Tag: Orthodox

By micoots
06/01/2017 0

The New Pagan Politics

Christians must understand the new politics not only to give moral guidance but to make sense of Gospel preaching. We must counter not only traditional atheism, materialism and rationalism, but spiritually pagan Oneist thinking. The Gospel begins with God the Creator, Maker of all things, who is distinct from what he makes. The good news of the Gospel is that in his incredible love the Creator condescends to take on flesh and become the Savior of fallen human beings. The paganization of politics..

By micoots
06/01/2017 0

Evangelicals Should Be Deeply Troubled By Donald Trump’s Attempt to Mainstream Heresy

Most evangelical pastors I know would shake their heads at all of this. Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore tweeted, “Paula White is a charlatan and recognized as a heretic by every orthodox Christian, of whatever tribe.” Yet increasingly one wonders whether modified versions of the prosperity gospel — religion as personal therapy for our best life now — has become more mainstream than we realize.

Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration will include Paula White and possibly other members of his ..

By micoots
05/01/2017 0

Grappling with Bach’s theology

Alex Ross, music critic for The New Yorker has written a fascinating piece on Bach’s theology. He says that while much research of the past tried to look at Bach in purely secular terms, today’s scholarship is attempting to unpack the musical impact of his Lutheranism.
Ross reviews several recent books on the subject, including one that tries to read into Bach’s music elements of anti-semitism, as if that is what Lutheranism is all about. (Despite Luther’s senile ravings at the end of his life, ..

By micoots
04/01/2017 0

Christian Celebrity Culture and Shot Glass Communities

The Top Men need to listen to the critique. They need to hear from the oppressed—and do something about it. They need to correct bad teaching and not believe their own hype. Instead of posing as social equals on social media and then amplifying the same celebrity voices over and over again, they should pepper unrecognized teachers in the mix—not merely ones they are grooming to begin headlining for the brand, but ones to offer a different perspective of their shared truths. What if Top Men were ..

By micoots
04/01/2017 0

The “Grievous Sin” of Neglecting the Church (Ames)

For this reason the Westminster Confession notes that outside of the church “there is no ordinary possibility of salvation” (25.2). This doesn’t mean that a Christian who cannot possibly join with the fellowship is lost (for example, there are Christians in some prisons who have no way of being part of the church or fellowship). But it does mean that those who willfully refuse to be part of a church are putting their souls in grave danger. Why? Because neglecting the assembly is a multi-layered ..

By micoots
03/01/2017 0

Tim Keller under the Eye

Recently Tim Keller was interviewed by Nicholas Kristof about Christian orthodoxy and Christmas. The oh-so-vigilant-and-sensitive crowd immediately set off a chorus of “yougottabekiddin’me” posts and ballyhoo articles, some of which came from the chorus of the Right and others from the Left. There was some crowdpounding and some lining up of “Who is on the Lord’s side?”
If Keller said Jesus was raised from the dead, some would say that’s insensitive and others would say “but he forgot ‘for our j..

By micoots
02/01/2017 0

Saying No to Church = Divorcing Christ from His Bride (Murray)

“We cannot think of Christ properly apart from the church. All the offices he exercises as head over all things, he exercises on behalf of the church. If we think of the church apart from Christ, or transfer to the church prerogatives that belong only to Christ, then we are guilty of idolatry. But if we think of Christ apart from the church, then we are guilty of a dismemberment that severs what God has joined together. We are divorcing Christ from his only bride.”

Some people today believe the..

By micoots
01/01/2017 0

The Great Trinitarian Debate

Today, Tenth has again been called to take on a serious challenge to the faith we hold dear. It is our privilege to take up ‘arms’ for our King in a battle far more foundational than those two huge debates of the 20th Century – the Doctrine of God and the full deity of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, false teaching has already crept, almost silently, deep inside the very walls of evangelicalism. It was Dr. Goligher who, last June, flipped the switch of the floodlights, revealing these teachings for..

By micoots
29/12/2016 0

Why Millennials Long for Liturgy

For Bart Gingerich, a fellow with the Institute on Religion and Democracy and a student at Reformed Episcopal Seminary, becoming Anglican was an intellectual journey steeped in the thought of ancient church fathers. He spent the first 15 years of his life in the United Methodist Church, where he felt he was taught a “Precious Moments” version of Christianity: watered down, polite, and unreal.

America’s youth are leaving churches in droves. One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when ask..