Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
I grew up on the north side of Chicago. My parents were evangelicals and I was raised in the faith. I graduated from a large public high school in which practicing Christians were very few and very far between (though nominal Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox were in abundance), which…
During the recent round table discussion on the future of Protestantism , Peter Leithart advocated a much greater degree of unity in the Church than we presently enjoy. Another participant in the discussion wondered aloud how Leithart's vision would be different from the ministerial associations that presently exist in many…
"But he, wanting to justify himself, said, 'And who is my neighbor?' And Jesus said to him, 'First, your neighbors are the people in your church, then the ones with whom you enjoy greatest doctrinal or ecclesiastical commonality, then those with whom you enjoy less commonality.'" -Said Jesus... never Since…
A number of years ago, I came across something in the Puritan Thomas Goodwin in regard to John 17:22. Goodwin points out that Jesus prays that they (the disciples) might be given the glory of the Father as a means to an end. The end is unity, and the means…
In her prize-winning book, Gilead , Marilynne Robinson uses the pastoral settings of Iowa to challenge ministers to live up to their high callings. One of the most powerful themes in the novel is the pastor’s power to “bless.” The tension in the novel builds as we watch Rev. Ames…
One of the few glaring errors of the Protestant Reformers was the failure to welcome children back to the Lord's Table. Something that seems to go along with this was the exclusion of other kinds of Christians, primarily Roman Catholics, from Holy Communion in Protestant churches. Exclusion of Roman Catholics…
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Edward Vacek ( Spirituality and Moral Theology: Essays from a Pastoral Perspective , 102) argues that gratitude depends on right self-love: “Gratitude is . . . difficult where there is little sense of self. That may occur in cultures that are highly communal and highly structured. Even in our individualist…
Israel’s priests were to offer ascension offerings ( ‘olah ) continuously ( tamid ) before Yahweh. By performing these offerings, the priests were calling on God to remember His promises and act accordingly. Continuous ascension was a continuous memorial. Psalm 74 ends with this: “Forget not the clamor of your…
In his contribution to Spirituality and Moral Theology: Essays from a Pastoral Perspective (84) , Edward Vacek discusses the “three forms of love” that are “intermingled” in God. His summary statement is a helpful riposte to Nygren: “As an ‘agapist,’ God creates generously and without the good of getting some…
Bless the Lord, O my soul. And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. Psalm 103 rushes on to enumerate some of those benefits: God pardons our sins. He heals our diseases. He buys us back…
As Moses gives his final instructions to Israel, he reminds them that he will not lead them into the land (Deuteronomy 31:1-3). Instead: a. Yahweh your God will cross ahead of you b. He will destroy those nations before you b’. and you shall dispossess them a’. Joshua is the…
Friedman ( The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century , 39-40) says that “War is central to the American experience . . . . It is built into American culture and deeply rooted in American geopolitics.” This is no unsupported screed. He points out that “The United…
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