Surviving Doubt: Six Videos Providing Answers to Difficult Questions about the Christian Faith
Ever had a moment in your life where you doubted what you believe? I mean, really doubted?
I can still remember when that happened in my life. It was my freshman year at UNC-Chapel Hill as I was sitting in a religion class on the New Testament. The professor was bright, funny, and persuasive. And he was arguing that the New Testament was chocked full of mistakes and contradictions.
As I sat there, I had no answers. I began to wonder whether Christianity was just something people made up.
By God’s grace, I persevered through those doubts and now have the privilege to be a professor who argues that the … Continue reading...
The De-conversion of Saruman: Five Lessons to Learn
There’s been a lot of chatter the last couple years over “de-conversion” stories. Most recently, of course, is the story of well-known pastor and author Joshua Harris, as well as the Youtube comedians Rhett and Link.
I’ve written on this phenomenon myself in a number of places, including my recent book, The 10 Commandments of Progressive Christianity, as well as my my article, “The Power of De-conversion Stories: How Jen Hatmaker is Trying to Change Minds about the Bible.”
So, what exactly is de-conversion? In short, it’s when a person who is deeply committed to the Christian faith ends up leaving the Christian faith and abandoning their … Continue reading...
My New Lay-Level Class on the Origins and Authority of the Bible
Note: This post is regularly updated with new handouts and MP3 recordings.
Have you ever had a time in your life when you really (I mean really) doubted the truth of the Bible? Maybe you wondered whether everything you ever believed was a lie. Anyone who’s gone through such an experience, and come out on the other side, knows how much their spiritual health is tied to their trust in Scripture.
In short, understanding the origins and authority of the Bible is a practical issue. It’s a spiritual issue. While I am convinced that most evangelicals believe the truth of the Bible, I think far fewer can articulate why… Continue reading...
A Preview of My New Book: The 10 Commandments of Progressive Christianity
I am pleased to announce my new book has just been released: The Ten Commandments of Progressive of Christianity (Cruciform Press, 2019).
As most readers will know, I did a blog series on this theme a couple of years ago. Tim Challies, who runs Cruciform Press, approached me about expanding the material into a small, introductory book, in hopes of getting the content into the hands of more people. Cruciform Press has done a good job publishing solid, accessible books by authors like John Piper, Tony Reinke, Joel Beeke, Jerry Bridges, and others.
The fact that the book was essentially released over the Christmas season is fitting, I … Continue reading...
Is the God of the Bible a Genocidal Maniac?
Armenia. Cambodia. Rawanda. Bosnia. Darfur. All well-known modern examples of genocide where entire people groups were wiped out (or almost wiped out). These are awful tragedies, worthy of our sorrow and grief.
And yet, ask the critics, is the God of the Bible really any different? When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, was it not God that commanded them to wipe out all the indigenous people (Deut 20:17)? Is God not guilty of genocide? It makes me think of the famous bumper-sticker quote, “The only difference between God and Adolf Hitler is that God is more proficient at genocide.”
Admittedly, this is a difficult, complex issue. We feel … Continue reading...