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Ecclesiology

The Changing Face of Reformed Theology

Reformed theology has changed. And there seems to be no going back. It was in the year 1978 that a tectonic shift in the underlying structure of Reformed theology began with the publication of a small book. The changes were not only systematic, but also systemic—affecting all aspects of it.…

by Mani MarprelateAugust 31, 2017
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American Culture

The Alt-Right Meme

Since the term, “alt-right,” is being tossed about in the national media and is the subject of moral concern (or perhaps, moral panic), it might be good to identify what we’re talking about or at least admit the limitations of using nicknames to describe cultural shifts and voter behavior. Until…

by Mark HorneAugust 29, 2017
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How to Worship

Confession, Absolution, Kyrie

Confession Confession belongs at the beginning of the liturgy. We enter into God’s house, invited for a meal, and we need to clean up before we do that. Cleansing was a requirement for the priests of the OT before they entered the sanctuary to minister (Exodus 30:17-21). When Yahweh appeared…

by Peter LeithartAugust 24, 2017
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Biblical Theology

Sunrise

“And God made the two great lights; the greater light for the dominion of the day, and the lesser light for the dominion of the night; the stars also.” (Genesis 1:16, NASV) In Judges 5, verse 31, the prophetess Deborah prays, "let those who love Him be like the rising…

by James B. JordanAugust 22, 2017
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Chiasm

A Note on the Structure of Genesis 22, (Part 2)

In part 1 of this article we saw how various attempts to identify the underlying structure of Gen. 22:1-19 fell short and proposed a new structure for the passage. In part 2, we will look at how the sections of the chiasm relate and draw some conclusions from our investigation.…

by Kelly KerrAugust 17, 2017
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Chiasm

On the Structure of Genesis 22, (Part 1)

Chiastic structures abound in the book of Genesis. For example, the Flood narrative is one long chiasm, as is the life of Abraham. It is the contention of this brief study that Gen. 22:1-19, also known as the Aqedah, is another such passage. And this structure reveals a talented author…

by Kelly KerrAugust 15, 2017

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Nation of Laws?

W illiam Stuntz's Collapse of American Criminal Justice is as relentless as a prosecutor's closing. His main charge is that American criminal justice has become a preserve of arbitrary discretionary power. Speed limits offer a simple opening example. Everyone knows that the posted speed limits are not the real speed…

June 24, 2015

Ten Horns v. One Whore

An angel unravels the mystery of Babylon the harlot and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns. Most of what the angel says has to do with the beast, first explaining the beast (v. 8), then its seven heads (vv. 9-11), then its horns (vv. 12-18). The horn…

June 23, 2015
Denominationalism

Culture War in the Churches

Battles between liberals/progressive and conservatives have broken out in many denominations, from Missouri Synod Lutherans to Southern Baptists, and they are still going on in the Episcopal and Presbyterian and other churches. Some have suggested that this internecine warfare is the cause of the decline of denominational identity, loyalty, and…

June 23, 2015

Open Heart

Paul opens his mouth wide ( anoigo ) to speak to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 6:11), and his open mouth expresses the openness of his heart ( he kardia hemon peplatuntai ). He wants the Corinthians to respond by opening themselves up just as wide (v. 13), so that there…

June 23, 2015

Lacan v. Foucault

Joan Copjec's 1994 Read My Desire (recently reprinted by Verso) sets Lacan against the historicists, specifically against Foucault. But also, along the way, Lacan against the structuralists. It's dense going, as one might expect. Early on, Copjec isolates the trouble with Foucault. He “realizes the necessity of conceiving the mode…

June 23, 2015

Authority, Given and Received

The notion of conferred authority is strange. After all, if authority is conferred, it has to be conferred by someone with authority, presumably someone with more authority than the recipient of authority. Can a lesser authority confer greater authority? Medieval Popes thought not, and their coronation powers ritualized their superiority…

June 22, 2015

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