that he has created is good. Alcohol abstention is, in fact, nothing more than a counterfeit virtue, a "virtue" that Christ Himself did not practice.<br /><br />It is dangerous business indeed to try and be holier than Christ; that was the Pharisee's fatal game. Let us give thanks to our Maker for the good things he has given to us to enjoy; let us praise Him by enjoying alcohol as He meant for it to be enjoyed. Cheers!andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-48311272555953070282009-02-09T19:05:00.000-08:002009-02-09T19:25:37.159-08:00In Relationship - "The Doctrine of Eating What you Want To," Part II<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkP7y63MSlWEQyyqsHH4C4HBjtcD9ffLErdvC9b5tHRu5zZEAiyhUjJB2VK1G7lRUBzyc01w2LlQ5U5nLHMsyL4H3FKWxFvkpe9LK1kJWD1u3jhIc4FMGxPYFnmLrQjCWXTABftLAsuzg/s1600-h/G26~Guinness-Posters.jpg"></a><br /><div>Hey all, here's an article that Wilson wrote, along the same vein of my previous blog. Tell me what you think:<br /></div><br /><div><br /><blockquote><p>"In Relationship"<br /><br />"One of the most difficult things for us to do is the task of locating sin properly. One common mistake, one that we have addressed a number of times before, is the mistake of locating sin in <em>stuff</em>. This mistake thinks that sin must be resident in material things—in sex, in alcohol, in refined sugar, in tobacco, and so on.<br /><br />Faithful Christians know better than this, knowing that sin is a function of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. But there is a subtlety here also. We sometimes forget that hearts do not exist in any solitary way. Think of this another way. All sin, every sin, is always a sin in relationship to others.<br /><br />If you could be alone, truly <em>alone</em>, you could not sin. Moreover, you could not be you if you were genuinely, completely alone. In the world God made, relationship with <em>others</em> is as necessary as contending with height, breadth and depth. Even if you were to go off into the mountains to live alone, every moment of every day, you will still be living in relationship with the triune God in whom we all live, move and have our being.<br /><br />So sin is not found in material stuff. Neither is sin found in a solitary human heart. Sin is always found in the human heart in relationship to other hearts. But notice what follows from this. When sin is in the stuff, sin is simple. That is why people are attracted to the legalistic systems that operate on this calculus. "Don’t drink beer" is the rule, and you are either obeying or you are not. When sin is in your own heart, and it is your solitary heart that you are thinking of, sin is simple. Sin is defined by how <em>you</em> think and feel about things. You descend into your own heart to look for sin, and as it turns out you always look in the same old places, and you don’t look in the nooks and crannies—the first places that <em>others</em> would look.<br /><br />If sin is a function of relationship, then the complexities are such that only the grace of God can sort it all out. And sin is a direct function of relationship, isn’t it? What are the two great commandments, the two commandments that sum up all ethical responsibility that can be found in the Bible? What are those commandments? Love God and love your neighbor. All the law is encompassed <em>in relationship</em>. This means that sin cannot be understood, analyzed, confessed, or forsaken without reference to the thoughts, loves, intents, and desires of those others.<br /><br />Therefore . . . love God. Love one another." </p><p> </p><p> </p></blockquote></div><br /><br />Now, sin is commonly understood as Wilson has defined it above: taking place in realtionships, and exlusively at that. Therefore, no physical thing is inherently sinful. This is extremely helpful in understanding things we consume: all food and drink (and yes, even smoking, if you enjoy that sort of thing) is permissible - God's Word affirms this, as my previous post explored and explained. However, "all things edible" leave the realm of permissibilty once they either A) inhibit our relationship with the Father, or B) inhibit our relationships with others. What say you?andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-30138628225043527952009-01-26T14:15:00.000-08:002009-01-27T18:59:46.486-08:00The Doctrine of Eating What You Want To.Food: everyone's favorite topic, especially for many Christians today. We've all heard people speak of "health" and "eating right," but where should Christians draw the line? What does the Bible have to say about this issue?<br /><br />Douglas Wilson, one of my favorite authors, has written a great article entitled, "The Fat is the Lord's" in the latest issue of "Credenda Agenda." He claims that the modern dieting and health-pursuit craze can be classified as worldliness, of which Christians should take care to "not be conformed to" (Romans 12:2). As Christians, we should feel no need whatsoever to rule out certain food or drink! Matthew states that "John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children" (Matt. 11:18-19). God spoke to Noah, and told him that "every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you" (Gen. 9:3). In the Garden, God told Adam and Eve to eat <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">freely</span> (Gen. 2:16).<br /><br />Now, what about modern foods? So much fat, grease, MSGs and the like; what of those? Obviously, the Bible speaks of none of these, so it is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">impossible</span> for Christians to hold as law a charge to not consume them. Author James Jordon puts it this way: "it is not a serious matter for a physician to advise abstaining from foods for medical reasons, based on human wisdom. It is, however a very serious thing when men advocate abstaining from foods for religious reasons...valuable as exercise, good diet, and the like may be, they are not delineated in God's revealed law" (from his book, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Pig Out?</span>).