Monthly Archives: May 2008

John Stott on ecumenism between Protestant evangelicals and Roman Catholics

Posted on 29/05/2008 by

‘I find myself hoping and praying that evangelicals worldwide will take more initiatives to develop friendly conversations with Roman Catholics based on common Bible study.  It would be tragic indeed if God’s purpose of reformation were frustrated by our evangelical … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Churches | Tagged ,

J. I. Packer on biblical exegesis and the literal sense of the text

Posted on 29/05/2008 by

‘Exegesis means bringing out of the text all that it contains of the thoughts, attitudes, assumptions, and so forth — in short, the whole expressed mind of the human writer.  This is the ‘literal’ sense, in the name of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies | Tagged , ,

What is salvation for?

Posted on 29/05/2008 by

‘At the very center of the Christian faith is Jesus . . . Unfortunately, Western Christianity has been so conditioned . . . It has concentrated on the salvation of the individual soul but has frequently disregarded God’s purpose to … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , ,

Walter Wink on Frank Peretti’s ‘This Present Darkness’

Posted on 29/05/2008 by

‘While I appreciate his treatments of the interconnection of heavenly and earthly reality, the role of human freedom, the centrality of prayer, the angels of the cities and nations, and the subtle coincidence of demonic promptings and people’s words or … Continue reading →

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Richard Dawkins’ god

Posted on 29/05/2008 by

‘The ‘god’ in whom Richard Dawkins disbelieves is a ‘god’ in whom the major world religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, do not believe either.’ ~ Michael Poole

Posted in Atheism | Tagged , ,

Jaroslav Pelikan on the Bible

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘To comprehend the written Bible it is essential to understand that most of the words which are now written down in it had been spoken first and, therefore, they had been heard long before they could ever have been read.’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, History | Tagged , ,

N. T. Wright on how Dispensationalism never allows ‘the texts to speak for themselves’

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘Dispensationalism has adopted, in advance, a particular eschatalogical formula which is then brought to the biblical material.  Let it be noted that I am not dismissing this move as a false one: I am actually endorsing it.  My point is … Continue reading →

Posted in Fundamentalism, Theology | Tagged , , , , ,

Book Review: ‘Of This Earth: A Mennonite Boyhood in the Boreal Forest’ by Rudy Wiebe

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘Of This Earth: A Mennonite Boyhood in the Boreal Forest’ by Rudy Wiebe Rudy Wiebe, the great Canadian Christian novelist, has here provided us with his youthful autobiography.  His parents, devout Mennonite Brethren, fled Russian Communism in the late 1920’s for farmland … Continue reading →

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Book Review: ‘How to Read the Bible’ by Steven L. McKenzie

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘How to Read the Bible’ by Steven L. McKenzie This book underlines the importance of understanding genre when reading the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.  For example, was the book of Jonah written as (and therefore meant to be understood as) … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Book Reviews | Tagged , , ,

Book Review: ‘There is a God’ by Antony Flew

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘There is a God’ by Antony Flew This is an intriguing book.  In intellectual circles Flew was for many years “the world’s best known atheist” and, as a leading philosopher, was a fearsome opponent of Christianity.  I well remember reading … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Book Reviews, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , ,

Book Review: ‘What’s So Great About Christianity’ by Dinesh D’Souza

Posted on 25/05/2008 by

‘What’s So Great About Christianity’ by Dinesh D’Souza This is an excellent, comprehensive and very readable response to the “New Atheism” of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others.  The author’s format is to take a different topic in each chapter … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Book Reviews | Tagged , , , ,

DVD Review: ‘Resurrection’ & ‘Evil’ by N. T. Wright

Posted on 23/05/2008 by

‘Resurrection’ & ‘Evil’ by N. T. Wright Both these DVDs (50 minutes each) are excellent, as one would expect from N.T. (Tom) Wright.  Filmed in Israel, England, Greece and South Africa, they are visually interesting — though the weather in Israel … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Theology | Tagged , , ,

Book Review: ‘The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism’ by Timothy Keller

Posted on 23/05/2008 by

‘The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism’ by Timothy Keller This recently published book has created quite a “buzz” and has received glowing commendations.  Rev. Tim Keller is a Presbyterian minister who started a new church in Manhattan, … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Presbyterian, Reformed | Tagged , , , ,

Book Review: ‘Surprised by Hope’ by N. T. Wright

Posted on 23/05/2008 by

‘Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church’ by N. T. Wright The prolific Tom Wright’s latest book (though he will have several newer ones out by the time you read this!) pulls together several … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Theology | Tagged , , , , , ,

Book Review: ‘From Eden to Exile: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Bible’ by Eric H. Cline

Posted on 23/05/2008 by

‘From Eden to Exile: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Bible’ by Eric H. Cline Nowadays “Indiana Jones” and “Lara Croft” style fictional archaeology permeates our popular culture.  In the media, sensational “discoveries” of Noah’s Ark and the Ark of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Biblical Studies, Book Reviews, History | Tagged , , , ,