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...
Want to Understand How Suffering Fits with the Sovereignty of God? Here’s a Great Place to Start
One of the perennial questions for all theologians (and all human beings) is “Why do we suffer?” And, “If God is good and sovereign, why does he allow suffering?”
While most of us have these questions, we don’t really have to deal with them until we experience suffering ourselves. This is when we discover whether we really have a “theology of suffering” that can deal with the hard parts of life.
And that’s the thing about the coronavirus. It forces all of us to answer the tough questions about suffering. We can no longer duck the issue.
To be clear, I am not talking about answers to the intellectual questions … Continue reading...
What is Covenant Theology? Here are Two New Resources You Don’t Want to Miss
Few would doubt that the last twenty years has seen a remarkable surge of interest in Reformed Theology. So much so, that many younger evangelicals, as opposed to prior generations, would now be comfortable identifying themselves as reformed (in some way).
Indeed, this has been wonderfully documented in Collin Hansen’s fascinating book, Young, Restless, Reformed (Crossway, 2008).
But, there is still the question about what it exactly means to be “reformed.” Does it just mean one embraces some form of Calvinism? Or it is bigger than that?
As you might imagine, here at Reformed Theological Seminary we get that question a lot. After all, “Reformed” is in our name!
While … Continue reading...
Stuck Indoors with Extra Time on Your Hands? Here’s a Great Way to Spend It
Given that many of us are self-quarantined and/or working from home these days, we may find that we have more free time than ever before. Indeed, the internet is filled with stories of “bored” folks stuck at home with nothing to do, searching for some way to entertain themselves.
Under the heading of Paul’s exhortation to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:16), let me make a suggestion: take a seminary class.
I can’t tell you how many times people have approached me over the years and expressed a desire to dive deeper into God’s word, or to explore church history, or … Continue reading...
How a “You do You” Culture Has Made Us Vulnerable to the Coronavirus
“You do you.”
Perhaps there’s no phrase that captures our current cultural moment better. Back in 2015, Colson Whitehead of the New York Times Magazine, lamented this phrase, arguing that it “perfectly captures our narcissistic culture.”
Indeed, it is hard to disagree. “You do you” embodies our culture’s commitment to personal fulfillment, self-actualization, and the dismissal of any truth claims outside of the self. It means we get to create our own realities, our own right and wrong, and, perhaps most importantly, our own meaning.
And if we are the creators of our own little worlds, then we are also our own little gods. And no one gets to … Continue reading...