Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
My good friend, Jason Ewert, recently posted a review of Pastor Douglas Wilson’s book, Against the Church . Jason correctly notes that Pastor Wilson’s main pastoral motivation in writing this book is to combat dead orthodoxy. Dead orthodoxy is a real problem in Reformed churches that celebrate the primacy of…
At the church I pastor, we have four servers who distribute the communion elements to the congregation, and I distribute the elements to those in the foyer and nursery. The servers and I do not partake of the bread and wine until the congregation is served first. As this has…
We at Trinity House believe that the church ought to raise and train her future pastors. Part of that training may be carried out by specialized institutions like Trinity House, but the church and her leaders are ultimately responsible for that training. To encourage churches to assume that responsibility, Trinity…
Sandra Jacobs's The Body as Property examines the role of physical disfigurement in the Hebrew Bible, with focus on the Torah, and more specifically on the (fictitious) Priestly document, P. After an introduction laying out a rationale for the comparative method that guides her research, she explores circumcision, the use…
Yahweh saves. That’s what Isaiah’s name means, and that’s what Isaiah’s prophecy is about. Yah saves Judah when Aram and Israel pressure her. He saves Jerusalem from the Assyrian siege. He brings Judah back from the grave of Babylonian exile. But this triumphant message of Isaiah fizzles. The last few…
Are apostasy and assurance mutually exclusive? Some seem to think so. But let’s consider this a bit: No Reformed man would ever say that a man who is “saved” today will be safe forever no matter what . Rather we say, “your sins are forgiven, now, walk faithfully, glorify the…
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Balzac has often been coopted by leftist critics of capitalism, since he depicts so vividly the corrosive influence that money has on social life, including family life. Several of my students, having read Cousin Bette , point out that Balzac sees money more as a means for the achievement of…
A student, Jeremy Downey, has pointed to the parallels between ancient epic and modern comic book heroism. In both cases, you’re dealing with men of superhuman strength, who have specialized areas of expertise, and one really cool weapon or tool. This is exactly right, and helps explain the feel of…
I’ve been using Sinclair Ferguson’s book on the Holy Spirit (IVP, 1996) for several years in my theology class, and each time I review it in preparation for class I’m reminded of what a wonderful book it is. Ferguson is well known as a popular writer on Reformed theology and…
On the eighth day of the rite of ?filling the hand,?EAaron began his service at the altar. His first offering was a ?calf?E(Heb. ?egel ), which served as a purification offering for himself and (apparently) his household (Leviticus 9:2, 8). This is striking for a couple of reasons. First, Leviticus…
Leviticus 21:10-15 describes the particular regulations governing the priest who is ?highest among his brothers,?Eand justifies these regulations by saying that ?the consecration of the anointing oil of his God is upon him?E(v. 12b). The word ?consecration?Etranslates nzr , elsewhere used of the ?holy crown?Ethat was placed upon the high…
In Theology after Wittgenstein , Fergus Kerr (1986) launched a Wittgensteinian attack on the modern, Cartesian gnosticism that he found operative in Karl Rahner, Hans Kung, and Don Cuppitt. According to Kerr?s account, Wittgenstein challenges the Cartesian occlusion of the body and community, the ego?s effort to transcend particular human…
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