Is the New Testament Really Filled with Contradictory Theologies?
Perhaps no book in the history of the world has received as much scrutiny and criticism as the Bible. For generations, scholars have picked apart every aspect of this book: its history, its transmission, its veracity, its theology, its morality, etc. It has been criticized, ridiculed, mocked and condemned.
Those who are in the academic world—college students, grad students—feel this tension acutely. In fact, this is why I wrote my most recent book, Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College (Crossway, 2021).
However, in their haste to heap criticism on the Bible, occasionally critics offer arguments that actually prove to be inconsistent with … Continue reading...
How Can I Believe in a Miracle If I’ve Never Seen One?
I’ve been working my way through a blog series in light of the recent release of my book, Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College (Crossway, 2021). This series includes 7 videos that tackle key intellectual questions about the Christian faith.
We now come to the seventh and final video, and this is a big one: “How Can I Believe in a Miracle If I’ve Never Seen One?”
Of course, skepticism over the supernatural is nothing new. Even when it seems a miracle just may have occurred, the knee-jerk reaction of most people is to prefer a naturalistic explanation: someone is lying, eyewitnesses … Continue reading...
Does Grace Oppose Hard Work? My Upcoming Conversation with Jen Wilkin at the @TGC National Conference
So, today I am headed to Indianapolis for the TGC Women’s Conference (April 9-11), and the TGC National Conference (April 12-14). So excited to be in-person again, talking to real people.
I am speaking three times across the two conferences, so here’s the line-up:
1. Saturday, April 10, 4:30PM, I am doing a session entitled: “Can I Lose My Faith? Understanding Apostasy.” Over the last few years, I have been tackling this theme of apostasy, or “deconversion,” through my new commentary on Hebrews (which will be a book give away at the National Conference), as well as through several blog articles on deconversion in the evangelical world. I hope this … Continue reading...
My New Book “Surviving Religion 101” Releases Today!
In the fall of 1989, I began my freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Like many freshmen, I was excited for the next chapter in my life, eager to explore the new opportunities and experiences that college had to offer.
Of course, I knew there would be challenges. College life would not be easy, especially for a Christian. But I had grown up in a solid Christian home, was taught the Bible from a young age, and was a faithful member of my church youth group. So I figured I was ready.
I wasn’t.
The problem stemmed not from what I was taught but … Continue reading...
Why Don’t Churches Stop Spiritually Abusive Pastors?
For the last couple of months I’ve been making my way through a blog series on spiritual abuse which I am calling “Bully Pulpit”. You can see the prior installments here , here, here, and here.
Part of the goal of this series has been to lead up to my session on spiritual abuse at the TGC National Conference. I will be leading a panel discussion on this topic with my friends Dan Doriani and John Yates, at 11AM on April 12th. Please join us if you will be attending TGC, or you can tune-in online.
With the conference right around the corner, this will … Continue reading...