It has been an eventful week on the topic of sexual abuse and the church. The Houston Chronicle published a series of articles on the scope of the problem within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)—a problem which has been exacerbated by the . . . Continue reading →
“Thou has pierced my heart with Thy Word, and I have loved Thee.”1 In the last article, we examined Augustine’s vigorous Christ-centered interpretation of Scripture. Another significant aspect of his biblical interpretation is love. For Augustine, the proper interpretation of Scripture leads . . . Continue reading →
We live in a time where it is thought that strength must be shown for it to be “strength.” Arguing online is the norm. Brash politicians are lauded. The bolder the talking head, the better. For men to be men they must . . . Continue reading →
When Theodosius I (AD 347–95) took the throne in AD 379, no one knew how profoundly the next 1,500 years of Christian history would be affected (and effected) by his promulgation of the decree (AD 380) to make Christianity the state religion . . . Continue reading →
Most of us know that we should pray more often. We do not need a book to tell us this. We only need to consider our own daily prayers to see our failures. If we already know this, then why bother reading . . . Continue reading →
“Like fingernails on a chalkboard.” Sometimes that phrase captures my response to a bizarre interpretation of Scripture. For example, I recently read a modern commentary on the story in Mark’s Gospel, where Jesus heals a man with leprosy: “Jesus stretched out his . . . Continue reading →
Sovereign Grace Church has not yet landed in a denominational home. We are studying, inquiring, and praying. In good Reformed fashion, we are attempting to move slowly and deliberately—doing everything decently and in order. This step has not been easy for us. . . . Continue reading →
“Of all things that human beings do,” Mortimer Adler once observed, “conversing with one another is the most characteristically human.” Unfortunately, in our day, we no longer have many opportunities for meaningful conversations. Virtual conversations abound—we watch talking heads on television or . . . Continue reading →
A question I have been asked many times over the past year is, “What was the moment the penny dropped for you regarding becoming confessionally Reformed?” Unfortunately, I am not sure I know the answer. Upon reflecting on my time in ministry . . . Continue reading →
On my path to discovering the Reformed confession, there were multiple changes developing in my life. So, I want to take a moment to step back chronologically in my story. As I began the effort of church planting, I met with a . . . Continue reading →
I did not know what my transition to covenantal and Calvinist theology meant for pastoral ministry, but I knew it meant something. I was looking for church planters similar to myself, who eschewed the programmatic and “seeker-sensitive” model of ministry. I found . . . Continue reading →
Toward the end of my tenure at an evangelical megachurch, I met a young Dutch Reformed college student named Jason (he now serves as a pastor with me). We would sit and discuss dispensationalism and covenant theology. I distinctly remember wanting to . . . Continue reading →
It is true, however, that Luther did not normally conceive of the Christian’s social responsibility as transforming the existing structures of society. While persons can be transformed by the gospel in the kingdom of God, institutions can only be reformed by the . . . Continue reading →
William Ames (1576-1633) plays several crucial roles in the transmission and development of Reformed Orthodoxy. As a student of William Perkins, he carried forward Perkins’ strong Reformed theology. At the same time, Ames ministered among leading theologians in the Netherlands, combining both . . . Continue reading →
I first heard the terminology of the “five points of Calvinism” in the mid-1990s from a youth pastor at our evangelical megachurch. He was convinced that Calvinism is true and biblical. One evening, my wife and I went to dinner with him . . . Continue reading →
This is a sneak peek of new content coming soon to Abounding Grace Radio featuring R. Scott Clark and Pastor Chris Gordon. Continue reading →
Hello, we have not met. My name is Atlas. Pleased to meet you. I am currently enrolled in a graduate program at an elite university, and I have been asked to say a word or two about my experiences. Being a Christian . . . Continue reading →
Yet that is exactly what Cardinal Walter Kasper would make of him (the original article is now only available to Times subscribers). There were a lot of moral Reformers before, during, and after the Reformation. Luther was not one of them. The . . . Continue reading →
During his first few years in England, Edmund Burke compiled essay sketches and fragments in a notebook published only in the mid-twentieth century. One of the entries in that notebook, possibly co-written with his distant cousin William Burke, is entitled “Religion of No Efficacy . . . Continue reading →
I do not write this out of any concern that gambling is necessarily a widespread practice among Christians, though I would not be surprised to find it so, since “Do not be conformed to this age” does not appear to be energetically pursued today. I write, instead, because I am surprised at the virtual silence on the question of the propriety of gambling among professing Christians. Continue reading →
