Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
I appreciate Andy Webb’s recent entry into the current discussion over baptismal efficacy. 1 This is an issue which has consumed a great deal of time and energy in the Reformed world in recent years. It is not likely to subside soon. As a contributing party to the discussion, I…
The Covenant Vision of the Heidelberg & Westminster Catechisms Regarding Children and Baptism 7 POINTS ABOUT THE TEACHING OF THE REFORMED CHURCHES Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death? Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but…
Is the Holiday Unpresbyterian? ‘Tis the season to be informed–sometimes in gentleness, often with vigor–by a variety of Christians (and others 1 ) claiming that it is wrong to celebrate Christmas. I have no desire to force anyone to celebrate Christmas against their will. Indeed, it would be insulting to…
This month we begin by considering Alan D. Strange’s article, “Understanding the ‘Federal Vision'” published in the February 2007 issue of New Horizons, the official denominational magazine of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Mr. Strange is an OPC minister, a teacher at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, and was a member of the…
There is no reason to believe that Matthew 24, Mark 13, or Luke 21 records Jesus prophesying about what is now known in Christian theology as “the Second Coming.” In my opinion, the fact that most modern conservative Christian scholars and pastors are not yet willing to acknowledge that the…
Francis Turretin, the Reformed theologian of the seventeenth century, carefully distinguishes the Reformed view of infant faith from Lutheran and Anabaptist claims. Anabaptists denied any faith to infants so that they could justify their refusal to baptize them. Lutherans affirmed (rightly) that covenant infants were believers, but made no distinction…
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W e Americans pride ourselves on our religious freedom absolutism. Officially, the U.S. permits all religious expression and prohibits none. In reality, the situation is more complicated, since the scope of “religious expression” has to be negotiated by American courts. Polygamy isn’t protected religious practice, for instance, and a Presidential…
T he Sam Wanamker Playhouse, a Jacobean theater in the Globe complex in London, seats 340 in three tiers, tightly crowded on backless benches. During performances, the stage is lit by candles burning from six chandeliers. Actors enter and exit within inches of the audience. During Othello a few weeks…
T he Mail & Guardian Africa reports on Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire, who has inspired a nationwide resistance to Robert Mugabe and now faces sedition charges. In April 2016, Mawarire “draped Zimbabwe’s flag over his shoulders, logged on to Facebook and delivered a passionate appeal to his fellow countrymen. He…
The Chronicler's account of the completion of the house of the Lord (2 Chronicles 5-7) is arranged in a fairly neat chiasm. A. Solomon finishes ( shalam ) work, 2 Chronicles 5:1 B. Solomon celebrates the feast in the seventh month, 5:2 C. Levites take ark into the house, with…
Terrence Malick has been on a filmmaking tear, most recently releasing Song to Song . He's back, but that hasn't dulled his skepticism about the film industry. Brett McCracken sees Malick's earlier Knight of Cups as, in part, a reflection of Malick's “complicated relationship with Hollywood”: “Malick’s critique of Hollywood,…
Karol Berger argues ( A Theory of Art ) that Lyotard's famed distinction of modern and postmodern is “far too stark.” In fact we aren't faced with a simple choice “between a belief in universal history grasped by an all-explaining meta-narrative and a belief in a plurality of equally valid…
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