Month: September 2006
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History, Schmistory: Let's Fight!
Freddy age 6 has crossed a line with adventure stories. Knights still dominate, of course, but now they are permitted to come into contact — and, as you can see here, into conflict — with vikings, as well as pirates, the police, and an occasional astronaut. “History” is a mental space where these characters jostle…
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Confessions, Then and Now
This semester I have the great opportunity of teaching a whole class dedicated to Augustine’s Confessions. This Christian classic is an amazing example of a literary masterpiece and it is also one of the most theologically dense books that I have ever read. Leading three hours of discussion on each of the individual books of…
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Worship in Truth
“Devotional book” is not usually a term of approval, even among those of us who use them. “Devotionals” can connote fairly lightweight religious reading, a thought for the day, a little something that fits on one page and reminds you to keep the right attitude. But the Dutch Reformed pastor Andrew Murray wrote almost nothing…
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Against Abstract Providence
Every theologian who wants to think biblically has to believe in providence. Like it or not (and after all, why not like it?), the Bible is about a God who rules and governs world events, from geopolitical reversals to the fate of little birds. This God is not surprised by how things turn out, is…
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Simple Faith, meet Theology
Jesus died for me. Anyone who believes this simple sentence has entered the sphere of Christian faith, and has learned the one thing that God is concerned to teach his human creatures, in order to bring them into his school for all further lessons. “Jesus died for me” is knowledge that can be grasped by…
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Experiencing Children and God
When I come home from the office after a busy day of work I know that my six year old daughter will scream “daddy” at the top of her lungs, and start running at me. She follows this up with what I would call a “leap of faith” into my arms. I have learned from…
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May God Curse Your Studies!
I’m beginning my fifth trip through Calvin’s Institutes this semester, which is my third trip with a group of students. I am always amazed at the power of Calvin’s writing, which is designed to bring the reader into direct confrontation with God. From the opening page, Calvin aims to make the reader conscious that theology…