Patristics for Pastors4/9/2008
Tony Reinke recently interviewed Ligon Duncan (MP3 [14.4 MB]) on patristics. Here's an outline of the questions (with time markers):
[00:00] – Intro
[01:30] – Define for us patristics or patrology.
[04:28] – Why should busy pastors read patristic literature in the first place?
[09:29] – What hurdles do pastors face in reading and benefiting from patristic writings?
[14:13] – For the busy pastor, recommend a few specific patristic titles covering history, biography, and primary sources.
[26:52] – What contemporary debates reflect controversies addressed by the patristic authors?
[32:00] – Our culture appears to be growing increasingly secular. If
it's true that secularism is on the rise, what can we learn from the
church fathers on engaging a “pagan” culture?
[36:06] – In patristic literature, a reader will be faced with thoughts
or practices of the early church fathers that were incorrect. What
concerns do you have for a pastor getting his feet wet in the patristic
writings?
[41:46] – Would you agree that in patristic writings we see a stress on ethics over and above the gospel?
[45:08] – Dr. Duncan, you are a gifted patristic scholar and have been
pastoring at First Presbyterian in Jackson for over twelve years now,
preaching on a regular basis. How do your preaching and pastoral
ministry reflect the impact of patristic authors?
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Removing the Fear4/8/2008
Ronald Marshall, writing in Touchstone:
Jonah is a horrifying book, with its raging storm and fierce sea-monster,
a suicide attempt and near drowning, and, at the end, a confrontation with
a massive enemy city. But in American children’s literature it is largely
a harmless adventure story, all about travel and intrigue, underwater hideouts,
success and fame.
Jonah may not have been eaten alive in the Bible, but he has been in the
children’s books. In the nineteen versions I examined for this essay,
the horror of the story has been extracted and removed from sight, and with
it an important theological and imaginative preparation for the gospel. Read the whole thing.
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How to Help Your Husband When He's Criticized4/8/2008
C.J. and Carolyn Mahaney give practical, biblical advice on the issue.
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Enns Suspended from WTS3/27/2008
News came earlier today regarding yesterday's special meeting of the Board of Trustees at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), which met to address "the disunity of the faculty regarding the theological issues related to Dr. Peter Enns' book, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament."
The Board decided to suspend Professor Enns at the close of the school
year, with a process in place to consider whether he should be
terminated from his employment at the Seminary.
Here is the letter from the Chairman of the Board:
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Interviews of Interest3/27/2008
Mark Dever interviews Kent Hughes about life and preaching.
R.C. Sproul interviews Ben Stein about his new documentary on intolerance toward intelligent design.
Al Mohler interviews Eric Redmond about Jeremiah Wright and Black Liberation Theology.
See also the partial transcript and Rev. Redmond's pre-primer on the issue.
Monergism interviews Tim Keller about apologetics and his new book.
Adam Cheung interviews Tom Schreiner about his forthcoming book, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ.
I interview Craig Blomberg about The Historical Reliability of the Gospels.
Westminster Bookstore interviews John Muether about his new biography of Cornelius Van Til.
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9Marks on Gospel Unity and Gospel Division2/29/2008
The latest 9Marks journal is online. (Also available in PDF).
Here's the table of contents:
CHRISTIAN COOPERATION
Fellow Workers for the Truth
By Andy Johnson
Together for What?
By Mark Dever
A Senior Saint on Unity
By Iain Murray
Theological Triage
By R. Albert Mohler
CHRISTIAN SEPARATION
When, Why & Where To Draw Boundaries
By Wayne Grudem
A Pastors' and Theologians' Forum on Fundamentalism
Potential and Pitfalls of Together For The Gospel
By David Doran
A Christian Fundamentalist Travel Guide
By Matthew C. Hoskinson
An Evangelical-Fundamentalist Convergence?
By Ben Wright
Book Review: Promise Unfulfilled
By Roland McCune
Reviewed by Andy Naselli
BOOK & VIDEO REVIEWS
Video Review: NOOMA
By Rob Bell
Reviewed by Greg Gilbert
Book Review: Why We're Not Emergent
By Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck
Reviewed by Jonathan Leeman
Book Review: I Sold My Soul On eBay
By Hemant Mehta
Reviewed by Michael McKinley
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Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 42/23/2008
From the Westminster Bookstore blog:
"Thanks to Baker Publishing, we now offer you the chance to peruse the detailed Table of Contents and thorough Editor’s Introduction from the much-anticipated fourth and final volume of the complete English translation of Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics. Volume 4 is titled Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation. It is due out this May."
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Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor2/19/2008
C.J. Mahaney recommends D. A. Carson's new memoir about his dad.
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Westminster Shorter Catechism Project2/18/2008
James Grant passed along a link to a site that looks very helpful: The Westminster Shorter Catechism Project.
It includes the catechism, along with links to works and commentary by John Flavel, Thomas Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, John Whitecross, and others.
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C.J.'s Reflections on the Super Bowl2/4/2008
My recording of the game (I watched it with some friends after Sunday evening service) ended with 25 seconds left to go in the game, so I missed the final play and the post-game stuff.
C.J. Mahaney stuck around, though, and offers some important insights and applications.
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Interview with Packer on Anglicanism1/29/2008
"In a wide-ranging interview, the Canadian Anglican theologian J.I.
Packer talked with David W. Virtue about the state of the Anglican
Communion at the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) Winter
Conference in Dallas, Texas."
Note this line in particular: "Liberal theology, without the gospel, proves to be the smell of death rather than of life."
HT: James Grant
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Roe @ 351/22/2008
A few links in light of this most unholy day, the 35th anniversary of the decision in Roe v. Wade.
Scott Klusendorf on being a pro-life pastor.
An interview with Klusendorf about his forthcoming book and books he recommends on defending life.
A visual graph to show how many lives have been lost in the US due to abortion.
An interview with Princeton's Robert George on why Roe v. Wade was legally wrong, whether it will be overturned, and what can be done.
A chapter by John Piper on Fasting for Little Ones.
A picture worth a thousand words.
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An Interview with Dever on Sibbes1/22/2008
Timmy Brister interviews Mark Dever on Richard Sibbes.
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Trumper on Adoption1/16/2008
Dan Cruver interviews Tim Trumper on adoption.
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