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Writing

Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Biblical Studies

A Daughter of Abraham

Some of the key ways Biblical writers draw attention to important details in their stories are by the use of key words, repetition, and structural devices like chiasms and parallel constructions. The Bible sounds different, even odd, to us sometimes because of the use of these and similar literary conventions.…

by Ralph Allan SmithApril 16, 2019
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Autonomy

Rehabilitating Autonomy

It is pretty standard in conservative Christian circles to condemn unbelief for pretensions of “autonomy.” Cornelius Van Til famously (at least among those of us who knows who he is) said that “There is no alternative but that of theonomy and autonomy.” Greg Bahnsen appealed to this quotation by labeling…

by Mark HorneApril 9, 2019
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John

Jesus: Preacher of Paradox

Jesus was the greatest teacher who ever taught — the Light of the World, whose pure Truth brought sight to the blind (John 9). Almost no one — even those who speak openly against Him — disputes His reputation as a wise and good teacher of the way of love.…

by Ralph Allan SmithApril 2, 2019
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Esther

The Book of Esther in Covenant History

It is clear that the events in Esther are an integral part of the history of the formation of the Restoration Covenant Era. Amalek attacks. Amalek is spoiled. The spoils are used to build the Temple, in the sense that the crude Temple of Zerubbabel can now be glorified with…

by James B. JordanMarch 28, 2019
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How to Worship

A Positive View of Music

It is not coincidental that John Calvin speaks most strongly in defense of vernacular language just after his defense of singing in church. "From this also it plainly appears that public prayers must be couched not in Greek among the Latins, nor in Latin among the French or English, as…

by John AhernMarch 26, 2019
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Biblical Theology

The Reopened Wounds of Jacob

In A Voyage Around the World , George Anson recounts the effects of scurvy upon an unfortunate man: But a most extraordinary circumstance, and what would be scarcely credible upon any single evidence, is, that the scars of wounds which had been for many years healed, were forced open again…

by Alastair RobertsMarch 19, 2019

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Economics

Mammon, A Jealous God

At the Financial Times blog , Shaomin Li, Ilan Alon, and Jun Wu report on their research into the relation of religious freedom and economic performance. One of their key findings is fairly obvious: sectarian violence inhibits economic growth. Another finding is more surprising: “countries with stronger government restrictions on…

September 12, 2014

A Village Isn’t Enough

Explaining the title of his book, Singing the Ethos of God , Brian Brock offers a critique of communitarian hermeneutics: “I have criticized the communitarian account of reading Scripture within the church in a manner that affirms their central interest in the church, but pushes it one step further by…

September 12, 2014

Whom Are We Arming?

President Obama said this week that part of the US strategy for containing the Islamic State is to provide arms to Syrian rebels, provided they are “moderate.” It might be a challenge to find moderate ones. A year ago, Ben Farmer reported in the Telegraph on a IHS Jane’s study…

September 12, 2014

New Creation Land

Yahweh takes Israel from Egypt to a superior land. In Deuteronomy 11:8-12, He describes eight features of the land, using “land” eight times: 1) A land to be possessed, 11:8 2) Prolong days in the land, 11:9 3) A land of milk and honey, 11:9 4) Land to be possessed,…

September 11, 2014

Delivering the Cosmos

In a couple of recent essays, Beverly Gaventa describes the cosmic, apocalyptic dimensions of Paul’s gospel. Gaventa is editor of a recent study of Romans 5-8, Apocalyptic Paul . In her own contribution, a study of the “I” of Romans 7 against the background of David’s Psalms, she explains the…

September 11, 2014

Same Old Paul

In his introduction to Paul in the Grip of the Philosophers , Peter Frick cleverly observes that contemporary philosophers who have chosen Paul as their dialogue partner end up violating their own stated principles: “Continental philosophy uses the voice of Paul, but does not always give him his own voice.…

September 11, 2014

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