It is well known that many westerners today describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” Paul Heelas and Linda Woodhead define “spirituality as a life based not on external authorities and expectations but “in deep connection with the unique experiences of my . . . Continue reading →
Author Archives: Heidelblog
Top Five Posts For The Week Of August 31–September 6, 2026
These were the top five posts for the week of August 31–September 6, 2026. Continue reading →
Is Praise & Worship Music A New Evangelical Sacrament?
Recent Evangelical experiments in worship are particularly significant for two reasons. First, they represent the most widespread changes in Protestant public worship since the Reformation. While various changes in worship had occurred earlier, they came much more slowly and were much less . . . Continue reading →
On Hosea 6:7 As A Proof For The Covenant Of Works
The fourth view, following the Vulgate, holds that Hosea 6:7 refers to the covenant that Adam broke in Eden. C. F. Keil says, “the local expression ‘there,’ refers to the place where the faithless apostasy occurred, as in Ps. xiv.5.” Robertson concludes, . . . Continue reading →
Ligon Duncan On Why You Should Embrace Reformed Covenant Theology
Covenant theology is the Bible’s way of explaining and deepening our understanding of: (1) the atonement (the meaning of the death of Christ); (2) assurance (the basis of our confidence of communion with God and enjoyment of his promises);(3) the sacraments (signs . . . Continue reading →
Pastoral Abuse Is Not Leadership
By 2014, Mars Hill Church in Seattle had grown to 15,000 members across 15 locations. Mark Driscoll, the church’s co-founding pastor, was one of the most influential evangelical voices in America. Then it all collapsed. The charges against Driscoll didn’t involve heresy. . . . Continue reading →
Dozens Of Congregations To Leave The EPC To Form New Denomination
In June, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church voted to accept a “pastoral letter” that critics say opens the door to ordaining celibate, same-sex attracted individuals — a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from within the denomination. Now some of those churches have . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of August 24–30, 2026
These were the top five posts for the week of August 24–30, 2026. Continue reading →
D. G. Hart On American Liberty And Religious Dissent
June is the usual month for the convening of Presbyterian assemblies, but the jewel in the crown of Presbyterian reforms, replacing bishops with lengthy committee meetings, seems less impressive today than it did in 1560 when the Scots held their first General . . . Continue reading →
You Shall Not Make Pictures Of Jesus
“It’s a new storybook Bible for children!” as I looked to my wife from the kitchen table. She rolled her eyes in that familiar way and glanced over to the stack of similar books collecting dust. “Will it make the pile?” “Not . . . Continue reading →
Video: Is Roman Catholicism Right About Tradition?
What does the Bible actually mean when Paul tells the Thessalonians to hold fast to the traditions they were taught “either by spoken word or by letter”? Rome has long leaned on that verse to defend a body of unwritten apostolic teaching . . . Continue reading →
Review: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, And Profits Are Hurting The Church By Katelyn Beaty
It is my opinion that one of the more detrimental developments in modern evangelicalism has been the rise of the celebrity pastor. While the church has always been tempted to elevate gifted and influential leaders beyond their proper place, our digital age . . . Continue reading →
Nebraska Sued For Pressuring Families To Attend Public School
As parents in Lincoln, Nebraska send their children back to school today, the New Civil Liberties Alliance is filing the Jacobsen v. Spellerberg lawsuit on behalf of two families in the District Court of Lancaster County, challenging the state’s K-12 education system’s . . . Continue reading →
John Witherspoon: Presbyterian Pastor
John Witherspoon is most famous for being the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence. The most crucial part of that sentence is the recognition that Witherspoon was, from the age of 20 until his death at the age of 71, . . . Continue reading →
Advice From A Seasoned Pastor
I was ordained in 2000 and in the years since, I’ve learned some things about pastoral ministry. In what follows, I’ll share ten practical tips. These go beyond what should be understood by every pastor: keep your focus on the gospel, preach . . . Continue reading →
The Council Of Ephesus (AD 431) Contra Pelagius Et Al
When there had been read in the holy Synod what had been done touching the deposition of the most irreligious Pelagians and Coelestines, of Coelestius, and Pelagius, and Julian, and Praesidius, and Florus, and Marcellian, and Orontius, and those inclined to like . . . Continue reading →
Top Five Posts For The Week Of August 17–23, 2026
These were the top five posts for the week of August 17–23, 2026. Continue reading →
Maltby: Fawkes Was A Terrorist
The child was nine years old. She was to be the oldest survivor of her murdered family: the terrorists planned to hold her prisoner, after an explosion had killed her father, mother, and 11-year-old brother. Her survival would depend on submitting to . . . Continue reading →
Stuart Robinson (1814–81) Defended The Disestablishment Of The Church
No logical Christian mind can avoid the suspicion that the first principles of the true doctrine touching the relation of the temporal and spiritual powers must have very generally fallen out of the consciousness of Christendom, as he contemplates the singular fact . . . Continue reading →
Video: Israel, Antisemitism, Zionism, and the Church’s Response
In this episode of Abounding Grace Radio, Pastor Chad Vegas joins Chris Gordon to take up one of the most contested questions in American Christianity right now: how should Gentile Christians view Israel and the Jews? Chris and Chad walk through the . . . Continue reading →