One of the minor problems with living on the West Coast is that the publishers all seem to be on the East Coast and books seem to get here last. In the meantime we continue to enjoy the sunshine and Kevin’s review . . . Continue reading →
T. David Gordon
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (2)
Between the first post and this one I listened to the excellent interview with David at Reformedforum.org. In the first chapter Gordon lays out his case that “Johnny Can’t Preach.” The first line of evidence is anecdotal. His experience (and that of . . . Continue reading →
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (3)
Part 2. The next section of the book is an analysis of one aspect of the problem: Johnny doesn’t read well. This problem has been diagnosed for many years. I see it frequently. The rise of electronic texts, which is valuable in . . . Continue reading →
Why Johnny Can’t Preach (4)
Part 3. Another reason Johnny can’t preach is because Johnny can’t write. To make this point Gordon begins with an important survey of the way technological changes have affected communication. We take printed texts for granted. We blithely tell people to “read . . . Continue reading →
Gordon Essay Online: Abraham and Sinai Contrasted
“Abraham and Sinai Contrasted in Galatians 3:6-14” in The Law is Not of Faith: Essays on Works and Grace in the Mosaic Covenant, ed. Bryan Estelle, J. V. Fesko, and David VanDrunen (P&R, 2009), pp. 240–58. The book is available through the . . . Continue reading →
Hammers And Nails (And PCA Overtures)
Prior to the 21st century, it was not uncommon for one’s elders in home, church, or community to have a significant influence on one’s attitudes, beliefs, and general outlook on life. If Marc Prensky was right (I believe he was), this changed . . . Continue reading →
“Who Are You Calling Dull?”: The Aesthetic Prowess of Protestant Reformers
The earlier Protestant tradition that produced a Milton, Bach, or Rembrandt, and later a C. S. Lewis or Makoto Fujimura was neither anti-intellectual nor aesthetically dull. Luther, a Renaissance-trained polymath, was the first individual since Jerome to translate the entire Bible into . . . Continue reading →
“Hear, O Israel”
Contemporary Judaism, like love, is a many-splendored thing. For our own convenience, we often refer to three types of Judaism: Reformed, Conservative, and Orthodox, but there are many variations even within these three. Nonetheless, practicing Jews of any brand have a common . . . Continue reading →
Paul’s Sentences And Ours
Several months ago, Dr. Clark emailed me, saying: “We are still interested in your reflections on media culture,” in reply to an earlier thread I composed about Israel’s Shema and God’s use of language—not image—to promote true knowledge of him. This brief . . . Continue reading →
Eve’s Messianic Hope For Cain In Genesis 4:1—Ordinary Hebrew Terms For Child
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man (אִישׁ) with (the help of) the LORD.” (Gen. 4:1) Translators and commentators have often noted two difficulties in translating the first verse of Genesis . . . Continue reading →
Theocracy Didn’t Work The First Time
If theocracy didn’t work in Israel, where God divinely instituted it, why do people insist on believing it will work in places where God manifestly has not instituted it? T. David Gordon | Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the . . . Continue reading →
Review: Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers By T. David Gordon (Part 1)
I am a fan of T. David Gordon. He writes well. He speaks plainly. He does not mince words. With some writers, it is quite possible for five people to read them and come away with five different conclusions about what the . . . Continue reading →
Review: Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers By T. David Gordon (Part 2)
Up to chapter four, Gordon has focused on the form of preaching. But at this point he turns to questions of content. He says, “In addition to the cultural matters that have concerned me throughout, I also believe that preaching today fails . . . Continue reading →