<br /><br />Now, this may prove offensive to many Christians, but there are many verses, some of which I have already quoted, that simply stand at odds with diet-crazed moderns. Isaiah, when speaking of the New Covenant, states that "on this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined" (Is. 25:6). God's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">design</span> for His people is for them to enjoy <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">all things edible</span>. I'll close with a final quote from Wilson:<br /><br /><blockquote>at the root of all the problems, we should be able to detect a false doctrine of God. Ours is a lost generation, in the grip of a deep father hunger. Because we have not had healthy relationships with our human fathers, God, we naturally assume, is parsimonious. He is tight-fisted with His abundance. We slander Him in our hearts. If it tastes like gravel, it must be from God, so the thinking goes, and restaurants tout their 'death by chocolate' concoctions as 'decadent' or 'sinful.' Something is desperately wrong here. God - not the devil - was the inventor of pleasure, sex, goodness, fermentation, and satisfaction. He was the designer of all our nerve endings and our taste buds and over a million tastes, and He gave men the ingenuity to be able to figure out how to combine all those tastes in ways that would create a trillion more. Where could we have possibly gotten the idea that He was stingy? An enemy has done this.</blockquote>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-704295910301685779.post-11350868460215569462009-01-05T22:11:00.000-08:002009-01-05T22:13:20.894-08:00The Chicken or the Egg?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH9moRt8U1J0FS87frCS8krDwDXO_8T3LcuEQ_bEpYTzzC5MqcCFsrp9BpqnOnitzeiFz4HlIalKrUMAo0WqpIGjR0ieGVxfq37zeJFyLCKJZN8nsgubKoSapVf5674raeB8SzfTfDkOL/s1600-h/5077557_2510761.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288059748425186434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCH9moRt8U1J0FS87frCS8krDwDXO_8T3LcuEQ_bEpYTzzC5MqcCFsrp9BpqnOnitzeiFz4HlIalKrUMAo0WqpIGjR0ieGVxfq37zeJFyLCKJZN8nsgubKoSapVf5674raeB8SzfTfDkOL/s200/5077557_2510761.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>I've recently heard arguments from a friend of mine who says that Scripture is itself subject the the authority of Tradition. This view is most identifiable from within the Roman Catholic camp of Christianity, and it presents itself quite convincingly, at face value. The argument goes something like this: Scripture is infallible inasmuch as those who canonized were themselves infallible; therefore, these men, operating from within the Holy Tradition, bear the weight and authority of Tradition onto the canonized Scripture. In conclusion, we have the Scripture, arranged and canonized by men, which is subject to the authority of the men operating from within the Holy Tradition.<br /></p><br /><p>As I have said, this can sound very convincing at first, but there are some big problems with this reasoning. The biggest error that I can see is the lack of objectivity given to God's Word, the Scriptures. The way I see it, if we can give math the benefit of objectivity, we should do likewise for God's Word. Going further in this example of mathematics, we find men in the past who have developed theorems and proofs that men before them had not developed, hence they “discovered” those theorems and proofs. But it would be silly to say that they invented the very principles of math that they sought to theorize and make useful in theorem form. Most certainly math exists outside of our knowledge of it. Two and two make four, quite regardless of whether I acknowledge that or not. This objective view of math can be very helpful when searching for the authority of Scripture. Just as the objective principles of math can be acknowledged by men, so those who helped to canonize Scripture recognized its authority outside of themselves, or objectively.<br /></p><br /><p>Here is a second problem. No Roman Catholic would argue with the fact that there have been false, or bad traditions that have disguised themselves as tradition in the past. Many have not even been disguised. Now, I acknowledge that many bad or false traditions have been purged from the Roman Catholic church over the years, and that is a good thing. What I find contestable are the words good and bad, when applied to Tradition. Now, if it is true that Roman Catholic's place the Holy Tradition as their highest degree of authority, then how in God's Name can subjective terms such as bad or good be applied to it? If the Holy Tradition is the yardstick by which we must measure everything else, then how is it even possible that it can be questioned or deemed bad? That would be like saying that there is such a thing as good math or bad math. Now, when I say bad math I do not mean one who is poor at math, nor when I say good math, one who excels at math. I mean math itself. Math itself has no subjective qualities about it; it simply is. We must conform our minds to the principles of math, not the other way around. Likewise, if Holy Tradition is the highest authority, how then would it begin to make sense to question it? If it is, in fact, the highest authority, then we should conform ourselves to it, no questions asked. But once we begin the nonsense of saying there is good absolute authority, worthy of our devotion, and bad absolute authority, then we have begun to hold Tradition up to a higher standard, a standard objective to it's subjectivity. Now what would be the candidate for Tradition to be subject to? Men, who are creatures prone to change? I shouldn't think so. Then what? Why, the Holy Scriptures of course.<br /></p><br /><p>The last argument that many Roman Catholics like to raise goes something like this: both Tradition and Scripture are subject to divine revelation, which comes from God and empowers both equally. Now, this is perhaps the best of their arguments so far, but it remains unconvincing. One must ask this crucial question: How do we receive divine revelation? Of course, this is the key point where Protestants and Roman Catholics answer differently, Roman Catholics answering that they receive divine revelation from the papacy, Tradition, and Scripture, while Protestants answer only the Scriptures. Personally, in reference to the Catholic argument, I can think of nothing more circularly problematic. Maybe I just need to ask the Lord to increase my faith...for when receiving divine revelation from the papacy, Tradition, and Scripture, which have all erred in the past, sans Scripture, then I'd consider myself in deep doodoo if I placed my foundation upon something that has failed, and is certainly prone to fail again.</p>andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01787933067991916930noreply@blogger.com10